European Telecommunications Satellite Organization

Field-aligned currents are the main physical mechanism behind magnetosphere–ionosphere coupling, with these currents communicating environmental changes between the two regions of geospace. Field-aligned currents are thus a key factor in monitoring space weather, both from an operational and scientific perspective. While detecting field-aligned currents from the ground is challenging, their magnetic perturbations are easily detected by spacecraft in low-Earth orbit. The AMPERE project demonstrated that engineering magnetometers on commercial satellite constellations (in their case the Iridium constellation) can be assimilated to estimate the field-aligned currents across the entire polar cap. A limiting factor in the spatiotemporal resolution of this assimilation is the coverage of measurement points – Iridium consists of 66 satellites across only 6 orbital planes. However, in recent years much larger satellite mega-constellations have been launched into low-Earth orbit. Here we leverage engineering magnetometer data from the OneWeb constellation – 636 satellites distributed across 12 orbital planes – for the first time. A case study during the 12 May 2021 geomagnetic storm is presented. We discuss instrumentation, data availability, magnetic cleanliness, and calibration steps. Following this pre-processing of the OneWeb data, we show evidence of field-aligned current signatures present during this event which agree well with AMPERE maps. Finally, we provide an outlook on potential scientific and operational prospects that mega-constellations such as OneWeb might enable.

Photonic components offer an advantage of minimizing the size, weight and power consumption (Swap) of a satellite communication payload. This paper presents how this can be utilized in Increasing the capacity of Very High Throughput Satellites (VHTS) while reducing the cost at the same time. Photonics is capable of offering a limitless bandwidth in THz range at the band around 1550 nm while offering high data rates and frequencies with almost lossless propagation in an optical fibre. However, at present only a few demonstrations of photonic devices in non-critical equipment with limited degree of integration can be found in the satcom industry as we as in literature. With the advancement of the photonic technology, it is now possible to develop Tbps-like software defined photonic payload. PhLEXSAT project, funded under the European Union H2020, is led by DAS Photonics in cooperation with MDA UK, Eutelsat, Axenic, HHI Fraunhofer and Argotech.

In this paper we describe a statistical and a physically based approaches to retrieve 2D rainfall fields exploiting the attenuation measurements made along satellite links at Ka and Ku bands, in the framework of the research project NEFOCAST. The retrieval algorithms, the main results obtained so far, and the on going test campaign are presented and discussed.

Eutelsat launched its first satellite in 1983 and, with a fleet of 37 geostationary satellites, Eutelsat is today Europe's most long-standing satellite operator and one of the world's leading satellite operators. The procurement of telecom platforms using electric propulsion (EP) dates back to mid-90s with Siberian-European SATellite-1 (EUTELSAT 16C) that was launched in 2000. Then, a second platform, KA-SAT (EUTELSAT KA-SAT 9 A), was launched in 2010. This paper presents the design description and the results of the in-flight experience of these two platforms. In addition, an overview of the EP long flight heritage is provided to show the level of maturity and reliability reached by this propulsion technology for commercial applications. Finally, some considerations from the operator point of view are also discussed regarding the design of future EP telecom platforms.

Networking journal provides a selection of papers related to European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) S-band Mobile Interactive Multimedia (S-MIM) standard [1] design drivers, performance analysis, and experimental results.S-MIM has been designed to provide ubiquitous messaging services over S-band GEO satellites using low-power terminals.Thanks to low terminal cost, network scalability, and high bandwidth efficiency, this standard allows the effective support of new satellite services, particularly for vehicular and Machine-to-Machine applications.For the forward link, the S-MIM standard relies on a broadcasting radio interface such as Digital Video Broadcasting Satellite to Hand-held (DVB-SH) or ETSI Satellite Digital Radio (SDR).Moreover, it reuses Third Generation Partnership (3GPP) Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA) technology, properly adapted to the scope in the return link.Thanks to the use of spread spectrum ALOHA (SSA), terminals can access the channel in a totally asynchronous and uncoordinated manner.The use of a packet-optimized iterative successive interference cancelation algorithm at the receiver allows exploiting the inherent power imbalance among terminals and thus boosting the throughput with respect to conventional SSA systems.In addition, advanced packet transmission control techniques are adopted to maximize the probability of successful packet reception in the challenging Land Mobile Satellite (LMS) channel.Finally, the S-MIM link layer provides efficient and reliable transport of Internet Protocol datagrams over the forward and return link radio interfaces.A thorough overview of the S-MIM standard is provided in [2] and could leverage the understanding of the papers contained in this special issues, especially for readers not familiar with the S-MIM ETSI specifications.The first paper by De Gaudenzi et al. illustrates the key design drivers of the S-MIM Random Access (RA) component of the standard.The selected scheme is an adaptation of the 3GPP W-CDMA RA physical layer channel.On the terminal modulator side, the modifications are focused on more robust packet preamble design as well as on open loop power control algorithm aiming at optimized performance over the LMS channel.Instead, the main novelty is related to the gateway processing where iterative successive interference cancelation allows achieving unprecedented throughput at low packet loss rate probability over LMS channels.The S-MIM RA scheme performance is finally shown for a number of cases of interest.The second paper by Breiling et al. describes the modifications introduced in the DVB-SH air interface [3] to support the S-MIM interactive service based on the RA described by the first paper.The original DVB-SH specification is focusing on reliable broadcasting to mobile users.One of the key countermeasures to the LMS channel impairments is related to the presence of relative long time interleaver on top of a state-of-the-art physical layer design.The typical forward link latency of 10 s

For the past decade Eutelsat has been at the forefront of the development of Ka-band, leading its application to different types of High Throughput Satellites (HTS) Systems in order to pursue the connection and integration of a global and digital society. Eutelsat's most significant investment to date in the Ka-band is KA-SAT, the first and most powerful HTS System in Europe. In commercial service since 2011 it provides over 90 Gbit/s of capacity and offers services that range from consumer broadband access, to newsgathering and domestic broadcasting Relying on this experience Eutelsat is now pursuing its role in the reduction of the digital divide through Kaband High Throughput capability in other parts of the world, including Russia and Latin America. EUTELSAT 3B, launched in May 2014, includes an innovative and flexible Ka-band broadband payload, with five steerable spotbeams enabling mission reconfiguration in orbit. In collaboration with RSCC and to be launched in 2015, the EUTELSAT 36C/AMU1 satellite will embark a Kaband payload which has been designed to offer high-capacity broadband access service over Western Russian. Finally in 2016 EUTELSAT 65 West A will bring a flexible High Throughput payload for broadband access in the Ka-band over Latin America.

Launched in December 2010 KA-SAT represents the first of the current generation of High Throughput Satellites (HTS). With a total system capacity of over 90Gbit/s and the capability of supporting up to a million users, it delivers services akin to those provided by terrestrial ADSL2+. In order to meet increasing demands on capacity, and subsequently on equipment, it is expected that the bandwidth of the TWTA will need to cover 2.9GHz. We discuss the technology employed in KA-SAT and where it is anticipated it will lead us.