ESA Open Invitation to Tender AO10447
Open Date: 24/08/2020
Closing Date: 04/11/2020 13:00:00

Status: ISSUED
Reference Nr.: 20.1TT.60
Prog. Ref.: OP-Other Act. CC
Budget Ref.: E/0534-05A – OP-Other Act. CC
Special Prov.: AT+BE+CH+CZ+DE+DK+ES+FR+GR+HU+IE+IT+LU+NL+NO+PL+PT+RO+SE+GB+CA
Tender Type: C
Price Range: > 500 KEURO
Products: Satellites & Probes / Optical Communication / Optical Comm ¿ BB / Laser sources, modulators / Satellites & Probes / Optical Communication / Optical Comm ¿ BB / Telescopes / Satellites & Probes / Optical Communication / Optical Comm ¿ BB / Receivers / Satellites & Probes / Optical Communication / Optical Comm ¿ BB / Tracking, (fine) Pointing and Stabilization mechanisms
Technology Domains: Optoelectronics / Photonics / Micro- & Nano-Photonics
Establishment: ECSAT
Directorate: Directorate Telecom & Integrated Applica
Department: Telecom Technologies,Product&Systems Dep
Division: Technologies and Products Division
Contract Officer: Beardsell, Andrea
Industrial Policy Measure: N/A – Not apply
Last Update Date: 24/08/2020
Update Reason: Tender issue

Objective:The objective of the activity is to develop the corresponding technology and demonstrate the feasibility of a single optical terminal on-board a geostationary spacecraft capable to receive data from multiple optical ground stations. Targeted Improvements: Reduction of the number of on-board optical terminals by a factor of three to ten. Description: Optical feeder-links require multiple (>10) ground stations to mitigate cloud coverage, within any given coverage area. Fast switching between these ground stations,as needed, is essential. Current optical communication systems (e.g.EDRS) need a relatively long reacquisition process for switching between locations. Fast switching would be feasible if the locations of all optical ground stations contributing to the feeder-link were fixed and imaged onto a focal plane by the space terminal’s telescope, similar to the process used in astrophysics for monitoring multiple stars with a single optical telescope. One possible approach could be to populate the focal plane with fibre optical pick-ups (receivers), one for each of the ground station locations.In this activity, an optical communication terminal breadboardshall be designed, manufactured and tested. The terminal shall be capable of keeping multiple ground stations (>10) in its field-of-view and have the capability to instantly switch between any two of them. The breadboard shall demonstrate the seamless switchoverbetween two ground stations, with the required accuracy, together withthe optimised concept of operations.