VTT Space technologies

Space technologies

Leading edge millimetre wave,

communication and sensor technologies

for aerospace industry

weather forecasting, communication,

navigation, agriculture, environment and many

other areas need services provided from the

space.

Space technologies support

our daily lives

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VTT has a strong track record in millimetre wave

technologies, wireless communication systems and

sensing technologies.

We have over 20 years of experience working with

ESA and space companies in developing

instruments in several satellites.

VTT has an ESA External Laboratory on millimetre

wave technology.

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Challenges

Satellite communication systems

requires unique millimetre wave design

and validation competence

Emerging need for combining satellite

communication systems and terrestrial

communication systems

Need for cost-effective imaging

instruments and RF components

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Our solutions for aerospace industry

Antennae and other RF components

Communication systems

Sensors, imaging and data analysis

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RF front end components and modules see slide 21 for more details »

Antenna solutions see slide 23 for more details »

Micro and millimetre wave modules see slide 22 for more details »



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On-wafer and antenna characterisation

services see slide 25 for more details »

Radiation pattern measurement services see slide 24 for more details »



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Air interfaces see slide 26 for more details »

Smart radio and network resource

management see slide 27 for more details »

Radio systems prototyping and performance

assessment see slide 28 for more details »



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Satellite network Quality of Service and

Quality of Experience

see slide 29 for more details »

RF test systems for satellite missions see slide 30 for more details »

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Sensors, imaging and data analysis

Optical MEMS components see slide 31 for more details »

Multispectral cameras for UAVs and

nanosatellites see slide 32 for more details »

Remote sensing data analysis see slide 33 for more details »

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VTT – intellectual property and

commercialisation

VTT offers a reliable and direct channel for

acquiring protected technology.

We offer our customers access to a portfolio of

more than 300 patent families.

There are various ways to exploit these

off-the-shelf technologies

Exclusive or non-exclusive licensing

IP transfer as a sales transaction

IP transfer as part of an interlinked research project

VTT’s references for

space technologies

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1994-2001

Imaging LIDAR

development

1994-2000

Hologram

compact

antenna test

range for the

tests of the

Odin-satellite

1.1 m antenna

at 119 GHz

1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006

1998

Gas sensor on

the basis of a

micro-

machined

Fabry-Perot

interferometer,

starting

1998-2003

Sub-millimetre

wave antenna

testing using a

hologram CATR

1998-2009

Planck LFI 70

GHz receiver

development,

several projects

2001-2005

Investigation

of new

measurement

techniques

VTT’s references in space

missions 1/2

1997-2000

Integrated

optics beam

combiner in

silicon

technology

2000-2003

Development work

for a primary power

measurement

standard for D-

band, second

phase

2000

Scanning micro-

mechanical mirror

for fine-pointing

units of intersatellite

optical links

2002-2006

Development of

European 94

GHz MMIC LNA

modules for

CPR

2002-2007

Micromechanic-

al tuners for on-

wafer noise

measurements

2002-

XEUS/

Cryogenic

imaging

spectro-

meter

2003-2005

Development

of optical

waveguides

and micro-

optical

technology in

silicon

2004-

Fiber-optic transceivers

for intra-satellite

communications,

including SpaceFibre

data links

2004-2006

On-wafer and cryogenic

testing on a packaged

W-band LNA, W-band

chips and HEMT devices

2005-2006

Cloud radar

critical

microwave

technology

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2006-2007

Hybrid

integration of

laser chips on

silicon-on-

insulator

waveguide

chips

2006-2013

Optical on-board

processor for

optical inter-

satellite space

communications

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

2007-

Thermoplexer

2008-2012

LNAs for mm-

waves

2009-

Spectroscopic

terahertz

imaging radar

2009-2011

Characterisation

of Schottky

diodes

2009-

Micro and

millimetre

wave RF

MEMS LTCC

modules

2010-

Calibration

loads for

radiometers

2011-2012

Applicability of

cognitive radio to

satellite systems

2011-2013

Biocontamination

specific modeling

in habitats related

to space

2011-

Low-noise

amplifiers for

300 GHz

Flash optical

sensor for

terrain relative

robotic

navigation

Inkjet-printed

circuit board

technlogy for

user terminal

antennas

2012-

MEMS Fabry-

Perot

interferometer

technology for

miniaturized

hyperspectral

imagers and

microspectro-

meters

2012-

Reliability

assessment

of mixers

and multi-

pliers for

microwave

imaging

radio-

meters

2013-

Wafer level

encapsulation

for micro-

systems-

PLUS

2013-

Automated

biomonitoring

of air and

water quality

in human

spacecraft

VTT’s references in space

missions 2/2

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2008-2011

Multisource

information

System for Flood

Forecasting

2008-2012

Geoland2 –

Integrated GMES

project on Land

Cover and

Vegetation

2008-2009

SAR-Inter-

ferometric

Techniques in Hill

Slope Stability

Monitoring for an

Environment

Security

Monitoring System

VTT’s remote sensing reference projects

2009

Laos_SilvaSat Feasibility

study on the forest monitoring

concept using very high

resolution satellite data

2009-2011

Carb-Bal - Carbon Balance in

Northern Latitudes: Novel

Assessment Methods

Applying Combined Ground-

Based and Earth Observation

Data

2009-2014

GSE Forest Monitoring

REDD Extension Services

2009-2011

DRUID – New

opportunities in support of

the forest-based market

2009-2010

NewForest – Renewal of

forest resource mapping

2010-2011

Social Forest

Planning - novel

system for forest

management

planning and

updating of

present plans

2010-2013

ReCover –

Science based

remote sensing

services to support

REDD and

sustainable forest

management in

tropical region

2011-2013

Automatic Forest Fire

alarming system for

Finland using NOAA-

AVHRR and Terra-

MODIS data

EUFODOS, European

Forest Downstream

Services- “Improved

Information on Forest

Structure and

Damages“

2011-2013

EOEuropa: Earth

Observation Information

Services for European

Investment Bank

Projects/Annex A:

Forest Plantation

GMES Initial Operations

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

2012-2014

Land Monitoring

Services (GIO

Land)

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Millimetre wave laboratory of Finland, MilliLab

An ESA external laboratory on millimetre wave technology

As an ESA external laboratory, MilliLab specifically aims to

support European space industry to meet the demands of

future ESA missions.

Most of measurement capabilities span from 30 GHz to

300 GHz, in addition to specialized measurement

capabilities up to 2 THz.

Supplies services at millimetre wave and THz frequencies

for industry and academia.

Services are offered in the fields of device modelling,

characterisation, measurements and testing as well as in

research and development.

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MilliLab’s resources

Measurement capabilities

Network analyzers with extension units up to 750 GHz

Spectrum analyzers up to 325 GHz

Power meters up to 3000 GHz

Probe station and probe heads up to 325 GHz

Signal generators up to 1000 GHz

Noise measurements • Noise figure up to 200 GHz

• Noise parameter measurement 50-100 GHz

Semiconductor parameter analyzer with I-V, C-V and pulsed options

Free space materials transmission characterisation 0.2 - 2 THz

Anechoic chambers up to 200 GHz

Antenna outdoor measurement range

A planar scanner operating up to 700 GHz applicable for antenna measurements

Simulation tools

Circuit simulators

Electromagnetic simulators

Antenna simulators

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VTT’s converging networks laboratory

The lab includes

five main parts:

1. Networks

2. IP services

3. Enablers from the

research projects

4. Various tools from

companies

5. External connections

to Octopus MVNO

services, panOulu

public WLAN, Geant,

and Funet

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VTT’s fabrication facilities

Lithography: E-beam writing, I-line wafer stepper, double-sided contact

lithography (100 mm, 5",150 mm and 200 mm), resist coating and

developing systems

Furnace processes: Wet and dry oxidation, LPCVD for undoped and

doped polysilicon and silicon nitride Ion implantation and RTA

Sputtering: Multichamber systems for AC and DC magnetron sputtering

of various materials PECVD: Silicon oxide, nitride, oxynitride

Etching: Several plasma etching systems for silicon oxide, nitride,

polysilicon and metals. Deep silicon and silicon oxide etching. Plasma

stripping, ozone and microwave ashers, wet ozone stripping.

Back end processes: Electroplating, flip chip bonding, wire bonding,

dicing, fusion wafer bonding, wafer grinding, CMP

Characterization equipment: RBS, SEM, AFM, scanning acoustic

microscope, reflectometers, surface particle counter, ellipsometers,

rofilometers, wafers probers and network analyzer.

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Leading edge millimetre wave,

communication and sensor

technologies for aerospace

industry



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RF front-end components and modules

Value proposition: First class design and prototyping of small RF front-end

components and modules.

Competitive edge: Unique design and integration capability of antennas,

RF front-ends and DSP, which all must go hand-in-hand.

Development phase: Several customer projects done.

IP status: Several patented solutions.

Offering: Services from design and fabrication to characterization.

Technologies: RF MEMS, ferroelectric varactors, BAW resonators,

CMOS, InP GaAs, SiGe, IPD, LTCC, bolometers, heterogeneous

integration, TSV.

Sub-systems: handsets, RFID, MMID, short range communication,

sensing, imaging, radars, point-to-point, test systems, low power wireless

electronics.

Circuits: receivers, transmitters, tunable/switchable phase shifters, filters,

tuners, matching networks, amplifiers, switch networks.

Components: antennas, switches, transistors, varactors, mixers,

multipliers, inductors, baluns.

R&D infrastructure: Testing facilities at VTT and MilliLab.

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Micro and millimetre wave modules

Value proposition: First class design and prototyping of microwave

and millimetre wave modules.

Competitive edge: Substantial amount of experience in the field of

microwave and millimetre wave antennas, components, and systems.

The space related activities include ESA-projects.

Offering: Design of millimeter wave components, circuits, and sub-

systems. Experience includes technologies such as, CMOS, SiGe,

GaAs, InP and RF MEMS.

R&D infrastructure: MilliLab; Measurement capabilities span from

30 GHz to 300 GHz, in addition to specialised measurement

capabilities up to 2 THz.

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Antenna solutions

Value proposition: First class design and prototyping of small

antennae and antenna arrays for small devices.

Competitive edge: Miniaturisation, integration, manufacturing

processes.

Development phase: Lots of solutions implemented to customers.

IP status: Several patented solutions.

Offering: Design of small antennae and antenna arrays.

R&D infrastructure: 2 anechoic chambers, test equipment for

antenna and material parameter measurements, SW: HFSS, CST,

IE3D, WIPL-D, AWR and Matlab.

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For radiation pattern measurements VTT has two anechoic

test chambers:

The larger one, dimensions of 12*12*17 m3, operates

in the frequency range of 100 MHz - 200 GHz.

The smaller one, dimensions of 4.4*4.6*8 m3, is

electromagnetically shielded and it operates from

500 MHz upwards.

In the measurement of a small antenna the antenna feed cable

forms easily a part of the radiating system. In order to get rid of

this harmful effect an opto-electronic transmit / receive link has

been developed in-house.

Radiation pattern measurement services

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On-wafer and antenna characterisation services

Transmission and reflection measurements of planar samples:

Sample inside a transmission line, coaxial or waveguide

Whole frequency band of the transmission line available

Free space measurement setup

Two free space measurements setups

Frequency ranges: 5-8.6, 8-12, 10-18, 26-40, 50-75,

75-110 GHz

Both electric and magnetic parameters of the sample can be

calculated

Best suitable for materials with high or medium losses

TM010 resonators:

Measurement frequencies: 1, 2, 3 and 5 GHz.

Cylindrical or planar samples.

Calculation of material electric parameters.

Accurate method for low-loss materials. « BACK



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Air interfaces

Value proposition: Increased capacity in radio systems, efficient use

of power and radio spectrum, reduced interference and detectability.

Competitive edge: Solutions providing increased performance,

joint optimization of performance and implementation complexity.

Development phase: Simulation models and proof of concepts

exists.

Offering: Adaptive antennae signal processing, physical layer

techniques for compensation of wide delay spread and rapid channel

variation, interference mitigation techniques, robust OFDM for critical

infastructures, nonlinearities compensation, improvement of LTE

energy efficiency , PHY enhancement based network security, energy

efficient concepts for short range radio, solutions for 5G performance

level.

R&D infrastructure: Link and system level simulation models, radio

link prototyping environment, national 5G test bed under

construction.

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Smart radio and network resource management

Value proposition: Increased capacity in radio systems,

efficient use of power and radio spectrum, reduced

interference.

Competitive edge: Solutions providing increased

performance, joint optimization of performance and

implementation complexity.

Development phase: Simulation models, proof-of-concepts

and field trials.

IP status: 3 patent applications about spectrum sharing.

Offering: Dynamic spectrum management, ASA/LSA concept

and related regulation and business models, cognitive satellite

communication, learning, decision-theory based network

optimization, densified mobile network control.

R&D infrastructure: Simulation models and LSA testbed.

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Radio systems prototyping and testing

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Value proposition: Speedup and increased quality of product and

system development. Early performance verification.

Competitive edge: Integration of cognitive network, test automation

and flexible HW/SW technologies and competencies.

Development phase: Trial environments and proof-of-concepts exists.

Offering: An integrated, adaptive and intelligent multi-technology

testing environment with configurable platforms for prototyping.

Modelling and simulation tool for early performance verification,

especially for multicore architectures.

R&D infrastructure: Testing and trial environment, national 5G test

bed under construction.



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Satellite network QoS and QoE tools and

models

Value proposition: Ensure network quality with real time QoS-

and QoE measurements.

Competitive edge: Profound experience in QoS, QoE,

communication protocols, mobile networks, transport techniques,

network and mobility management and used applications and

services.

Development phase: Demonstrations available.

Offering: Qosmet: passive quality of service measurement tool,

Moset: active quality of service measurement tool and Quality of

Experience estimation models.

R&D infrastructure: Converging Networks Laboratory.

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RF test systems for satellite missions

Value proposition: Proven demonstration of the RF compatibility

between spacecraft and ground stations prior to launch

Competitive edge: RF modelling and simulation

Development phase: Used for ESA Herschel, Planck, Soho &

Cluster satellite projects

Offering: Transportable “RF suitcase” or RFSCOE:

Verifies RF compatibility between spacecraft and ground

station

Operates in X-band using RF EM-models of real spacecraft

Tests uplink and downlink functional and performance

characteristics

Simulates telecommand and telemetry data of spacecraft

Appears like a real satellite to ground station operator

Integrated into a single transportable cabinet

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Optical MEMS components

Value proposition: Robust, small and mass producible

technology for high-performance low-cost sensing.

Competitive edge: Optical MEMS, MOEMS - Design, process

integration and manufacturing.

Development phase: Components used in customer’s products.

Offering:

Robust MEMS Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) tunable

optical filters for UV – visible – infrared wavelengths.

Customized optical instruments, microfluidic sensing

systems and hyperspectral imagers with solutions for

UV-visible-NIR-IR and thermal IR.

R&D infrastructure: Clean room and manufacturing.

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Multispectral cameras for UAVs and

nanosatellites Value proposition: The most compact spectral imaging solutions

for environment and industry monitoring.

Competitive edge: stable, compact Fabry-Perot Interferometer

(FPI) technology.

Development phase: space qualification, demonstrations available.

Offering:

VTT’s Fabry-Perot technology (FPI) for atmospheric remote

sensing space instruments.

FPI for direct sun CO2, CH4, H2O and O2.

FPI for monitoring emissions from different energy

production. facilities/fields from light weight UAV in stead of

standard aircraft.

R&D infrastructure: Testing facilities.

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Remote sensing data analysis

Value proposition: Advanced image interpretation methods to retrieve

information from digital satellite images.

Competitive edge: Remote sensing of the natural environment,

particularly forestry applications and sea ice monitoring. Other

important focus areas include security applications and monitoring

methods for sea and terrestrial traffic.

Development phase: Many commercial projects done.

Offering:

Forest inventory to support the REDD (Reduction of Emissions from

Deforestation and forest Degradation) process, including automatic tree-

wise analysis of high resolution satellite images.

Ship and terrestrial radar imagery with satellite radar images to improve

the safety of winter marine traffic and decrease fuel costs.

Analysis of multi-source data, very high resolution data, and imaging

radar data.

Automatic analysis of ground-based digital photographs to support

satellite image analysis

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Mr Jukka Kiviniemi

Key Account Manager

VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland

Tel. +358 400 372856

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

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VTT Space technologies