Page 57 - SAMENA Trends - November 2020

SATELLITE UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

and making spaceflight cheaper for taxpayers. The GPS III satellite
that SpaceX placed into orbit is more accurate than previous
models and features improved anti-jamming capability. Improved
anti-jamming capability is highly important for GPS satellites as
both civilian and military hardware depends on a precise location.
SpaceX is on a roll, having celebrated its 100th successful flight
in October. The company has been launching rockets frequently in
an attempt to catch up after being delayed due to the coronavirus
pandemic. In between launching satellites for the Space Force,
SpaceX has made multiple launches to place new Starlink
satellites into orbit for its satellite-based broadband Internet
service. The Starlink service is currently being trialed in several
parts of the United States and apparently works well. SpaceX fills
in the blanks with commercial missions for other companies in
addition to sending supplies and astronauts to the ISS for NASA.

Satellite Communications System Under Development

London-based Inmarsat, a world leader in global mobile satellite with government users to monitor critical infrastructure and geo-
communications, has been awarded a three-year contract hazard events in Norway and the UK. Software applications will be
with the European Space Agency (ESA), which will co-fund the developed to enable highly effective bandwidth optimization for
development of a new capability for governments to plan, procure, mission critical imagery and video delivery over satellite and the
manage and monitor their satellite communications (satcoms) integration of new government services from Inmarsat’s future
services from Inmarsat and other operators and service Highly Elliptical Orbit satellites over the Arctic region (GX10A and
providers. The new Inmarsat capability, called the International 10B) – a world’s first. Nick Shave, Inmarsat’s vice-president of
Virtual Satellite Operators Network (INVISON), is a secure, user strategic programmes, global government, said: “In the face of
centric platform. It is being supported by ESA as part of its Space ongoing challenges, governments around the world require more
Systems for Safety and Security (4S) Strategic Line, which is a control, flexibility, immediacy and transparency over the satellite
new component of ESA’s program of Advanced Research in services they procure. The Inmarsat INVISON platform puts the
Telecommunication Systems (ARTES), aimed at transforming R&D government user in control of the services they rely on by enabling
investment into successful commercial products and services. a wide range of satcoms services, brokered from multiple
The INVISON program will also see the development of new and operators and providers, to be more accessible and secure.
innovative government services and applications that will be “This advanced new system and service will drive innovation and
accessible in a uniform and user-friendly way over the INVISON efficiency throughout the entire satcoms value chain, delivering
platform. Examples include a ground-breaking new security flexibility and value for money for our government customers.
hardened Internet of Things (IoT) solution that will be deployed “Inmarsat is proud to lead a consortium of Norwegian and UK
based companies such as AnsuR, Avanti Communications, Geonor,
Global RadioData Communications, MConnected, the Satellite
Applications Catapult and SINTEF. We anticipate a number of
other industrial partners will join the consortium in due course.”
Elodie Viau, ESA director of telecommunications and integrated
applications, said “ESA is extremely pleased to enable continuous
investment in the development of highly innovative solutions
and services by European and Canadian manufacturers and
operators. “ESA is committed to develop initiatives in support of
the European commercial satellite telecommunications industry
and triggers new innovations in this domain for the benefit of
Europe’s world-wide competitiveness. “This INVISON contract
with Inmarsat represents the next step of a long standing effort in
that endeavor.” The contract is valued at 22.4 million euros over
three years.

57 NOVEMBER 2020