ESA Open Invitation to Tender AO9906
Open Date: 04/10/2019
Closing Date: 15/11/2019 13:00:00

Status: ISSUED
Reference Nr.: 19.1ET.17
Prog. Ref.: GSTP Element 1 Dev
Budget Ref.: E/0904-611 – GSTP Element 1 Dev
Special Prov.: CH
Tender Type: C
Price Range: > 500 KEURO
Products: Satellites & Probes / RF / Microwave Communication (Platform and Payloads) / “Communication – BB (Antennas excluded)” / Analog: Clocks (integrated oscillators, time counters, ¿)
Technology Domains: RF Systems, Payloads and Technologies / RF Technologies and Equipment / Time and Frequency
Establishment: ESTEC
Directorate: Directorate of Tech, Eng. & Quality
Department: Electrical Department
Division: RF Payloads & Technology Division
Contract Officer: Karl, Heinz-Uwe
Industrial Policy Measure: N/A – Not apply
Last Update Date: 04/10/2019
Update Reason: Tender issue

A number of studies have demonstrated the many advantages of miniature batterypowered timing sources (power consumption lower than 200 mW with stability ten times better than a quartz oscillator). Integrated in a portable user terminal, such sources allow for ultra-fast acquisition (e.g. for secured telecom with long spreading codes) and long coherent integration (e.g. for GNSS operation in interference or indoor environment). Similarly, it has been shown that such sources would significantly improve the sensitivity of some on-board EO instruments (e.g. radiometers, radio-occultation). After major non-European achievements over the last years resulting in the availability of a commercial unit, a number of studies and investigations have flourished in Europe for the development of miniature and low power consumption atomic clocks. Lesson learned coming from commercial product is that reliability shall be deeply investigated before to consider such technology mature for a space design or even for a ground application. The selected technology has to prove a good level of design maturity with a physical package already proved in terms of achievable performances and solid justifications related to adopted design solutions for reliability, reproducibility and costs aspects. The following phase is represented by a design refinement with the development of a full integrated device, inclusive of the external package (EM). This model will be fully tested before proceeding with the production of 4 additional EM models. All the models will be then submitted to a long term test not shorter than 6 months for final technology assessment.