Digital solutions for autonomy for space transportation systems, design and simulation tools - Digital enablers and building blocks

Expected Outcome:

The topic encompasses actions within the scope of the co-programmed European Partnership on Globally Competitive Space Systems (‘Space Partnership’) in the areas of satellite communication (SatCom), Earth Observation (EO) and New Commercial Space Transportation Solutions and is part of cohesive activities in the domain of digital developments under the grand heading of “digitalisation for commercial space solutions”.

Under the area of Access to Space related to New Space Transportation Solutions, this topic focusses on the Low to Mid TRL level building blocks for key technologies required to strengthen competitiveness in this domain. Areas for launch service improvement are e.g., health monitoring systems, enabling real time subsystem monitoring through all mission phases, high speed sensor networks for on board real-time data feeds, smart avionics, functional building blocks for autonomy, enhanced ground-board high-data rate communication and high-speed on-board computer, as well as Artificial Intelligence algorithms to process high volumes of data.

Project results are expected to contribute to one or several of the following expected outcomes:

• Improved space transportation systems and launcher sustainability, reduced costs and operational constraints as well as enhanced system monitoring and autonomy;
• Technology developments for New Space Transportation Solutions, including addressing software and digital tools;
• Models for mission, system design and optimisation, able to integrate life cycle analysis, engineering and environmental models for optimisation of development through manufacturing and mission implementation.

This will contribute to developing, deploying global space-based services applications and data and contribute to fostering the EU's space sector competitiveness, as stated in the expected impact of this destination.

Scope:

To tackle the above-mentioned expected outcomes, the following R&I is expected to be addressed:

• the maturation of eco-design software tools enhancing reconfigurability in orbit
• the maturation of disruptive/game changing technologies related to digitalisation

Proposals are expected to promote cooperation between different actors (industry, SMEs and research institutions) and consider opportunities to quickly turn technological innovation into commercial use in space.

Proposals under this topic should explore synergies and be complementary to already funded actions in the context of technology development at component level. In particular, it is expected that projects make use of existing European technologies and/or building blocks at component level contributing to European non-dependence and strengthen competitiveness, and this should be clearly presented in the proposal. Furthermore, proposed activities should be complementary to H2020 and Horizon Europe funded projects, national activities and activities funded by the European Space Agency (ESA).

This topic implements the co-programmed European Partnership on ‘Globally Competitive Space Systems’ (GCSS). As such, projects resulting from this topic will be expected to report on results to the European Partnership ‘Globally Competitive Space Systems’ (GCSS) in support of the monitoring of its KPIs.

In this topic, the integration of the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in research and innovation content should be addressed only if relevant in relation to the objectives of the research effort.