ESA Open Invitation to Tender: 1-11396
Open Date: 05/07/2022 15:36 CEST
Closing Date: 26/09/2022 13:00 CEST

Currently, many systems rely on GNSS receivers for synchronization purposes (some involving terrestrial transmitters e.g. 5G, DVB-T). Due to the vulnerability of GNSS to interference and spoofing, there is a growing need on alternative (non-GNSS-dependent) timing services. Once properly synchronised, the use of terrestrial transmitters to provide alternative PNT services has been demonstrated. Ground infrastructure could therefore be used for providing a time synchronization service but this will be expensive to maintain and deploy if not existing, and in particular if global coverage is foreseen. An attractive alternative is to use LEO space assets to monitor the ground transmitters to enable a global synchronization service. Geolocation of terrestrial transmitters by exploiting the signals collected by space-borne receivers in LEO has been demonstrated and is commercially available for some signals. This concept can be extended to estimate the clock offsets of terrestrial transmitters in order to synchronise them. The main objective of the activity is to assess the feasibility of using space systems for monitoring the synchronisation errors of RF signals transmitted by terrestrial sources to provide a time synchronization service to transmitter networks. The activity also aims at demonstrating that the terrestrial signals synchronized with such service can be used to provide A-PNT services (i.e. non-GNSS based) to terrestrial users.

Estabilishment: ESTEC
ECOS Required: No
Classified: No
Price Range: 200-500 KEURO
Authorised Contact Person: Patryk Michal Strzelecki
Initiating Service: NAV-PNI
IP Measure: N/A
Prog. Reference: E/0365-40 – NAVISP Phase 2 E1
Tender Type: Open Competition
Open To Tenderers From: AT+BE+CH+CZ+DK+GR+FI+FR+GB+HU+IT+NL+NO+RO+SE
Technology Keywords: 6-B-I-Navigation System Tools
Products Keywords: 2-L-5-a-SW for RF Comm. design, analysis, simulation, etc.