ESA, UK Space Agency combine sat comms expertise

The European Space Agency (ESA) and UK Space Agency outlined a joint initiative designed to explore wider applications of satellite communications in the country, including work on 5G and 6G development.

In a joint statement, the two agencies explained the partnership builds on the success of ESA’s research centre in Harwell, which houses the European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications (ECSAT).

The collaboration will see ESA and its UK counterpart expand the work done by ECSAT’s flagship 5G/6G facility, focusing on satellite communications and the wider applications of satellite services, which already contributes around £360 billion of the country’s GDP.

The initiative will also cover the exploration of a space quantum laboratory and “further development of activities related to in-orbit servicing, assembly and manufacturing”, which is vital to the sustainability of a satellite’s lifecycle during its orbit and to introduce new services to UK businesses and society.

Further, five training schemes worth a combined £2.1 million will be introduced by the UK space body as part of an effort to tackle skills gap in the “fast growing, high-tech” sector. 

Josef Aschbacher, director general at ESA, said its collaboration with the UK Space Agency aims to “push forward new initiatives in high-growth areas, deliver better services to all European citizens, and grow our UK workforce to 200 people by 2030”.

Last year, ESA and the GSMA struck an MoU to develop new satellite and terrestrial network technologies, and improve their integration with 5G and future 6G systems.