Beam-Hopping Satellite to be Built by UK Consortium
A group of UK space tech companies are developing a new beam-hopping satellite that will allow satellites to switch which part of the world they cover, managing real-time surges in commercial demand or responding to emergencies such as natural disasters, thanks to government funding.
"From helping during a disaster to providing broadband on planes, this amazing technology will show how next-generation 5G connectivity can benefit all of us on Earth. It is fantastic to see some of our finest space tech companies joining forces on this exciting project which will put the UK at the forefront of satellite communications technology."
Science Minister Amanda Solloway.
Led by global satellite communications network OneWeb, the industrial partners have received over £32 million (approx. $45 million) from the UK Space Agency, via the European Space Agency’s Sunrise Program, for a demonstration satellite due for launch in 2022.
The satellite, nicknamed ‘Joey-Sat’ for its beam-hopping abilities, will be able to remotely direct beams to boost coverage in certain locations, such as areas of high usage where the network is struggling to cope with demand.
"From helping during a disaster to providing broadband on planes, this amazing technology will show how next-generation 5G connectivity can benefit all of us on Earth," said Science Minister Amanda Solloway. "It is fantastic to see some of our finest space tech companies joining forces on this exciting project which will put the UK at the forefront of satellite communications technology."
The new funding, which builds on the UK Space Agency’s previous investments in the Sunrise Program, will see OneWeb team up with other UK companies, SatixFy, Celestia UK and Astroscale UK, to demonstrate the technology for its second-generation constellation of satellites.
"Innovation and collaboration are at the core of OneWeb. Working together with our partners, Oneweb will accelerate the development and expansion of our cutting-edge technologies and manufacturing capabilities for the benefit of communities, enterprise and governments around the world," said Massimiliano Ladovaz, Chief Technical Officer at OneWeb. "This is an exciting opportunity to work with talented potential supply chain partners and we are delighted with the support from ESA and the UK Space Agency to bring continued innovation across the whole of OneWeb’s connectivity ecosystem."
The satellite’s pilot beam-hopping payload will be developed by SatixFy, based in Farnborough. The user terminal to support this beam-hopping satellite is also being developed by SatixFy, who have been awarded over £25 million ($35.3 million).
"We are really excited to be demonstrating new game-changing satellite payload capabilities in space next year, in collaboration with OneWeb," said Charlie Bloomfield, CEO of SatixFy Space Systems. "The £25m funding from the UK Space Agency via ESA, matched with SatixFy’s own internal investment, will not only demo best-in-class future payload capability, but will also result in the lowest-cost and highest performance electronically-steered multibeam user-terminals on the market. UKSA and ESA support has been fundamental in unlocking these new technologies and we look forward to a fruitful and ongoing partnership with them."
Celestia UK, based in Edinburgh, has been given £4.4 million ($6.2 million) to develop and trial smart ground-station technology featuring multibeam electronically steered antenna to reduce the footprint and costs of each ground station and increase the efficiency of the whole ground network.
The Sunrise Program has maintained a clear focus on encouraging the development of Responsible Space using debris removal technologies, and this element is being developed by Astroscale UK, based at Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire. Astroscale UK has received close to £2.5 million ($3.5 million) to develop novel technologies to safely de-orbit unresponsive satellites.
Astroscale’s current mission, ELSA-d, is preparing the way for a multi-debris removal service, ELSA-M. This funding will support further technological innovations and UK in-orbit servicing skills development and demonstrate the government’s commitment towards developing a sustainable and vibrant New Space economy.
OneWeb currently has 218 satellites in orbit. Designed to provide organizations and governments with global and resilient connectivity services, OneWeb’s network will feature 648 Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, global gateways and air, maritime and land user terminals. In late 2021, OneWeb will begin providing commercial services across the Arctic regions and expanding to global coverage in 2022.
With the support of these British companies, OneWeb is already starting to create the roadmap for its future generation constellation so as to be launch-ready for its Gen2 constellation in 2025.
(Source: UK Space Agency news release. File image)