FNR & MECO project: “GSTD - Reliable and Resilient Ground Segment Design for SATCOM in Q/V Band”
Project Description:
The operations of the ground segment infrastructure are a critical part of NGSO constellations. Ground stations, being located on-ground, are prone to intended attacks, political conflicts, and natural disasters. Focusing on the gateways (GW) – also referred as teleports, – these are typically big antenna elements that transmit data to/from the satellite to the local area network, thus concentrating large amounts of user traffic. With current spectrum shortage in Ka-band, it is very likely that those GW links will be soon operated in Q/V band, which are very sensitive to weather impairments. To ensure operational efficiency and have a certain degree of diversity, multiple GWs need to be considered.
Our project is entitled “Reliable and Resilient Ground Segment Design for SATCOM in Q/V Band” and the targeted defense solutions are:
(1) Optimize the GS in terms of GW stations or teleports’ location and dimensioning of the Q/V links considering political and geographical constraints, as well as weather blockage probability and link availability. In particular, territorial conflicts may prevent the placement and provision of ground stations in certain areas, while the integration and proximity of the GS with terrestrial infrastructure play a key role. The strategic constraints need to be combined with the pure physical communication constraints (rain fading/link blockage) to ensure seamless operation of NGSO constellation.
(2) Design and develop algorithms for reliable and resilient GS reconfiguration to respond to unfortunate fault events, not only caused by rain fading events but also intended actions (e.g. cyberattacks or electronic warfare), triggered by natural hazards, such as droughts, floods, earthquakes or storms, or as a consequence of socio-political conflicts (e.g. Iran or Ukraine). Fault detection and quick reaction are key for immediate re-establishment of communication channels.
The project is carried out by University of Luxembourg.
Funding: This project is funded by the Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR) & Ministère de l'Économie (MECO) under the programme https://research-industry-collaboration.lu/calls/joint-call-defence
Project Duration: 2024-2026
Research Team:
Dr Eva Lagunas (SnT) – PI
Dr. Giovanni Iacovelli (SnT)
Dr. Flor Ortiz (SnT)
Former Team Member:
Dr. Clement Lacoste