Round Tables
| Small Optics in Earth Observation moderated by Alessandro Zuccaro Marchi, ESA’s Optics Section |
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| A large number of projects have been launched or are in design phase to offer earth-monitoring services by means of cube-sats or very small satellites. What is the role of small optical instruments in such applications? What are their capabilities and what business cases can be built around such capabilities? These questions will be addressed in the Round Table with a panel of experts and open discussion with the participants. Alessandro Zuccaro Marchi joined ESA-ESTEC in 2011 as optical engineer. After his Master in Physics at the University of Padova (IT) and the PhD in Physics at the University of Trieste (IT), developing space instrumentation for astrophysical observations, he worked at NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (Huntsville, USA), at CNR-INO/National Institute of Optics (Firenze, IT) and at RIKEN labs (Tokyo, Japan). He is currently supporting the development of some ESA earth observation and science missions, and leads some R&D activities in the field of compact hyperspectral instrumentation. |
| Small Optics in Space Science moderated by Alessandro Zuccaro Marchi, ESA’s Optics Section |
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| Space Observation usually require as big as possible instruments to cover for the vast distances. The first however missions for space observation using Cube/Micro-sats have been launched recently and the discussion as to what type of observations can be made by means of such small optical instrument opens. The topic will be addressed in the Round Table with a panel of experts and open discussion with the participants. Alessandro Zuccaro Marchi joined ESA-ESTEC in 2011 as optical engineer. After his Master in Physics at the University of Padova (IT) and the PhD in Physics at the University of Trieste (IT), developing space instrumentation for astrophysical observations, he worked at NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (Huntsville, USA), at CNR-INO/National Institute of Optics (Firenze, IT) and at RIKEN labs (Tokyo, Japan). He is currently supporting the development of some ESA earth observation and science missions, and leads some R&D activities in the field of compact hyperspectral instrumentation. |
| The challenge of Photonics components space qualification, is there a better way? moderated by Mustapha Zahir, ESA’s Optoelectronics Section |
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| All governments and private space agencies face the challenge of qualifying photonics components for space applications. This qualification can be expensive and time consuming, requiring special resources in tools, processes and know-how. There are quite few standards available to guide these qualifications, all of which are stringent and demanding in many respects. What are the qualification processes that exist, and considering the new entrant in space, such us the private sector, and the challenge of mega constellation, is the current qualification route the correct way forward? Is there another cheaper, more efficient and quicker route to space qualification? This brainstorming session is your chance to put your thoughts forward. Mustapha Zahir joined the European Space Agency, Noordwijk, The Netherlands, in 2001 as a Microwave Photonics Engineer, and later as Photonics Component Engineer. He is graduated from University of London, and worked for many years in industry including mainly Nortel Networks in Paignton UK. He has extensive experience in the space qualification of image sensor, lasers and other photonics components, supporting all ESA projects with qualification of Photonics components for space. He has been working with many of the European and non-European photonics components manufacturers, design houses, and assembly and test. He was the chairman of few working groups, developing qualification standards for Photonics components, such as the CCDs WG, Laser Diodes WG, CCD and CMOS Test method WG, and the CTB Photonics WG. |
| Integrated microwave photonics in Space Applications moderated by Chris Roeloffzen of LIONIX International and Paul van Loock of ESA’s Telecommunications Department |
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| Since the early 1990’s industry and academia in Europe and the US investigated the implementation of the basic microwave functions of a satellite telecommunication repeater by photonic technologies. Technological maturity of photonic devices and an extensive investment program by ESA have resulted in a large number of “Microwave Photonic” Payload designs and demonstrators developing the composing Microwave Photonic Equipment for Local Oscillator Generation and Distribution, Frequency Conversion, Channel Switching, Filtering and Beam Forming. Some of these equipment are currently in the Phase of In orbit Demonstration to prove their function at the relevant environment. In parallel, there is a clear shift towards microphotonic or “integrated microwave photonic” where the integration of passive and active parts can offer miniaturization of equipment. Already in some of the applications such as the beam forming network the use of microphotonics has proved to be mandatory in order for Photonics to offer a competitive advantage. The EU COST Action 1620 brings together entities in Europe active on the area of “integrated microwave photonic”. ICSO will host a Round Table of COST 1620 WG-4 (Space) to bring together Integrated Microwave Photonic Technologists with Equipment Manufacturers and Payload Integrators to present the State-of-the-Art and discuss the way ahead. The workshop will be moderated by Chris Roeloffzen coordinator of COST ACTION 1620 WG4 (Space) and Paul van Loock of ESA’s Telecommunications Department. |
| Chris Roeloffzen received his MSc degree in applied physics from the University of Twente in the Netherlands in 1998 and his Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering in 2002. In 2002 he became assistant professor in the Telecommunication Engineering Group of the University of Twente, where he was involved with research and education on integrated microwave photonic systems. In 2009 he founded of the company SATRAX, a spin-off of the University of Twente, where he was CTO. In 2017 SATRAX, LioniX and XiO Photonics merged into LioniX International. He is now Chief Scientific Officer at LioniX International. He has authored or co-authored 40 refereed journal publications and more than 100 conference papers, and delivered 13 invited talks in various international conferences. He is the technical program committee (TPC) co-chair of IEEE Topical Meeting of Microwave Photonics (MWP 2018). He is MC member of the EU COST 16220: European Network for High Performance Integrated Microwave Photonics. | |
| Paul Van Loock, is with the Telecommunications and Integrated Applications Directorate of the European Space Agency, Noordwijk, The Netherlands where he is managing projects related to microwave and photonic equipment development for future Telecommunication Payloads. Prior to joining ESA he was Product Manager for RF Equipment in Antwerp Space Antwerp, Belgium. He had joined the company, then known as Space Division of Bell Telephone Manufacturing) in 1982. He holds an Msc Eng. From the University of Leuven, Belgium. | |
| Round Table on ‘Constellations, optical feeder-links and beyond’ moderated by Zoran Sodnik, Head of ESA’s Optoelectronics Section |
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| The use of optical feeder-links for next generation telecommunication satellites is receiving strong interest from commercial telecommunication providers, because optical frequencies have the potential to dramatically increase bandwidth. Satellite operator are moving towards V and W band but are already considering moving further to optical frequencies for very high throughput satellites. In addition, with the advent of Mega-constellations for telecommunications and the need of operators to cover the globe from GEO, there is an increase of demand for Inter-Satellite Links. Optical communications offers the capacity that is being considered in the roadmap of different satellite systems. Plans for space exploration and exploitation, with particular growing interest on the Moon and Mars and beyond, raise the need of supporting Inter-Planetary communications with a capacity and data rates best suited to optical frequencies, as a minimum for data relay between spacecraft orbiting Earth and the Moon or Mars. These and other questions on optical communications will be actively discussed at the round table. Experts from industry will be given the opportunity to introduce their most urging issues and to put them up for discussion. |
| Zoran Sodnik studied Technical Cybernetics at the Universities in Stuttgart and Berlin and received his PhD in Optical Engineering from Stuttgart University in 1989. He then became assistant professor at the Institute for Technical Optics with main research topics in optical metrology and dual-wavelength interferometry. In June 1993 he joined ESA-ESTEC as Senior Optical Engineer, responsible for managing R&D activities and supporting ESA programs. Since 1994 he worked together with Reinhard Czichy on the development of ESA’s Optical Ground Station in Tenerife for which he became the responsible station manager in 1995. In December 2013 he became Head of the Opto-Electronics Section (TEC-MME) in ESTEC. Dr. Sodnik is a member of Member of SPIE, DGaO and OSA and a co-chair of the ICSO and ICSOS conferences dedicated on the study of optical technologies in spaceborne applications. | |
