ESA Open Invitation to Tender: 1-10669
Open Date: 08/11/2021 16:31 CEST
Closing Date: 24/01/2022 13:00 CEST

The objective of this activity is to design, manufacture and test an integrated low power module suitable for volume production, incorporating analogue and digital functions and enabling in-orbit dynamic capacity allocation and digital beamforming over a wide frequency range of 17 GHz to 31 GHz, with a useful bandwidth of up to 3.5 GHz. Targeted Improvements: Enabling in-orbit dynamic capacity allocation and digital beamforming with a factor of four reduction in DC power consumption and a factor of eight reduction in mass and footprint. Description: In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in using small satellite constellations to provide telecommunication services. In order to achieve re-configurability for dynamic capacity allocation, and beamforming capabilities that are compatible with the resources available on small satellite platforms (up to 200 kg), high integration of analogue and digital functions is needed, together with a significant reduction of power consumption. Technologies available today could satisfy these needs. Ka-band System on Module (SoM) technology is suitable for volume production and could bring in-orbit dynamic capacity allocation and beamforming within reach for small satellite applications.The aim of this activity is to develop a Ka-band SoM scaled engineering model and associated algorithms, providing capabilities for power control, minimisation of inter-beam interference, frequency hopping for multiple beam operations, channelisation, routing, carrier synchronisation, digital pre-distortion, telemetry and telecommand. The SoM will operate over a frequency range from 17 GHz to 31 GHz and be capable of processing up to 3.5 GHz of bandwidth, with eight transmit and eight receive channels and a DC power consumption of less than 60 W. A software test-bed will be developed to test and evaluate critical functions and performance, including data throughput, channel reconfiguration, beam-hopping and beamforming, power consumption, control functions and digital pre-distortion.Procurement Policy: C(1) = Activity restricted to non-prime contractors (incl. SMEs). For additional information please go to this link.

Directorate: Directorate Telecom Integrated Applica
Estabilishment: ESTEC
ECOS Required: No
Classified: No
Price Range: > 500 KEURO
Authorised Contact Person: Adriana Lucas
Initiating Service: TIA-TTS
IP Measure: C1
Prog. Reference: E/0534-01G – CC-AT 4.0.1
Tender Type: Open Competition
Open To Tenderers From: AT+BE+CA+CH+CZ+DE+DK+EL+ES+FI+FR+GB+HU+IE+IT+LU+NL+NO+PL+PT+RO+SE
Technology Keywords: 6-D-I-Payload Tools
Products Keywords: 2-L-4-a-Bent-pipe repeaters, regenarative transponders / 2-L-2/3/4.1-m-Digital: Switching BB