Satellite technology opens up spatial traffic management
by Erica Marchand
Paris, France (SPX) January 26, 2025
The guidance, navigation and control test installations (GNC) of the European Space Agency at the ESEC technical center in the Netherlands were essential to support the space of the Lithuanian company Blackswan to test their navigation technology by Autonomous satellite. The collaboration focused on using grails (guidance, navigation and meeting and landing simulator on the appointment, approach and landing), which is designed to simulate conditions of real world space.
The navigation system on the vision of Blackswan (VBN), fueled by AI, allows satellites to identify, approach or avoid objects in space. This system operates similarly to autonomous cars on earth, considerably improving the capacity for management of space traffic and satellite service.
Marius Klimavicius, founder and CEO of Blackswan Space, underlined the growing relevance of this technology: “As the number of satellites increases quickly, such a capacity is essential to allow us not only to better manage the growing space traffic, but also Service satellites that need repairs or are simply out of fuel.
Irene Huertas Garcia, engineer of the ESA GNC system, has developed the importance of real world tests: “At the beginner stages of technological developments based on vision, space scenarios are simulated using the software. As The maturity of the solution developed increases, we need more equipment tests in the real world representative in visual conditions resembling space.
Joris Belhadj of the GNC test installations added more details on the test process: “The laboratory model satellite – called Blackgeo – was made to contain typical elements of the topography of a geostationary satellite, with surface materials Characteristic satellites, including multi-layer insulation and solar cells to improve its optical representativeness.
Thanks to ESTEC installations, the Blackswan space has managed to show how vision -based navigation can help management of space traffic and orbit maintenance. Their tests were made possible thanks to the general support technology program of ESA (GSTP).
The Lithuanian space delegation played an essential role in the partnership, committing to subsequent funding to advance the VBN system of Blackswan to TRL 6 in the next year. A key step will be a demonstration mission in orbit planned for 2027.
ESA simultaneously advances its own orbit service mission, Rise, which aims to serve telecommunications satellites in geostationary orbit.
Related links
ESA ESA guide, navigation and control test installations
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