ESA Open Invitation to Tender: 1-10826
Open Date: 15/03/2022 09:45 CEST
Closing Date: 07/06/2022 13:00 CEST

Objective: To develop an automatically operated passive optical or radar based sky surveillance system. Targeted Improvements: To enable automated operation of an optical ground station when transmitting potentially non eye-safe laser beams. Description: Optical communication promises the possibility to transmit virtually unlimited amounts of data from optical ground stations (OGS) to future telecommunication satellites, without the need for licensing. However, for optical communications from space to ground to become economically viable, an OGS will need to operate autonomously without human presence or supervision. Every optical communication link needs to transmit laser beams which in most cases may not be eye-safe, especially at short range from the OGS. Potential casualties may become burglars (intruders into the OGS premises), but also airplane/helicopter/ glider/balloon passengers whose airship may cross the optical beam. This activity will therefore investigate and develop passive optical systems (e.g. camera based sensors in the visible and infra-red) potentially together with radar based systems to identify the presence of airplanes/helicopters/balloons (potentially carrying people) in the vicinity of an uplink optical communication beam from Optical Ground Stations. The system shall be able to continuously monitor (24h per day, 365days per year) during daytime and night time conditions, when optical communication activities are performed. In the case of detection of an aircraft the system shall automatically switch of the laser beam. It shall resume optical communication operations once the detected aircraft has sufficiently moved out of the communication beam hazard area. The system is required to demonstrate 100% reliability for aircraft detection up to a distance of 20 km (TBC).

Estabilishment: ESTEC
ECOS Required: No
Classified: No
Price Range: 200-500 KEURO
Authorised Contact Person: Adriana Lucas
Initiating Service: TIA-TIS
IP Measure: N/A
Prog. Reference: E/0534-05A – OP-Other Act. Prod.
Tender Type: Open Competition
Open To Tenderers From: AT+BE+CA+CH+CZ+DE+DK+EL+ES+FR+GB+HU+IE+IT+LU+NL+NO+PL+PT+RO+SE
Technology Keywords: 16-C-VI-Optical Communications
Products Keywords: 4-B-5-Ground Station Monitoring & Control