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The Serial Peripheral Interface Bus or SPI bus is a synchronous serial data link de facto standard, named by Motorola, that operates in full duplex mode. Devices communicate in master/slave mode where the master device initiates the data frame. Multiple slave devices are allowed with individual slave select (chip select) lines. Based on the result of two running TEC-EDD activities (Modular RTU - GSTP, Standardization of Digital interfaces - TRP) this activity will prototype SPI protocol(s) and physical layers for space applications.

XIPE is designed to be launched with a VEGA-C vehicle into an orbit of 550 km and <6° inclination. With this orbit, eclipses last about 35 minutes. Due to remaining spacecraft fragments the mission is planned to end by controlled re-entry. The baseline ground station is Kourou either for S/S or S/X telemetry band, albeit Malindi (or Singapore) is additionally available, if necessary, for additional downloading capability in case of particularly bright sources. The mission duration is 3+2 years.

The objective of ESA PREGO activity (ESA/ESOC contract 4000115173/15/F/MOS) is to improve the capacities on re-entry prediction thanks to a complete analysis of the outstanding data set related to the GOCE re-entry occurred in October/November 2013.

The main goal of GEROS-ISS is to demonstrate the capabilities of GNSS remote sensing to derive geophysical parameters of ocean, ice and land surfaces, which are associated with geophysical research with special focus on relevant climate change phenomena.