Catapult aims to exploit space data

It is a big area and one that has constantly moving boundaries, largely as a result of the explosion in the mobile phone industry over the last 15 years which has led to more commercial ownership and usage of satellites. In terms of the main users of satellite data, Febvre said: "Navigational is kind of a mix between the institution and the commercial. Comms is very commercial, whilst the observation arena remains quite scientific. Putting all three together into one Catapult, with people from different industry bases, creates an interesting dynamic because you have got people with different perspectives of how the industry works." Commercial uses of satellite data will account for most of the Catapult's work – putting things in the hands of users. This is best illustrated by some of the early projects. Medical Support Offshore provides round-the-clock professional medical support via satellite phones for ocean going sailors. Ambiental has created a flood modelling platform that can be used (internationally) by insurance companies and by the public sector to help with flood planning and decision making, in conjunction with real time data from satellites. "The value of satellites comes when you mix them up with terrestrial systems," claimed Febvre. This could include navigation systems in automotive applications, for example, or even everyday communications. Febvre said: "Inside a building, you can use the wireless infrastructure, move into the outside world and you can use the terrestrial wide area network, move out of coverage and you can use a satellite." Whilst all this happens at the moment, there is no business process underpinning it – it is down to the user to switch and is 'a bit clunky'. Febvre added: "It would be great if all that stuff went on in the background, which is the way it will go eventually and what 5G is really about. The Satellite Applications Catapult is not only about the technology, it's also about the business processes and providing that seamless experience and ubiquitous coverage; it's why satellites need to be engaged in the process." Despite the main focus being on providing the tools and platforms to develop applications based on the data, there are many interesting avenues in terms of electronics design. One very current project is UKube-1, launched on 8 July from a Soyuz rocket in Kazakhstan. UKube-1, made by Clyde Space, is a CubeSat – tiny satellites that come in 10 x 10 x 10cm modules. Although originally conceived as scientific demonstrators, CubeSats have potential to be used in constellations to provide options for low orbit blanket coverage. Febvre said: "The potential is for CubeSats to become more mainstream and that is where some of the opportunities might appear. That is the sort of edge technology we are working on and that will create a difference. There is a lot of activity around the use of CubeSats and that is where you will get a supply chain building." In the short term, the technologies that are likely to be required to develop satellite applications already exist in the UK and these will be the included in the Catapult's work. "Two or three years down the road," Febvre continued, "it will be about taking mobile phone type technologies to make sure they can be applied, and are applied, to satellite communications. There are some companies in the UK that have the skills necessary in terms of defining the chip sets that are deployed." Another area that will require innovation is in antenna systems, where development effort is required to exploit the operation of different systems, switching from one to another on different frequency bands, different waveforms, different look angles and dealing with interference. "There is enormous potential in terms of innovation to do with antennas," stated Febvre. "At the moment, it is a limiting factor." Conventional antennas that are fitted in mobile phones are independent and omnidirectional – they receive a signal from anywhere and transmit it everywhere. "Where it becomes interesting is when you can combine different antennas to create directivity. There are 'smarts' behind the antennas that do that pointing and optimise the signal towards the transceiver you are communicating with, getting rid of interference. It is an area that is very applicable for satellite," added Febvre. "There are innovations in materials that allow you to do things in a new way – holographic type techniques, if you like – rather than just taking a signal and manipulating it." The Catapult has facilities that can help with such development. Other facilities range from the operations centre, from which live projects can be run, to the laboratories and a concurrent design centre. Febvre concluded: "If you need technical support, if you need business support, they are available, as is financing. As companies move progress through their lifecycle, we can facilitate that journey." Case study – UKube-1 UKube-1 was accompanied into space by TechDemoSat-1, a larger demonstration satellite supported by the Catapult and designed and built by Surrey Satellite. But what is likely to happen now UKube-1 and TechDemoSat-1 are in orbit? "We are working with the Technology Strategy Board and the UK Space Agency to create a pipeline of satellites for in orbit demonstrators," said Febvre. "If you miss one, there will be another you can be associated with. Rather than just be a platform for effectively space qualifying equipment, what we are trying to do is to create put a theme around each mission so that it has a set of instruments that combine to provide potentially commercial value to companies that would want to exploit that." Catapult facilities are in place for product development and to support operation of the services. "We are not waiting until UKube and TechDemoSat are operational," said Febvre, "we are starting now. It will not be one satellite every four years, it will be one every nine months: the business case we are putting in place is to create a continuous flow."