ESA Open Invitation to Tender AO10583
Open Date: 13/01/2021
Closing Date: 10/03/2021 13:00:00

Status: ISSUED
Reference Nr.: 20.129.19
Prog. Ref.: Technology Developme
Budget Ref.: E/0901-01 – Technology Developme
Special Prov.: BE+DK+FR+DE+IT+NL+ES+SE+CH+GB+IE+AT+NO+FI+PT+GR+LU+CZ+RO+PL+EE+HU
Tender Type: C
Price Range: 200-500 KEURO
Products: Satellites & Probes / RF / Microwave Communication (Platform and Payloads) / Communication – BB(Antennas excluded) / Analog: RF front ends
Technology Domains: Optoelectronics / Photonics / RF Photonics / Optoelectronics / Photonics / Micro- & Nano-Photonics / RF Systems, Payloads and Technologies / RF Technologies and Equipment / RF Equipment / RF Systems, Payloads and Technologies / RF Technologies and Equipment / RF Devices
Establishment: ESTEC
Directorate: Directorate of Tech, Eng. & Quality
Department: Mechanical Department
Division: Mechatronics and Optics Division
Contract Officer: Reinsoo, Anna
Industrial Policy Measure: N/A – Not apply
Last Update Date: 13/01/2021
Update Reason: Tender issue

To design, manufacture and verify a novel photonic RF power demultiplexer performing flexible allocation of pass-band bandwidth (125 MHz-1000 MHz) and central frequency (over 2GHz in Ka/Q/V bands). Current High and Very High Throughput Satellite (HTS/VHTS) systems are based on multibeam systems to allow frequency re-use. In the forward link the input signal from the gateway is divided or combined by combiner multiplexers / demultiplexers prior to the frequency conversion. In the return link, the signal from users is combined and amplified on the way to the gateway feeder link. However the combination/division of the frequency band is defined by design and it cannot be modified during the system operation. Photonic RF filter concepts have been developed, demonstrating the capacityto tune both central frequency and bandwidth, characteristics not offered by current microwave equipment. Microwave/RF photonics makes use of photonics to perform RF processing in the optical domain. 1st generation photonic RF payloads/equipment currently under development mostly consist of photonic distribution of RF LOs and photonic RF frequency-conversion, and has substantial advantages in terms of complexity, size and weight reduction. This type of microwave photonic equipment is now in the phase of in orbit demonstration. This activity will investigate technical solutions for microwave (de) multiplexers operating at Ka/Q/V bands based on microwave photonics capable to provide flexible bandwidth allocation (125 MHz to 1000 MHz) and central frequency reconfigurability larger than 2 GHz. Aspects such as noise figure, DC power consumption, linearity and thermal behaviour shall be explored in detail. Technicalsolutions based on either “integrated” photonics (“microphotonics”) or miniaturised “discrete” photonic shall be investigated.