AMSAT-DL and ESA Future GEO inititave

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1        INTRODUCTION

1.1      Background and Objective(s)

1.1.1     Background

ESA has been approached by the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) with the request to support the definition of a geostationary amateur satellite radio payload. 

AMSAT-DL was contracted by ESA for the “requirements consolidation and mission concepts for future geostationary amateur payload” study.

Currently, the amateur satellite radio community benefits from a satellite communications payload that is hosted on the Es’hail-2 satellite since 2018, known as QO-100. This payload is the world’s first amateur satellite payload in geostationary orbit and has a footprint from Brazil to Indonesia in S- and Ku-Bands. The payload was built by Mitsubishi in Japan with design lead by the German satellite community and with support from the UK amateur satellite community and others.

This geostationary amateur satellite payload gave an enormous boost to amateur satellite activity in higher frequency bands. The payload has attracted many young people to satellite communications. Various experiments have been performed that have generated spin-off into commercial applications. 

While the current payload on Es’hail-2 is in good health since 2018 (15 years with designed lifetime) and is still very relevant, IARU and the Executive are of the opinion that this payload deserves follow up.

Therefor ESA proposed – in collaboration with the international amateur satellite community united in IARU – to investigate the feasibility of designing, developing, hosting and operating an even more advanced amateur satellite payload on another geostationary satellite. This payload could then be built by a European prime and hosted on a European operator platform.

Such a future payload would spur innovations in the field of satellite communications and explore and characterise higher frequency bands such as the 47 GHz, 77 GHz and 122 GHz bands, which are allocated to the amateur satellite service on a primary basis. The above frequency bands are very close to commercial FSS, MSS and intersatellite bands, therefore the development of an amateur satellite payload would have its spin-off into future commercial equipment developments.

Experiments with such a payload would include exploring future satellite communication protocols, IoT technologies, the use of inter-satellite links between LEO and GEO amateur payloads and experimenting with novel on-board processing. Many of the above experiments will then be performed (“for free”) by radio amateurs and have spin-off into the commercial satellite industry, as proven by the experience with Es’hail-2.

The coverage of the payload should be such that in particular European and Canadian radio amateurs will benefit, not precluding any international collaboration with other radio amateurs. Such a geostationary satellite can also play an important role in emergency communications in the event of natural disasters.

ESA proposed that this activity could be implemented by a combination of internal, industrial, and amateur efforts, all within the financial envelope as indicated.

The activity shall consolidate requirements from the amateur and commercial satellite industry, trade-off several payload options, address the future user segment, develop scenarios on how to finance, procure and operate such a payload, and investigate hosting opportunities on geostationary platforms.  

1.1.2    Objective and Scope of the Activity

The general objective of the activity is to support the satellite amateur community in the definition of a future geostationary payload for amateur satellite use. 

In more detail the objectives are to:

•       Collect lessons learned from the existing geostationary amateur payload, ground- and user segment

•       Collect requirements for a future mission supported by an amateur geostationary payload, ground- and user segment 

•       Solicit novel concepts from the amateur community for payload, ground- and user segment

•       Provide a forum to the amateur community to participate in trade-off discussions, including a one-day workshop in Europe

•       Detail 3 to 4 justified mission options 

ESA will further use these justified mission options for a follow-up activity to design the payload.  

2       WORK TO BE PERFORMED

 2.1     Tasks

2.1.1    Task 1: Satellite amateur requirements – preparation   

This task will prepare to engagement with the satellite amateur community. 

This task shall:

o   Identify those parties and stakeholders which need to be reached out to, and establish a system to keep track of their data and consultations

o   Establish a planning for reaching out, event attendance and other actions

o   Provide background and briefing material on this initiative which can be used in communication with individuals, AMSAT and other amateur satellite organisations. o Prepare consultation material, and establish criteria for trading-off the future responses and ideas on future satellite amateur  mission(s)

o   As a minimum the following stakeholders shall be consulted:

▪  all national, European and Canadian amateur satellite organisations and the communities they represent

▪  active individual amateurs satellite users and designers

▪  the SDR community active in amateur satellite domain (Gnuradio Europe/U.S, FOSDEM, …) 

▪  Initiatives such as ORI, Phase4, ..) and assess their relevance and possible options for cooperation – and include them as stakeholders

o   Establish a website or forum to disseminate the initiative, provide guidance for input, collect suggestions, proposals and facilitate discussions between various stakeholders.  

• Output 

o Website  

o Database or Excel with all stakeholders  

o Background and briefing material 

o Planning

2.1.2   Task 2: Amateur  satellite requirements  solicitation and consolidations

This task shall reach out to the stakeholders which have been identified in task 1.

This task shall:

o   Solicit from above entities:

▪  Lessons learned

• Lessons learned from QO-100, its capabilities, its ground- and user segment proposals, the operations and management

▪  Ideas and suggestions for a future amateur satellite mission with a geostationary payload, including its ground- and user segment, with a request to address specifically: 

•       Technical aspects o The overall satellite mission o Frequency bands 

o   Beams and geographical coverage aspects 

o   Considerations on the analog and/or digital nature of the payload

o   Possible use of on-board SDRs/Linux/GPU-boxes

o Possible virtualisation mechanisms/containers in space o Possible applications that a payload could support e.g. messaging, IoT, M17, DVB-S2x or 5G-NTN/TN

o   The           required         ground       segment       (beacons/operational aspects/…)

o   The user segment/user terminal, addressing affordability and re-use of (modified) COTS equipment

o   Possible non-telecom applications that might add technical value or increase engagement from other communities (e.g. a small earth observing camera)

o   Technical risks (radiation/operator acceptance/…)

o Possible use of inter-satellite links to low earth orbit amateur payloads in the future.

o   Possible use of amateur Moon communications o Cost and attractiveness of future user terminals. 

o Considerations on payload hosting 

•       Operational aspects o The degree of centralisation which might be required to operate the payload (which might not be attractive to some amateurs)

o The general trade-offs between being inclusive for all amateurs and a more specialised amateur target audience.

•       The attractiveness from an educational perspective

•       The attractiveness for demonstrating new technology in-orbit

•       Include considerations on the possible use of MEO orbit

•       Possible timeline and planning

•       Output  o Maintained discussion forum on the website o Note describing lessons learned with QO-100

o   Note describing requirements formulated by amateur community

o   Note describing and analysing the initial payload proposals from the amateur community, including synergies with other amateur initiatives

o   Update stakeholder’s database 

ESA support in this task will consist of:

-         Providing additional contacts of individuals and industry active in the amateur satellite world

-         Initial publicity using ESA’s communication channels

-         Technical support in assessing payload and ground segment options

2.1.3   Task 3: Initial mission concepts trade-off and workshop

Task 3 will consolidate all received responses, ideas and suggestions, into 3 to 4 different amateur satellite mission concepts. Clear trade-off criteria shall be established.

The Task 3 shall then interact with the parties by presenting the consolidated mission concepts with their justification and trade-offs and offer a forum in the format of a workshop, such that the amateur community can review and respond.

This task shall:

o   Analyse the responses from all parties consulted and clarify outstanding issues and questions with the respondents. 

o   Consolidate and justify the received feedback into 3 to 4 amateur satellite mission concepts, with each of them including:

▪  A description of the mission with regards to services offered and overall architecture

▪  A description of the payload and antenna subsystem, and their platform accommodation requirements

▪  A description of the ground segment for operations and control of the payload, and the ground segment for the user traffic, if applicable

▪  A description of the user segment that  o Review the chosen mission concepts with ESA

o   Prepare material to share with the amateur community, explaining the trade-off and soliciting comments – allowing a prepared discussion at the workshop

o   Implement a flexible mechanism to support contributions and attendance of key stakeholders (including industry and/or satellite operators) 

o   Organise a hybrid workshop in 2025 in ESTEC (or other place TBD) with the following scope and objectives:

▪  Present the findings from the consolidation 

▪  Provide an in-person forum for technical discussions 

▪  Collect feedback from amateur community and industry on proposed payloads and user segment 

o   Update the proposed mission concepts and detail the payload requirements o Propose specific payload aspects which need de-risking o Propose an approach towards satellite operators 

• Output 

o Report on the workshop discussions and conclusions 

o Report describing the consolidated satellite amateur missions.

ESA will support this task with technical support, meeting facilities (TBC), contacts with the satellite operators and industries active in the amateur satellite world.