ESA-STAR REFERENCE 1-10494
Activity Feasibility Study, Demonstration Project
Opening date 15-10-2020
Our society, economy, security and sovereignty are increasingly dependent on digital infrastructures and more specifically on communication networks: any lack of coverage in some areas or loss of availability due to accidental or intentional disruption may have widespread impact and very negative consequences.
Hence, specific governmental attention is required to those communication services and networks that are essential for institutional services (at national, regional or local levels) and support operations that are deemed critical in fields as various as transport, finance, health, energy production and distribution, public safety, etc. Governmental actions include setting pro-active public policies, imposing strict regulations on these services and the infrastructure that supports them and to carefully check their application through various mechanisms such as service certification or operational oversight by dedicated governmental bodies (agencies, …).
These institutional and public-regulated needs are addressed by the new ESA ARTES 4.0 Space System for Safety and Security (4S) Strategic Programme Line. Within 4S, ESA wants to support and promote in particular the development of innovative downstream services enabled by space technologies addressing these needs, both today and tomorrow based on next generation SATCOM infrastructure that may be deployed over the next decade. Primarily focus is on secure Satellite communications, but combination and integration with other space assets such as Satellite Navigation and Satellite Earth Observation are also targeted.