ESA Open Invitation to Tender AO10320
Open Date: 22/04/2020
Closing Date: 17/06/2020 13:00:00

Status: ISSUED
Reference Nr.: 20.154.04
Prog. Ref.: NAVISP Phase 2 E1
Budget Ref.: E/0365-40 – NAVISP Phase 2 E1
Special Prov.: BE+DK+DE+CH+GB+AT+NL+NO+FI+CZ+RO+FR+IT+GR+HU+SE
Tender Type: C
Price Range: 200-500 KEURO
Products: Ground Segment / Mission Operations / Mission Control / TM/TC, Planning & Scheduling, …/ Satellites & Probes / System Engineering Software / System Modelling & Simulation / Other
Technology Domains: RF Systems, Payloads and Technologies / RF Payloads / Payload Tools / RF Systems, Payloads and Technologies / RF Payloads / Navigation Payloads / Ground Station Systems and Networks / Ground Station System / Advanced Ground Station Design Concepts
Establishment: ESTEC
Directorate: Directorate of Navigation
Department: Strategy and Programme Department
Division: NAVISP Programme Office
Contract Officer: Wurzel, Loretta Elisabeth
Industrial Policy Measure: N/A – Not apply
Last Update Date: 22/04/2020
Update Reason: Summary updated

Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. Satellite Search and Rescue refers to the activity of satellite-aided tracking of activated emergency beacons. A new addition to vehicles used in SAR could be represented by HAPS platforms. A benefit provided by HAPS is the advantage on link budget, estimated between 30 and 40 dB based on the altitude at which HAPS are deployed. High-altitude platforms (HAPs) are aircraft, usually airplanes, airships or balloons, positioned at an altitude of 20 to 50 km, in the stratosphere, in order to compose a telecommunications network or perform remotesensing, for civilian or military applications. The overall objective of the feasibility study is to determine under which conditions, if any, the use of HAPS platforms can prove valuable in support of SAR systems. Better detection of signals in difficult terrainand weather conditions, precise detection of fast moving beacons, and combination of HAPS data with LEO/MEO/GEO SAR data are also important aspects of this study.