European Data Relay Satellite a European resource for more quality from space

04 Dec 2007

The EDRS concept consists of relaying information from platforms such as LEO/MEO satellites, aerial vehicles or launchers directly to ground stations, headquarters or processing centres in Europe or vice-versa through a geostationary satellite.

This concept brings the advantage of providing near-real-time information (NRT) thereby significantly decreasing the time-to-customer and increasing the quality of space-based services. EDRS can provide secure and fast communication services for main European space programmes such as the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES), Galileo, and the European Guaranteed Access to Space (EGAS),  thereby increasing European independency for these strategic services.

The link from the data collecting platform to the processing centres via the DRS satellite(s) will bring a very wide range of new applications for time-critical and life-critical missions.  The concept also brings up many technical, development and operational issues. As a result, several studies are currently running within ESA. An Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES) 1 study is looking at the collection of the needs of all possible future users, depicting the requirements and possible system structures.

Two additional unsolicited studies are investigating a Public Private Partnership approach.  These studies purposely involve two commercial operators who declared their interest in investigating the PPP approach.  These two studies mainly investigate the potential user needs and the system needed along with the operational scenarios. An economical assessment with the involvement of commercial operators will be performed at the end of the study.

The issues and potential applications for a DRS system are numerous and ESA welcomes any suggestions for additional investigating activities on the subject.

For more information, see the link in the right column of this page.