GNSS common-view – Time and frequency synchronisation for industry

GNSS common-view – Time and frequency synchronisation for industry

Global world telecommunication network connected around planet Earth, concept about internet and worldwide communication technology for finance, blockchain cryptocurrency or IoT, elements from NASA (images-assets.nasa.gov/image/iss040e090540/iss040e090540~orig.jpg)

Time synchronisation is a basic requirement for operating important infrastructures in almost all industrial sectors worldwide, such as the energy, telecommunications, transport and financial sectors.
The high demands on the accuracy of time measurement, which is currently in the single-digit nanosecond range, are an essential driver of technology and innovation to take time measurement into ever new dimensions. Time synchronisation is traditionally achieved via cable protocols with their own network timing. The use of such dedicated networks is not always possible for financial or logistical reasons, such as for systems operating on different continents (finance), in densely populated urban areas (5G or IoT) or for highly decentralised systems (blockchain). Melior Systems GmbH is working on a cost-effective, global system solution for highly accurate time synchronisation based on the atomic clocks of navigation satellites (GNSS) in combination with exact time comparisons using what is known as the common-view method. The system solution is offered to infrastructure operators and other customers as a software licence in conjunction with support services.

Benefits:

  • Time and frequency synchronisation based on GNSS with 1-digit nanosecond accuracy
  • Cost-effective deployment independent of the link distance to synchronise
  • Reduced costs of infrastructure in urban areas and improved indoor GNSS reception
  • Software licence model for mass market use
  • Low complexity and maintenance for end user

Melior Systems GmbH
Sergiu Artene
Darmstadt, Germany
artene@meliorsys.com
meliorsys.com

Tikal – Remote assessment of remote traffic routes

Tikal – Remote assessment of remote traffic routes

Tikal

Only 20% of the world’s road network is paved, making it particularly vulnerable to environmental, weather and vehicle-related damage. The monitoring of unpaved roads is of high relevance as they are also used to transport people and goods. There are currently no IT-based methods that can be used to continuously record and analyse the condition of the road over a wide area.
Within the framework of the Tikal project, BAREWAYS GmbH is developing a software system that can determine the current and future road condition by means of pattern recognition, even from inhomogeneous and incomplete data sets. For this purpose, a wide variety of data sources such as weather forecasts, maps, satellite images, and vehicle sensors are aggregated, calibrated and analysed with the help of Artificial Intelligence (AI). This current road condition information is made available to the vehicle navigation system together with other criteria for route planning and optimisation such as vehicle type, fragility of the load or safety needs of the driver.

Benefits:

  • Prediction of road conditions in rural areas that are not covered today
  • The fusion of vehicle sensors, satellite imagery, and weather forecasts
  • Flexible routing to account for individual vehicle capabilities
  • Applicable to other transport lines such as railways and power lines

BAREWAYS GmbH
Moritz v. Grotthuss
Lübeck, Germany
moritz.vongrotthuss@bareways.com
bareways.com

AgSat – An Ideal Optical-Thermal Platform for Agricultural and Environmental Remote Sensing

AgSat – An Ideal Optical-Thermal Platform for Agricultural and Environmental Remote Sensing

airbus 3

The growing human population, associated challenges related to climate change, and the insufficiency of existing terrestrial sensing systems require new sources of Earth observation (EO) data. Critical parameters like non-photosynthetic vegetation (NPV) and evapotranspiration (ET) are not properly estimated by existing operational EO systems. NPV is important for estimating fire risk, tillage intensity, and the risk of soil erosion due to water and wind. ET is important for agricultural production and water usage. AgSat will offer an advanced multispectral satellite concept that will not only measure those parameters, but also include on-board artificial intelligence and data processing to minimise data downloads while using laser-based systems for more efficient data transmission. AgSat will deliver custom, need-driven, cloud-free data products directly to stakeholders within minutes of acquisition. Science data will be available to end users under an open data policy.

Benefits:

  • Data continuity with Sentinel-2/Landsat missions
  • Open data for science products
  • On-board anomalous event detection (fires, floods) and data product creation, including downlinking to end users

EOanalytics Ltd.
Glasnevin, Ireland
Dr Guy Serbin
www.eoanalytics.ie
guyserbin@eoanalytics.ie

HOSTmi – Independent, Automated & Global Broker

HOSTmi – Independent, Automated & Global Broker

airbus 2

The traditional space sector does not offer fast, simple, low-cost access to space for the commercially driven new space economy. HOSTmi is the first neutral digital B2B platform for payload owners and space mission providers that matches the growing commercial and scientific demand. This standardised online platform offers efficient, user-friendly, and global mediation of flight options aboard various space-based systems, from suborbital vehicles to deep space platforms. Payload owners receive real-time product and service information, along with the ability to search for potential hosting opportunities for their payload. Besides being available to payload owners for an annual subscription fee, HOSTmi operates on a contract- and success-based commission model for space mission providers. It is thus digitising the global market for space payloads in a scalable fashion.

Benefits:

  • Digital one-stop-shop bundles services such as technical support, financing, and insurance
  • Efficient automated processes significantly reduce time and cost requirements for payload owners
  • Space mission providers will be able to sell their services and unused capacity, which will reduce the direct cost of sales and customer acquisition based on an automated influx of prospects
  • Fosters the transition from conservative value chains to a modern, customer-oriented value network

HOSTmi GmbH
Pouya Haschemi
Darmstadt, Germany
info@hostmi.space
hostmi.space

Real-Time Container Tracking and Monitoring

Real-Time Container Tracking and Monitoring

Modern transport and logistics require real-time tracking and monitoring of shipping containers worldwide. Many applications on the market track only the location of the vessel on which a container is transported – not the container itself. Therefore, the tracking signal is lost when the container is transferred between ships, trains, trucks and aircraft, or if it happens to be lost at sea. Callwise Ltd. addresses these issues using an innovative combination of satellite communication and a 5G LoRaWAN (Low Range Wide Area Network) IoT solution. This solution enables real-time tracking and monitoring of individual shipping containers from start to finish during multimodal transport. The concept is based on a novel architecture in which satellite and cellular tracking is combined with LoRaWAN tracking and monitoring of individual shipping containers. Callwise Ltd. is targeting logistics and shipping companies that can offer this end-to-end solution to customers as a value-added service in their product portfolios. Furthermore, the system is able to generate alerts for a wide range of events (unauthorised door opening, deviation from a predefined route, changes in container temperature, etc.) and also track down containers lost at sea.

Benefits:

  • Real-time location information on shipping containers from start to finish
  • Ability to monitor several parameters inside containers (e.g. temperature, air pressure, air moisture)
  • Ability to trace containers that are lost at sea

Callwise Ltd.
High Wycombe, United Kingdom
Dr Roland Weesie
www.callwise.eu
roland.weesie@gmail.com

MSP

MSP

MSP: Advanced Modular Production of Microsatellites

MSP

To keep up with the emerging requirements of mass production, mega-constellations and formations of micro­satellites one needs innovative lest concepts and production processes. Modern manufacturing techniques from the realm of lndustry 4.0 can open the door to significant productivity gains in high-volume satellite production. The Zentrum für Telematik e.V. (Würzburg) is working on transferring new methods and tools for satellite production into the space sector. The submitted idea is specifically geared towards human­robot collaboration based on the use of a lightweight robot.

Benefits:

  •  Integrated testing and production systems increase lot sizes and quality
  • Modularisation and standardisation in electronic production reduces overall system complexity, which also simplifies the production process
  • Testing based on smart components reduces production costs
Klaus Schilling

Zentrum für Telematik (ZfT)
Würzburg, Germany
Prof Dr Klaus Schilling
www.telematik-zentrum.de
info@telemotik-zentrum.de

ZFT

Golden Fleece – In-Space Nanometal 2D Printing Demonstration

Golden Fleece

Golden Fleece – In-Space Nanometal 2D Printing Demonstration

Golden Fleece

Golden Fleece is an intelligent solar sail concept used for spacecraft propulsion. ABM Space and AMEPOX Microelectronics developed a production process with a 2D-printing technology, allowing the solar sail to be covered with in-situ nanometal ink to place electronic circuits on the sail substrate. Nanometal has outstanding and diversified mechanical, thermal and electrical properties which can be used for various applications in the field of space materials. The development of this 2D-printing method will facilitate in-orbit production and utilisation of metals gained in the future, particularly in-situ from the Moon and asteroids. The technology enables flexible production in space, spare parts production from lightweight material and mass production from future in-situ resources.

Benefits

  • Flexibility of electronics production in space
  • Flexibility of production of lightweight structures in space
  • Nanosilver as a biocide allows sterile structures and reductions in cleanroom costs
winner

ABM Space sp. z o.o. CCO
Torun, Poland
Mateusz Józefowicz
www.abmspace.com
office@abmspace.com

logos

FISHinSPACE – Zebrafish Larvae to Study Vertebrate Physiology in Space

FISHINSPACE

FISHinSPACE – Zebrafish Larvae to Study Vertebrate Physiology in Space

FISHINSPACE

The Zebrafish larvae are the ideal model to study vertebrate physiology in space and to transfer the results to humans. In the “FISHinSPACE” project, the GIGA – Université de Liège will send a platform for microscopic observation of such zebrafish larvae into space. The device for automatic observation of individual larvae is a cheap and highly efficient system model for studying an entire living organism in space conditions. The biggest benefits of this model are the optimisation of human life in an extreme environment, and the exploitation of the space environment to research common health issues.

Benefits:

  • Zebrafish larvae are highly suitable to study vertebrate physiology under space conditions
  • Exploiting the space environment as a proxy for researching common health issues, such as aging, osteoporosis, or blood circulatory problems
  • Space flight market will benefit as life in extreme environments becomes easier
  • Pharmaceutical industry will benefit from an adaptable platform to develop and test new medicines
winner

Université de Liège GIGA-Research
Liège, Belgium
Dr Marc Muller
www.giga.uliege.be
m.muller@uliege.be

logos

OSS4SPACE – Open Sandwich Structures for Space

OSS4SPACE - Open Sandwich Structures for Space

OSS4SPACE – Open Sandwich Structures for Space

OSS4SPACE - Open Sandwich Structures for Space

Open Sandwich Structures (OSS) are a new type of free form and full design oriented structural panel technology for the construction of low Earth orbiting (LEO) satellites (mega constellations).
Unlike the three constituent (sheet/core/sheet) type of sandwich panels, OSS encompasses a panel structure made of only two material sheets without any addition of core material. Compared to current closed cell panel technology, that leads to reduced material costs, a much simpler production process and a higher productivity for space structures

PLYTechnologies GmbH
Antonio Valente 
antonio.valente@ply.pt

Laser Communication for Future LEO Constellations

Laser Communication for Future LEO Constellations

Laser Communication for Future LEO Constellations

Laser Communication for Future LEO Constellations

Vialight develops Laser Communication Terminals for future low Earth orbiting (LEO) constellations and Earth observation missions requiring the transmission of large data volumes at rates of up to 10 Gbps over thousands of kilometers.

  • Leader in laser communication systems for stratospheric platforms and ground stations – chosen supplier for large international commercial customers
  • Vialight’s product evolution: aviation > stratosphere > space (inter-satellite, satellite-to-ground)
  • Serial production keeps costs low while ensuring the highest quality product
  • Solutions for: telecommunications, navigation and Earth observation data, ISR applications, Internet of Things, Big Data
  • Fully operational space system on the ISS in 2 years

ViaLight GmbH 
Dr Markus Knapek
info@vialight.de