Page 62 - SAMENA Trends - January 2021

SATELLITE UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

European Space + Digital Players to Study Build of EU’s Satellite-Based

Connectivity System

The European Commission has selected market; it will also leverage the EuroQCI confidence in the digital economy and
a consortium of European satellite initiative that promotes innovative ensuring European strategic autonomy and
manufacturers, operators and service quantum cryptography technology. More resilience. It will leverage and strengthen
providers, telco operators and launch specifically, the study phase awarded by the role of satellites in the 5G ecosystem,
service providers to study the design, the European Commission will consolidate assessing interoperability whilst also
development and launch of a European- the user and mission requirements and taking into account the evolution towards
owned, space-based, communication provide a preliminary architectural design upcoming 6G technologies. This European
system. The study will assess the and service provision concept, as well sovereign infrastructure is set to benefit
feasibility of a new initiative aiming to as associated budgetary estimates. A a large range of sectors, including road
strengthen European digital sovereignty Public-Private Partnership (PPP) scheme and maritime transport, air traffic and
and provide secure connectivity for will be considered and assessed during control, autonomous vehicle development
citizens, commercial enterprises and this phase. The study will look at how as well as many Internet of Things
public institutions as well as providing the space-based system could enhance (IoT) applications. It is intended to offer
global coverage for rural and ‘not-spot’ and connect to current and future critical enhanced security in the transmission
areas. Complementing Copernicus and infrastructures, including terrestrial and storage of information and data
Galileo, this new EU flagship program, networks, strengthening EU capability supporting the needs of various users
once given the green light, would fully to access the cloud and providing digital such as governmental agencies, finance
exploit the synergies of the technological services in an independent and secure & banking companies, science networks,
potential akin to the Digital and Space way, which is essential for building critical infrastructures and data centers.
industries. The contract value of the
year-long feasibility study amounts to
7.1 million euros. The European space-
based connectivity system, advocated by
Commissioner Breton, is set to provide
secure communication services to the
EU and its Member States as well as
broadband connectivity for European
citizens, companies and mobility sectors,
strengthening EU digital sovereignty.
It will build upon the European Union’s
GOVSATCOM program of pooling and
sharing satellite services and will ensure
a high level of reliability, resilience and
security not currently available in the

Turksat 5A Launches to Bring Ku-Band Services To EMEA

The Turkish communications satellite the first signal was acquired 35 minutes af- a Falcon 9, bringing capacity over Turkey,
Turksat 5A launched in the US last week, ter launch. Turkish satellite operator Turk- South Africa, the Middle East and North
bringing with it, potentially, a new source sat ordered Turksat 5A and a sister satel- Africa, West Africa, the Mediterranean Sea
of satellite-borne services to the aviation lite, 5B, from Airbus Defence and Space in and the Aegean Sea. With these two new
and maritime markets. Aerospace manu- 2017. Turksat 5A, a communications sat- satellites, it has been reported that Turksat
facturer and space transportation services ellite in geostationary orbit (GEO), will sit aims to increase its capabilities for data
company Space Exploration Technologies at 31 degrees East, primarily for data ser- and provide a wide range of services to
Corp (SpaceX) has reported that it suc- vices in Ku-band, which it will broadcast its customers in the aviation and maritime
cessfully launched the Turksat 5A satellite over portions of Europe, the Middle East markets. As for SpaceX, this is expected to
last Thursday evening in what was its first and Africa. The satellite will enter service be one of the busiest years so far for the
launch of 2021. A Falcon 9 rocket carrying in the second quarter of 2021. Turksat 5B launch company. SpaceX performed 25 or-
the satellite took off from Space Launch will carry Ka- and Ku-band payloads and bital launches in 2020, all using Falcon 9
Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space operate from 42 degrees east in GEO. It is vehicles. The company is likely to exceed
Force Station in Florida. Turksat reported expected to launch later this year, also on this number in 2021.

62 JANUARY 2021