This is going to be very valuable research and development for in orbit satellite communication. This is a extremely useful technology for the future systems..

A batch of 10 satellites is to be developed following the signing of a three-year Partnership Project between small satellite manufacturer AAC Clyde Space UK and ESA, with co-funding from the UK Space Agency.

The small satellites will spark innovation by enabling companies to develop innovative constellation services using images and data taken from space much more cheaply than in the past.

They will enable AAC Clyde Space UK to deliver such constellation services to its customers. The project will involve a significant expansion of the company’s delivery capability.

Between now and mid-2021, AAC Clyde Space will deliver a preliminary design for its next-generation constellation services offering and increased capabilities for large satellites volume production. This will involve the development of new technologies for the constellation, covering propulsion, inter-satellite links, the safe and secure transmission of data, and a customer interface.

“The project will revolutionize our space-as-a-service offering,” says Luis Gomes, chief executive of AAC Clyde Space.

“It will allow us to significantly reduce the cost of every message collected, every image captured, supporting those business cases that to date have not been able to justify the capital expenditure to have hundreds of sensors in orbit.

“Fundamentally, our customers will no longer have to worry about how to access space, they can focus on how to enhance their core business. This project, named xSpancion, will catalyse a new generation of applications not previously possible.”

The project is an ESA Pioneer Partnership Project, which aims to support European industry to demonstrate new and advanced technologies, systems, services and applications in space.

“ESA Partnership Projects generate great benefits for industry and ESA member states by fostering the competitiveness of the satellite telecommunications industry in Europe and Canada, creating new ground-breaking and value-added solutions,” says Elodie Viau, Director of Telecommunications and Integrated Applications at ESA.

In this Partnership Project, AAC Clyde Space will collaborate with UK space software company Bright Ascension, service provider D-Orbit UK, the Satellite Applications Catapult, the University of Strathclyde and Alden Legal UK.

Graham Turnock, Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency, says: “This game-changing project will see AAC Clyde Space develop cutting-edge technology, including communication between satellites to increase data performance, and help keep the UK at the forefront of the global small satellite market.

“Building satellites quicker and in higher volumes is not only vital to meet the increasing demand for services we all rely on, it also supports the launch of small satellites from UK soil in the coming years.

“The UK is a leading investor in telecommunications research, which is why we recently committed an £250 million of investment to back ESA projects led by innovative companies like AAC Clyde Space.”