The Doherty concept has proven to be a very effective technique for designing amplifiers, which maintain a high efficiency over a wide range of operating conditions. This technique is extensively used in terrestrial applications like base stations where power efficiency is getting more and more attention. Power efficiency is also of concern for space and the Doherty concept could certainly help in designing more efficient PAs. Ka-band is now being considered for mobile services that could offer very high capacity as compared to the existing ones at L-band.

The OPS-SAT MBSE activity had the 3 main objectives:

The main objective of this activity was to develop and demonstrate new techniques which are expected to improve the current state-of-the-art Space Weather forecasting techniques and products related to Space Weather effects for Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) systems in the Arctic, with particular attention to the Greenland area. For this purpose, the activity investigated and tested innovative methods for monitoring and predicting Space Weather impacts on PNT in interested area.

Electrical, Electronic and Electro-mechanical (EEE) components play an essential role in the functional performance, quality, life cycle and costs of space systems. EEE components are fundamental building blocks of any spacecraft and major drivers in determining their performances. Guaranteeing access to EEE components able to provide the necessary performances to comply with the requirements of future satellite missions is of paramount importance to maintain a successful and autonomous satellite manufacturing capabilities.

“Remote Sensing for Marine Litter - RESMALI” has identified the ideal parameters to study marine litter (ML) from space, including spectral bands with affordable signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) at top-of-atmosphere (TOA) level, in a range of wavelengths from visible to SWIR. To continue this path towards a dedicated mission, performance assessment against simulated real-case scenarios of ML is key. We want to build a simulator to estimate ML signal at TOA from a set of scenarios representing the various applications already targeted by the community (e.g.

Space system engineering is a complex activity, spanning multiple phases and involving different stakeholders using a variety of engineering approaches and tools. ESA has been investing in Model-Based System Engineering (MBSE) research for many years, developing different MBSE frameworks and Domain Specific Tools (DSTs). Recently, a broader need has been recognized to focus the MBSE efforts on semantic interoperability and associated model integration.

There is growing global concern over the chemical, biological and ecological impact of marine plastic pollution. Every year many millions of tons of plastic enter the global oceans but where it goes remains largely unknown. Remote sensing has the potential to provide long-term, global monitoring but for plastics in the ocean it is still in early stages.

The straylight characterisation and verification of EO instruments are quite challenging due to the stringent requirements regarding straylight and radiometric accuracy typically set for such instruments. The straylight verification generally requires an input source as an extended black (Lmin)/white(Lmax) scene with a very sharp and high contrast transition between the dark/bright region. The realisation of such a source is not straightforward as it requires careful design so as not to introduce additional straylight by its own.

Confined inhabited environment in human spaceflight imposes challeng

With the increased frequency of shipping activities, such as tourism and freight’s transport, navigation safety has become a major concern, especially when human casualties, environmental issues and economic losses are considered. Even if new technologies have already supplied aids to pilots for the navigation risk reduction, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) reports that the majority of accidents could have been avoided by providing suitable input to the navigation decision-making process.