Duration: 12 months
Very low Earth orbits have been shown to offer a number of advantages over traditional LEO altitudes. For EO applications, these principal benefits are enhanced ground resolution, improved radiometric performance, and improved communications link budgets. Alternatively, a reduction in system cost may be achieved through the development and launch of smaller spacecraft which can provide equivalent capability to that of traditional systems at higher orbital altitudes. At present, several concepts leveraging these advantages have been presented already (relevant commercial players are for examples the Planet Pelican Constellation or Earth Observant Stingray Constellation). However, no concepts have been yet explored the commercial potential of a persistent or very low latency video service from VLEO. Hence, starting from the instrument concept defined in the frame of the ESA study “OSTEELOS Conceptual Study – Optical Telescope with steerable line of Sight”, the main objective of this IDEA is to define a system-level solution for VLEO very low latency / persistent Video Service and assess the associated programmatic. The outcome of this activity will allow for the consolidation of a potential business plan for commercial very low latency / persistent VLEO Video Services. In order to achieve this objective, the activity plan is structured in 3 cycles, that from a preliminary definition of the mission / system requirements will iteratively define overall system concepts in terms of a technical, programmatic and financial preliminary definition.
