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ScyLight supports the development and deployment of innovative optical technologies for satellite communication as well as assisting industry to develop new market opportunities for optical communication technologies. The ScyLight programme focuses the efforts of European and Canadian industry on optical communication technologies in the following areas: The paper will give an overview of the programme status and an outlook on its evolution. The paper will inform about the status of a new proposed ESA project on optical communications called “High thRoughput Optical Network” (HydRON), which aims to demonstrate European and Canadian capabilities in all fields of optical communications and with the seamless integration into terrestrial network structures, via a dedicated mission. |
I.INTRODUCTIONIn December 2016 the ESA Member States established at their Council-Meeting in Lucern (CH) a new and dedicated SatCom programme framework on “SeCure and Laser communication Technology”, called “ScyLight” (pronounced “skylight”). The new framework was created as a new element by ESA’s Telecommunications and Integrated Applications Directorate(TIA) within its “Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES)” programme. The ARTES programme enables European and Canadian industry to explore, through research and development (R&D) activities, innovative concepts to produce leading-edge satcom products and services. ARTES offers varying degrees of support to projects with different levels of operational and commercial maturity [1]. In order to stimulate the developments on optical communication technologies and to give European and Canadian industry additional opportunities to prove their technologies in orbit, ESA is preparing a new project called “HydRON” standing for “ High Throughput Optical Network”. HydRON aims to provide an answer to the trend to integrate Space and terrestrial network architectures by the means of a Terabit-Optical Network architecture - The “Fibre in the Sky”. II.EUROPES ROLE IN OPTICAL COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGYEurope is leading the field of optical space communication technology and optical data relay services. Some European technology today is in a very advanced state, especially in the field of high data rate optical space terminals as implemented by EDRS and the Sentinel 1 and 2 satellite fleet of the Copernicus programme. However, around the world multiple development programmes, scientifically and commercially driven, aim to catch-up. Other areas of Optical Communication Technologies and especially its commercial usage, e.g. on payload components, are still at an early implementation phase – not only in Europe. In general optical communications are considered to be one of the next major revolutions in satellite communication, bringing unprecedentedly high levels of transmission rates, data security and resilience in the next decade. The commercial take-up of optical technologies is believed to be the next breakthrough in the satcom market arena, addressing the need for the ever-increasing data rate and secure communication. Today’s developments and early implementations cannot demonstrate its full capabilities, as the optical solution is mainly used in non-optimized systems, focusing on one particular area only (e.g. high data rate transmission from one point to another). Over past decades, the evolutionary market development process worked in the area of (Space/Ground) RF-equipment, triggered by many commercial/institutional satcom missions. This process is still the motor for technology evolutions from C, Ku, Ka and U/V/W Band. However, the technology gap for optical solutions is still large, and today’s economy is requiring a swifter approach. In order to support industry across different market segments a close loop between the identification of market trends, system and sub-system design, technical developments, manufacturing technics, service needs and their demonstration as well as standardization is required. Cutting edge solutions in each area also requires a close interaction between industry, research institutes, operators, service providers, standardization bodies and experts in the Agency to jointly define the development roadmaps to demonstrate the full capabilities of optical communication technologies and finally to support industry in capturing the upcoming market opportunities. Therefore, Europe and Canada concentrate their capacities on optical technology developments for all applications covering terminal developments communicating between space assets, space and ground as well as space and airborne platforms, but also covering photonics equipment on-board satcom satellites and secure optical communication technologies. III.SCYLIGHT - SECURE AND LASER COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGYScyLight is designed to focus on the support of European and Canadian industry by [8]:
Optical technologies cover the entire value chain, which is also seen as an opportunity for small and medium-size enterprises, as well as research institutions. SCYLIGHT PROGRAMME OBJECTIVESThe objectives of ScyLight are to:
Thus, ScyLight will cover the development and evolution of optical communication technologies and, optionally, suitable flight opportunities for their in-orbit verification. Quantum Cryptography and other new applications will be addressed by ScyLight, inter alia by allowing in-orbit and end-to-end/service demonstrations, for example in the form of Optical Technology Demonstrator Payloads (OTDPs). ARTES SCYLIGHT FRAMEWORKTo support the programme objectives, ScyLight is structured as 4 thematic lines (see Figure 2): Line 1 - Common System and Technologies ActivitiesIn order to cover the system aspects required for optical communication technologies, this line covers ESA-initiated market and system studies including optical transmission/propagation, as well as ESA coordination of user and expert groups (i.e. satellite primes, operators, service providers, industry and international partners) to define the roadmap and derive ESA Tenders. The line also covers ESA-initiated development activities on critical and commonly required components and their validation, evaluation and in-orbit verification, and supports coordination efforts with standardization bodies. Line 2 - Optical Communication Terminals and componentsThis line covers industry-initiated market and system studies, developments, in-orbit validation and/or demonstration of Optical Communication Terminals and/or its components, including developments for inter-satellite, direct-to-ground and airborne communications. The line also covers developments related to optical user ground stations, required for example for direct-to-ground and high-data-rate uplinks. In particular, the activities will address:
Featuring
From a technical point of view, the activities will encompass innovative developments in the field of e.g.:
Line 3 - Intra-Satellite Photonics / Optical PayloadsThis line covers industry-initiated market and system studies, the development as well as in-orbit and service demonstration of enabling technologies required for intra-satellite photonics (commanding/data transfer/data handling) and optical payloads for the satcom market. In particular, activities will aim for e.g.:
The activities will encompass innovative developments in the field of e.g.: ACTIVITIES UNDER SCYLIGHTIndustrial proposals under Line 2, 3 and 4 are initiated by an “always open call for proposals” [3]. The information on the activities themselves however is commercially confidential and cannot be disclosed here. For the ESA lead activities under Line 1 and 4 the workplan [4], has been approved by ESAs Member States and the Tender Process has been kicked off. The current budgetary allocation is approx. 60 MEuro. Additional subscriptions by ESA Member States are expected in the course of the coming months. The next phase of ScyLight will be for decision at the next ministerial council in 2019, were Member States will define ESAs forthcoming budget allocation. Table 1:Selected activities under the current Scylight Workplan (ESA initiated activities only)
Table 2:Selected Scylight Workplan activities currently running or open (ESA initiated activities only)
IV.HYDRON – HIGH THROUGHPUT OPTICAL NETWORKOptical Communication Technologies is one of the major disruptive solutions that need to be developed to address the changes in the satcom market. Today VHTS Satellites & Mega-Constellations are competing with high capacity terrestrial fibre networks (in terms of throughput and latency), but the payloads or system aspects get more and more complex and the implementation is reaching its limits with today’s satcom technology. Optical Communications can provide high capacity and a flexible space network needed to cope with the high data demands, together with satellite fleet operations, which will benefit from high capacity intersatellite links. Extremely high throughput and flexibility in space are required in the future to cope with those demands. Optical communication technology can serve flexible/scalable multi-network (terrestrial, XEOs, HAPS, RPAS, NAV, EO) intrinsically Safety and cyber-secured. it will enable the shift from partitioned ground and space segments into a full integrated system and therefore a drastic reduction in ownership costs of Satcom solutions. Once the optical communication technology, space to/from ground, intra- and inter satellite, is mastered it will provide the highest growth potential. In order to answer the demands of the network requirements and to include satellites as an integral part, the HydRON System Concept (see also Figure 4 and 5) aims to demonstrate that:
Figure 4:Artist Impression of HydRON Vision of an all optical space network integrated into terrestrial network infrastructures.  Figure 5:Overall System Concept. HydRON Nodes interconnected via WDM Laser Terminals as well as connected to ground via its optical ground stations, which serve at the same time as Points of Presence (PoP) within the terrestrial network.  HYDRON OBJECTIVESHydRON demonstrations shall:
In line with ScyLight Objectives, HydRON shall: HYDRON PAYLOAD CONCEPTAs an analogy to terrestrial networks the HydRON Payload Concept distinguishes between a network part and a user/application part on-board the satellite (see Figure 6):
HYDRON MISSION SCHEDULEHydRON will be an ESAs proposal to Member States for their next approval cycle end 2019, while preparatory activities can be started already within the existing ScyLight Programme. Within the next couple of months ESA will detail the plans for the mission implementation and its space-, ground- and network segments design. It is planned to split HydRON across multiple hosted payloads and the related missions (space, ground and network segment implementations) are called HydRON#1, #2 to #n. The current project planning is addressing the preparation of HydRON#1, its implementation and its in orbit demonstration phase for a first set of equipment to be ready in 2022 timeframe for in-orbit and on-ground demonstrations. Equipment (or manufactures) that can for technical or schedule reasons not comply with this aims, will become the opportunity to be embarked on HydRON#2. The schedule of HydRON#2 will depend on the readiness of this additional equipment. The overall planning is depicted in Figure 7. At the next approval cycle (end 2019) it is planned to extend ScyLight and to create in addition a new project aiming for a High throughput optical network implementation, called HydRON and its means to seamlessly integrate the “Fibre in the Sky” into the terrestrial fibre network. V.CONCLUSIONSThe ARTES programme element dedicated to “SeCure and Laser communication Technology”, called ScyLight has implemented the vision by ESA Member States and is supporting Industry in areas like:
At the next approval cycle (end 2019) it is planned to extend ScyLight and to create in addition a new project aiming for a High throughput optical network implementation, called HydRON and its means to seamlessly integrate the “Fibre in the Sky” into the terrestrial fibre network. REFERENCESARTES Programme :, https://artes.esa.int/about-artes Google Scholar
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