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Defence Industry and Space
News article12 January 2021Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space

A major Space breakthrough: Secure digital connections for the future

Commissioner Breton during his keynote speech at the 13th European Space Conference announced a major space breakthrough – the launch for a study on a secure space-based connectivity system

breton space policy

Commissioner Breton during his keynote speech at the 13th European Space Conference announced a major space breakthrough – the launch for a study on a secure space-based connectivity system, fulfilling Europe’s needs to develop rapidly a space based connectivity initiative as a third infrastructure besides Galileo & Copernicus

The selected consortium for the study consists of European satellite manufacturers, operators and service providers, telco operators and launch service providers will study the possible design & development of this project and  provide insights on the technical dimension, but also the governance structure, the financing, the missions.

The goal is for Commission to put forward this year a proposal to the European Parliament and the Council and move forward with a project that is designed as a multi-orbital initiative, combining potential benefits from LEO, GEO and MEO orbits.

The project will complement our existing space capabilities, creating synergies. It will enhance the Galileo signal and provide to Copernicus data relay capacity for real-time missions; it will also host extra payload space-based sensors to perform Space Surveillance and Tracking directly from space.

The space-based connectivity initiative has the potential to enhance and connect both current and future critical infrastructures, including terrestrial networks; it will project the EU into the quantum era; it will provide high-speed broadband and digital services throughout Europe, removing dead zones and ensuring cohesion across Member State territories in an independent and secure way, even in case of failure of other existing systems; in all, it will differentiate through high-end technology, resilient infrastructure, and sovereign rules and standards, strengthening Europe’s leading position  in the world.

Details

Publication date
12 January 2021
Author
Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space