SST & STM system architecture and evolutions

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Expected Outcomes:

This SST topic contributes to ensuring full and optimal capacity of the EUSST Partnership once the latter is set up. Its outcomes are expected to build on previous and ongoing actions, and aim at achieving full capacity of the EUSST Partnership by end 2024.

The environment in which the EUSST system performs its mission and delivers its services is constantly evolving due to e.g. technological or political factors changing the way in which space is used, orbital environment, etc.

EUSST system architecture engineering & evolutions: the analysis of the EU SST system architecture needs to continuously progress to determine how the system has to evolve in the medium- and long-term at network level (type, performance, number, geographical localisation, etc. of assets), data processing level and services level. Other aspects like data flows, security constraints, interconnectivity and complementarity between EU assets as well as cooperation with other non-European SST systems need to be considered as well.

More generally, the reliance of our society, economy and security on space-based data and services, in particular thanks to the success of Copernicus and Galileo European programmes, has been rapidly growing. At the same time, the emergence of new types of actors and business models (e.g. mega-constellation) increases the number of satellites and debris in orbit. For this reason, space becomes more and more congested, posing a threat to the sustainability and safety of space operations and infrastructures, further increasing the risk of collisions and radiofrequency interferences.

The importance of SST / STM (Space Traffic Management) is thus growing, even more so in the absence of clear definitions, of common global regimes and systems, of agreed flight rules and of associated monitoring/enforcement means at international level.

Therefore, projects developed under this topic are expected to contribute to the following outcomes:

• Foster European cooperation in the SST domain and improve EUSST performance with a view to achieving a higher level of autonomy.
• Highlight and propose solutions to fill the gaps in the current EUSST architecture.
• Pave the way in which the EUSST system has to evolve towards a higher level of performance (e.g. increased accuracy, increased number of catalogued objects, reduced size of catalogued objects, reduced orbit age of catalogued objects), quality of service (e.g. timeliness of information) and autonomy.
• Evaluate and justify the complementarity, coherence and added value of each element of the EUSST system in light of a more autonomous, interoperable SST system.
• Explore and look for higher levels of cooperation with other SST systems such as the U.S. SSA system which is of paramount importance to develop long-term cooperation.
• Raise main issues resulting from the STM coordination and support actions under H2020, and propose solutions in line with technical and operational developments.
• Propose solutions to adapt to new challenges, and envisage their integration into existing standards, practices and technological means.

Scope:

This SST topic contributes to ensuring full and optimal capacity of the EUSST Partnership once the latter is set up. Its scope is expected to build on previous and ongoing actions and aims at achieving full capacity of the EUSST Partnership by end 2024.

R&I activities which needs to be addressed in order to tackle the above expected outcomes are :

1. EUSST architecture engineering.
2. Improve the future EUSST architecture and the associated development roadmap offering the highest performance, European autonomy and best value for money.
3. Carry out architecture studies and system design to validate the added-value of all layers of the EUSST system.
4. Define and set up efficient and relevant performance criteria, “metrics”, “Key Performance Indicators” and “critical success factors” (e.g. size, accuracy and age of European catalogue; timeliness of data provision by sensors; timeliness of service provision; etc.).
5. Improve SST system architecture simulation tools.
6. Carry out activities/studies in the area of support to spacecraft manoeuvres, interference management, collision avoidance automation.
7. Carry out activities/studies in space object life cycle and risk assessment.
8. Assess and pre-develop technologies for object identification, navigation aids and servicing interfaces.
9. Contribute to technical standardisation activities in these areas.

As the legal entities (the “Constituting National Entities“) identified below are bodies designated by Member States, under their responsibility, to participate in the SST Partnership within the meaning of Articles 56 & 57 of the “Regulation (EU) 2021/696 of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the space programme of the Union and the European Union Agency for the Space Programme”, and under the same Regulation (EU) 2021/696 the Member States are identified as beneficiaries, this grant is awarded without a call for proposals in accordance with Article 195(d) of the EU Financial Regulation 2018/1046 and Article 20 of the Horizon Europe Framework Programme and Rules for Participation.

In this action the integration of the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in research and innovation content is not a mandatory requirement.

Implementation: Research and Innovation Action (RIA)

Note: specific conditions apply to this action.