Preparing demonstration missions for collaborative Earth Observation and Satellite telecommunication for Space solutions (Space Partnership)

What is this call about?

The call funds innovation actions that mature Earth observation and satellite communication technologies towards demonstration missions. Cooperation between industry, SMEs, research institutions and academia is expected.

What does this call fund?

Scope

This topic supports mid to high TRL development of key technologies that prepare Earth observation (EO) and satellite communication (SatCom) demonstration missions. Proposals may address one or more areas, but the main one is expected to be clearly identified:

• End-to-end SatCom mission capabilities, secure SatCom services, satellites as network nodes and digital ground infrastructure
• EO equipment, subsystems, applications and services, including faster or better data processing, multi-source data fusion, interoperability among EO missions, smaller instruments, cloud-based architectures and adaptive optics
• Building blocks common to EO and SatCom, such as on-board processing, high-performance processing payload hardware, security technologies and hybrid radio-frequency and optical ground stations

Expected outcomes

A competitive and sustainable European space sector with a significant share of the global connectivity market, advanced EO and SatCom payloads and processing, wider use of AI across space systems, more secure services and an end-to-end demonstrator.

Other conditions

Proposals should promote cooperation between industry, SMEs, research institutions, infrastructures and academia, consider on-ground or in-orbit demonstration, use existing EU technologies and complement other EU, national and European Space Agency activities. Activities are expected to reach TRL 7-8 (ISO 16290:2013).

When is the deadline?

2 September 2027 (301 days)

2 September 2027. Single-stage submission; planned opening date 9 March 2027.