High-performance Satellite Avionics Powered by Agile Semiconductor Design.

Project Information

SPHERICAL

Grant agreement ID: 101188938

DOI

10.3030/101188938

EC signature date 20 November 2024

Start date 1 October 2024

End date 31 March 2027

Funded under

• The European Innovation Council (EIC)

Total cost

No data

EU contribution

€ 2 499 999,00

Coordinated by

SPHERICAL SYSTEMS BV
Netherlands

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - SPHERICAL (High-performance Satellite Avionics Powered by Agile Semiconductor Design.)

Reporting period: 2024-10-01 to 2025-07-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

SPHERICAL disrupts outdated space electronics, initiating a satellite tech revolution. It pioneers a shift from standardised commodity components to prioritise custom chip designs, taking control of tech and supply chains for superior outcomes. This innovative strategy targets satellite electronics, reducing reliance on vulnerable microchips and other components while addressing critical functional gaps. The Agile Semiconductor Engine drives rapid chip design cycles, empowering compact subsystems and maximising efficiency through generative design. Our flagship component, the PCDU, ensures amplified efficiency, significantly reducing time and expenses per satellite mission. This breakthrough innovation is positioned at the forefront of the industry, poised to disrupt the market and capture significant market share. This innovation represents a game-changer, and the projected revenue of €30M/yr by 2030 from selling satellite avionics to satellite integrators.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Achievements reached in the first reporting period are:
The PCDU architecture was finalised.
A first version of the PCDU was developed, qualified and integrated onto a spacecraft.
The architecture of the Agile Semiconductor Engine was designed.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Results Achieved

Prototype PCDU Demonstration: A flight-representative Power Conditioning and Distribution Unit (PCDU) was designed, manufactured, and fully tested under space-relevant conditions (thermal vacuum, vibration, EMC). The unit passed all qualification campaigns, confirming its readiness for in-orbit demonstration.

Scalable PCDU Architecture: A modular architecture was defined for solar array regulation, battery management, and load distribution. It supports mission-specific scalability from CubeSats to multi-kW satellites while remaining compliant with ECSS standards.

Agile Semiconductor Engine (ASE): A design automation framework (PRIME, FACTOR, ICFLOW, SIMFLOW, LAYOUT) was developed to reduce IC design time by over 50% and enable generative design, CI integration, and automated radiation analysis.

Reliability and Safety: Comprehensive FMECA identified over 130 failure modes with associated mitigation strategies. Redundancy, DET recovery paths, and dual-diode topologies were introduced to enhance resilience and single-point-failure protection.

Potential Impacts

Technical and Scientific: The results directly address long-standing bottlenecks in satellite power systems: efficiency, configurability, and reliability. The combination of radiation-hardened ICs with software-defined PCDUs enables faster customisation and better performance across diverse satellite platforms.

Industrial and Market: By controlling the semiconductor supply chain and embedding configurability in hardware, SPHERICAL creates a strong competitive moat. This opens opportunities in both institutional programmes (ESA, EU, national agencies) and commercial markets (LEO constellations, telecoms, Earth observation, dual use).

Economic: The modular PCDU line lowers non-recurring engineering costs for customers, enabling faster time-to-market and higher margins. European sourcing of IC fabrication reduces dependency on US ITAR-restricted components.

Societal and Strategic: The work strengthens Europe’s strategic autonomy in space electronics, contributing to resilience in critical infrastructure and dual-use applications (civil and defence).

Thermal Vacuum Testing

Thermal Vacuum Testing

Vibration Testing

Thermal Vacuum Testing