ESA Selects SATConsult to Design Innovative System Revolutionizing the Scheduling of Secure Satcom Resources

Antenna

Paris, Toulouse, Washington D.C., Montreal, Yokohama, October 11, 2018SATConsult, a leading satellite engineering consultancy and member of Euroconsult Group, has been selected by ESA to lead a consortium, composed of RHEA Group, Airbus and Space Hellas, to help develop a secure, independent, and centralized digital platform for Pooling & Sharing (P&S) satellite communication resources

ESA has identified an increasing demand for secure satellite communications worldwide and a need for reliable and secured communications to support a variety of domains such as crisis management, maritime safety, border control and other security domains. Satellite capacity is an important resource in establishing secure communications links, especially where terrestrial infrastructure is compromised – such as is the case with natural disasters. However, despite availability, it is currently a difficult and lengthy process to identify and allocate those resources to set up communications links for missions where time can be a critical factor.

To address this problem, ESA has initiated an innovative study to provide a preliminary design of a service portal that would seamlessly allow end user demands (that might have different security needs and different operational regions) to be matched, in near real-time, to the available offers. In this study, SATConsult has been selected to consolidate requirements, to develop the preliminary design of such a Pooling & Sharing solution that could be implementable after 2020, and to identify the technological challenges which could arise over the long-term evolution of this system.

The design of the digital platform will be complex and necessitates a profound understanding of the constraints related to satellite payload, available frequency resources and restrictions concerning certified terminals. Interfaces will need to be set up with satellite operators in order to give near real-time updates on resource availability. The interface will need to check available interlinking resources and schedule in a short turnaround time. Finally, bandwidth lease and more elaborate managed service agreements and terms and conditions compatible with all satellite operators will need to be put into place.

The design of this digital platform will revolutionize the scheduling of satcom resources. It will prepare the ground for future satcom technological transitions that require satellite resources to be assigned in a real-time manner to support a wide variety of applications / links. It could for example be used as a blueprint for hubs allowing satellites to carry 5G networks.

“We are honored to have been selected by ESA for such an important mission. SATConsult and its parent company, Euroconsult, both have extensive experience in conducting consultation processes in Europe and internationally with government end users of satellite solutions. For this mission, we have established a consortium based on independence, expertise and complementarity of experience to provide a sound and unbiased analysis of the subject to ESA,” stated David Chégnion, Managing Director of SATConsult.

About SATConsult
Southern Aerospace & Telecom Consulting (SATConsult) is a multi-disciplinary, independent consulting firm that supports its clients in the implementation of sustainable satellite-based telecommunications and remote sensing infrastructure worldwide. Formed in 2006, SATConsult brings together a complete range of skills and years of experience working with some of the most prominent commercial and governmental players to provide its clients with tailor-made services covering the complete lifecycle of a satellite project. Headquartered in Toulouse, SATConsult also has an office in Singapore. www.satconsult.eu

About the Euroconsult Group
SATConsult was integrated into the Euroconsult Group in 2016 following the acquisition of a majority share of SATConsult, by Euroconsult, thus combining Euroconsult’s quality market knowledge and analytical rigor with SATConsult’s engineering and legal expertise. The two companies together provide their clients with end-to-end consulting services, from project strategy definition to implementation, bringing data-led perspectives on the most critical issues and a unique expertise in high-tech sectors such as space, satellite communications or information and data services. The Euroconsult Group is trusted by 600 clients in over 50 countries. The Group is headquartered in France, with offices in the U.S., Canada, Japan and Singapore.

About RHEA Group
RHEA Group is a world-leading space engineering and security organization delivering bespoke engineering solutions, system development and security services and technologies to large enterprises, governments and institutions in Canada and Europe.

About Airbus
Airbus is a global leader in aeronautics, space and related services. In 2017 it generated revenues of
€ 59 billion restated for IFRS 15 and employed a workforce of around 129,000. Airbus offers the most comprehensive range of passenger airliners from 100 to more than 600 seats. Airbus is also a European leader providing tanker, combat, transport and mission aircraft, as well as one of the world’s leading space companies, including satellite communications systems and services. In helicopters, Airbus provides the most efficient civil and military rotorcraft solutions worldwide.

About Hellas Space
Space Hellas S.A. established in 1985, is a leading systems integrator in Greece and the wider Balkan area, providing turn-key telecommunications, IT and security solutions.

 

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