Space is a fast-growing sector which has a significant impact on many aspects of our lives, economy and security in the UK and across the globe.
In the UK, space has been identified as a vital part of the UK’s future economy and has set the ambition to capture 10% of the £490 billion estimated global space market by 2030. Innovation is seen as one of the key drivers to achieve this ambition. Consequently, the government has included a strong investment plan in its budget to support space innovation.
Telespazio, part of the wider Leonardo group, has identified seven domains to drive innovation in, in order to further grow its position in the global space market. Through Telespazio UK, we have been pushing our innovation activities in the following domains:
- Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) systems, services and applications
- Space Domain and Space Situational Awareness (SDA and SSA)
- Earth Modelling Services and Applications
Since leaving the EU, the UK is no longer eligible to participate in the European Global Navigation Satellite Systems (EGNSS) programme for national security applications. As a result, the UK is currently defining its strategy and plan for its PNT systems. Telespazio UK is actively working on various technology innovation in the context of alternative (to GNSS) and hybrid PNT solutions based on the “system of systems” approach to achieve high resilience and integrity PNT services.
In SDA and SSA, we are shaping up our innovative solutions to obtain awareness of the space based on the data obtained by the satellites’ sensors. This awareness provides information required to guarantee the resilience of our space critical infrastructure. Relying on our strong expertise in the satellite data processing and data analytic capabilities in our Earth Observation and Geo-Information areas, we are designing techniques that can be used for on-board (satellite) space imagery data and radio frequency data processing to improve the awareness of the space.
With the digitisation trends, accurate modelling of the earth using its digital twin will improve our understanding of various phenomenon on the Earth such as climate change and natural disasters. With a more comprehensive understanding of these phenomenon, we can predict or forecast more accurately and develop corresponding actions. Telespazio UK has been applying machine learning and artificial intelligence techniques to improve data analysis, events modelling and design decision-making strategies.
Being a major player in the space sector, Leonardo recognises the importance of collaboration in innovation. Therefore, we actively work with space industry partners, universities, and small and medium size enterprises across the UK and Europe to develop innovative ideas and solutions for the future space sector.
