ESA Open Invitation to Tender: 1-10694
Open Date: 02/11/2021 14:55 CEST
Closing Date: 17/02/2022 13:00 CEST

The objective of this activity is to design, manufacture and test a breadboard of the digital part of a receiver to validate the use of cipher-based sequences for uncoordinated multiple access operation on command and telemetry links for communication satellite constellations. Targeted Improvements: Eliminate the need for a central sequence assignment and coordination entity. Description: Spread spectrum modulation in satellite telecommand and telemetry links can offer many advantages compared to the classical modulation schemes. Spread spectrum systems provide substantial resistance to interference and jamming and minimise the coordination requiredinthe launch and early orbit and electric orbit raising phases. Current spread spectrum systems require coordination of the selected pseudo-noise (PN) sequences. While this has been the practice so far, it entails significant administrative burden. The proposed cipher-based sequences have the potential to eliminate the registration and coordination of the PN sequences and make possible uncoordinated multiple access operation on command and telemetry links for communication satellite constellations. Should these sequences be shown capable of maintaining sufficient cross-correlation with other users of the band, the need for such central coordination could be eliminated. This will result in lower procurement and operational cost, in particular for large constellations. Preliminary work carried out during ETSI EN 301 926 standard revision, and briefly reported in Annex C of ETSI TR 103 956, has already shown the potential of these sequences to ensure sufficient cross-correlation with a random selection of the sequence seeds.This activity will further study cipher-based sequences. Simulation will be performed to ascertain the relationship between sequence length and the number of users for selected cases. A comparison will be made with conventional pseudo-noise sequences in terms of cross-correlation, interference rejection and capacity. The deliverables of this activity will include a simulation and test environment, incorporating a breadboard of the digital part of a receiver, to evaluate cross-correlation properties and to demonstrate performance by statistical analysis/simulation of uncoordinated access scenarios in which multiple systems employ random seed selection. Validation testing on a breadboard will also be part of the activity.

Directorate: Directorate Telecom Integrated Applica
Estabilishment: ESTEC
ECOS Required: No
Classified: No
Price Range: > 500 KEURO
Authorised Contact Person: Audrey Ferreol
Initiating Service: TIA-TT
IP Measure: N/A
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-C-I-TT&C System Tools
Products Keywords: 2-L-3-a-X-band, S-Band, Ka band,… / Near Earth application, Deep space application, … / Platform vs Payload