Mr. Hughes Boulnois

Airbus

SpaceDataHighway

Commercial Data Relay Service and its Evolution 23rd Ka-Band Broadband - Optical Technology and Systems Panel

Trieste, 17th October 2017

SpaceDataHighwayTM

SpaceDataHighway (SDH) is the

Data Relay Service based on the

current and future infrastructure of

the European Data Relay System

(EDRS).

It encompasses broadband Laser

communication and Ka-band for

Inter Satellite Links (ISL).

17 October 2017 SpaceDataHighway at 23rd Ka Conference, Trieste 2

.

SpaceDataHighway by Airbus

Why Laser Communication

• Free-space optical communication after decades of

analyses/testing a mature technology, now evolving

towards customization, broadband applications (Gbps)

• Finite amount of radio spectrum available for high

bandwidth applications

• Overcrowded RF spectrum is prone to interference,

interception, or jamming

• Laser Communication feature Low Probability of

Intercept/Detection (LPI/LPD)

• Broadband communication demand is insatiable

(e.g. unmanned aerial vehicles sending live streaming

video to facilities, increase with higher resolution and next-

generation sensors)

17 October 2017 SpaceDataHighway at 23rd Ka Conference, Trieste 3

.

Objective: Receive actionable Information from a Satellite

• Space Latency can be up to 100

minutes of satellite traveling

towards next ground contact

• SpaceDataHighway can minimize

the Space Latency even beyond

line of sight to direct receiving

stations

17 October 2017 SpaceDataHighway at 23rd Ka Conference, Trieste 4

.

Push Processing Analysis Ground EDRS-A S1 Information Latency

< 15 Minutes

can be required

Space Latency Advantage through SpaceDataHighway

Area of Interest

Images

to EDRS

EDRS to Ground

Direct to Ground

17 October 2017 SpaceDataHighway at 23rd Ka Conference, Trieste 5

.

Space Latency Advantage through SpaceDataHighway

Area of Interest

Images

to EDRS

EDRS to Ground

Direct to Ground

17 October 2017 SpaceDataHighway at 23rd Ka Conference, Trieste 6

.

Space Latency Advantage through SpaceDataHighway

Area of Interest

Images

to EDRS

EDRS to Ground

Direct to Ground

17 October 2017 SpaceDataHighway at 23rd Ka Conference, Trieste 7

.

Space Latency Advantage through SpaceDataHighway

Area of Interest

Images

to EDRS

EDRS to Ground

Direct to Ground

17 October 2017 SpaceDataHighway at 23rd Ka Conference, Trieste 8

.

70 s

Space Latency Advantage through SpaceDataHighway

Area of Interest

Images

to EDRS

EDRS to Ground

Direct to Ground

17 October 2017 SpaceDataHighway at 23rd Ka Conference, Trieste 9

.

The Service

• has been successfully delivered since

November 2016 to the Sentinel-1/2 satellite

missions of European Copernicus program

• regular data backhaul from the Sentinel

satellites mainly while they are orbiting

beyond line of sight of the European ground

station network

• is managed from the 24/7 Mission

Operations Center (MOC) in Munich

• is initially delivered via the geostationary

(GEO) relay node EDRS-A, to be

complemented in 2018 by EDRS-C

17 October 2017 SpaceDataHighway at 23rd Ka Conference, Trieste 10

.

EDRS-A

9°East EDRS-D

80…157

°East

EDRS-C

31°East

Benefits for Copernicus and achieved Performance

• By end 2017 regular data backhaul from four

Sentinel satellites

increasing data collection capacity by 50%

improving data collection flexibility

Quasi-Real-Time data transmission capability

• Link times of 10-20 minutes per satellite and orbit

• since Nov 2016

> 4000 successful Laser links

> 99% system availability

17 October 2017 SpaceDataHighway at 23rd Ka Conference, Trieste 11

24/7 Mission Operations Centre

Routine operations with Sentinel-1/2

.

Complementary Services

• bi-directional relay service in Ka-band

• first operational case for a dedicated

communications capability between Columbus

Module of the International Space Station

(ISS) and ground control in 2019

• further application: tasking of LEO satellites,

helping to improve imaging efficiency, and

cross-cueing between satellites

• Ka-band receiver for LEO satellites goes into

service in 2020

17 October 2017 SpaceDataHighway at 23rd Ka Conference, Trieste 12

.

Evolution of Laser Communication Capabilities

17 October 2017 SpaceDataHighway at 23rd Ka Conference, Trieste 13

.

• Next generation data relay node will have an efficient

multi-head Laser communication solution for

simultaneous service to multiple users

• Development of improved GEO LCT started

to better meet market needs

• New features

GEO-GEO cross link

3.6 Gbps bandwidth

Dual Wavelength for interoperability with 1550nm *)

Airborne bi-directional

Improved operational features

*) in international cooperation

Next Generation Data Relay Node – EDRS-D

• Start of service: 2023

• Over the Asia/Pacific region, equipped

with next generation GEO LCTs

• Laser Cross link to repatriate user data

from the Asia/Pacific region to Europe

• Interoperability with 1550 nm Laser

• Airbus examining business opportunities

in the EDRS-D from creating a hosted

payload alliance for a SpaceDataHighway

collaboration

17 October 2017 SpaceDataHighway at 23rd Ka Conference, Trieste 14

.

Evolution of LEO Laser Communication User Terminals

• Current Laser Communication Terminal (LCT)

technology has proven its link quality and

reliability on Sentinel satellites

• Development of new compact / light weight

user terminals to make this technology more

accessible also for smaller LEO satellites and a

wider market

• New generation of terminals

(LEO SMART LCT) are available in 2020

17 October 2017 SpaceDataHighway at 23rd Ka Conference, Trieste 16

.

• 1/3 in mass & in volume

• Down sized as shown

Commercial Remote Sensing System benefits from SpaceDataHighway

• Satellites equipped with

latest Laser Communication Technology to transfer

data at 1.8 Gbps, enabling terabytes/day

transmitted securely in quasi-real-time to ground

Ka-band terminals allowing last minute tasking

updates, even beyond ground stations’ line-of-sight

• To utilize SpaceDataHighway for:

highest system reactivity

lowest latency

high volume data transfer

• Benefits: increased monitoring capability, and

optimized operational efficiency (natural disasters,

first line response for civil and military applications) 17 October 2017 SpaceDataHighway at 23rd Ka Conference, Trieste 17

.

Pléiades Neo

- Constellation of four optical VHR satellites

- Launch in 2020 and 2022

- ½ million km² / day / satellite @ 30 cm

Opening SpaceDataHighway for Airborne Platforms

• Bi-directional link

of hours/days

• Joint Aerial Layer

Network support

• LPI/LPD

• Security / Resilience

17 October 2017 SpaceDataHighway at 23rd Ka Conference, Trieste 18

.

capability demo operational demo certification

2017-18 2020 +

operational service prototyping

Development

Partners

17 October 2017 SpaceDataHighway at 23rd Ka Conference, Trieste 19

.

www.edrs-spacedatahighway.com