ESA and Inmarsat partner for mobile satcom research

The European Space Agency (ESA) and Inmarsat have signed a public-private partnership (PPP) agreement that aims to identify the new technologies needed to create the next generation of space-enabled communications services.

The Inmarsat Communications Evolution (ICE) initiative will have initial funding of €4.2m to support a nine-month feasibility study, for which Inmarsat will be the prime contractor.

The total includes €1.9m from Inmarsat and €2m from ESA, with the remainder — approximately €0.3m — to be provided by three subcontractors: Space Engineering Italy, Airbus Defence & Space UK and RUAG Switzerland. 

ICE aims to create an open architecture with standardised interfaces that will ensure an easy entry point for application developers, thereby stimulating the creation of new products and services.

The ICE PPP will therefore offer industry an opportunity to propose innovative technologies and solutions that could enhance and expand the capabilities of mobile satellite communications, including associated products and services. 

Inmarsat will undertake a feasibility study focused on identifying enabling technologies, both in space and on the ground, that could maximise the throughput and coverage of satellite communications; create lower cost, smaller terminals; develop modular components that can be easily integrated into a broad range of devices; and maximise the commercial opportunities presented through the development of connected applications — from automated transport to environmental monitoring. 

“While the initial study is a relatively small-scale project, it represents an ambitious goal — to extend the benefits of satellite communications to a broader customer base and to significantly increase the range of services and applications available … from connected transport systems to the monitoring of national and international energy infrastructures, to name just a few,” said Michele Franci, chief technology officer at Inmarsat.