Missions

Connected & Autonomous Earth

By 2030, our Connected & Autonomous Earth mission aims to see safe, secure and performant connectivity and autonomy available everywhere and affordable by every person.

Why This Mission?
What We Do
Interventions
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MISSION STATEMENT

By 2030, our Connected & Autonomous Earth mission aims to see safe, secure and performant connectivity and autonomy available everywhere and affordable by every person.

WHY ‘CONNECTED & AUTONOMOUS EARTH’?

In our modern world, ubiquitous connectivity is a ‘must-have’ for individuals and businesses alike. Enabling access to robust and reliable communication and connectivity services is vital for future global prosperity.

Traditional terrestrial communication and connectivity systems come with coverage challenges, and this is where satellite technology fits in.

Satellite technology already plays a critical role in bridging the coverage gaps of terrestrial communications systems.

Leveraging satellite technology to build a more connected world will bring high-speed internet access to people living in remote and underserved areas. This will enable people to connect with the rest of the world, access critical services and empower them with opportunities to learn and prosper.

Broadband connectivity represents a significant revenue opportunity for satellites over the next decade. It sits at the heart of modern national security and defence, maritime operations, and global aviation management. The technology supports sustainability goals, for example, monitoring forests or water supplies to ensure sustainable usage and management.

The Connected & Autonomous Earth mission is utilising the unique capabilities of space technology to create a more connected, efficient, and sustainable world.

WHAT WE DO

By fostering collaboration and partnerships between stakeholders, the Catapult can help to facilitate the development of new technologies and applications, as well as promoting the wider adoption of ‘Connected & Autonomous Earth’ solutions.

Working with commercial and academic partners, we will investigate and propose new ways to drive mainstream adoption of communications and positioning technologies.

INTERVENTIONS

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Advanced Communications Capabilities (ACC)

Future Networks Testbeds

Coordinated Autonomy

UK LEO

Advanced Communications Capabilities (ACC)

In 2022, the International Telegraphic Union (ITU) estimated that over half of the world’s population still did not have access to high-speed broadband. This excludes billions from essential services and affects women and older people disproportionately.

Bridging this ‘digital divide’ will require next-generation solutions including innovations to maximise the utility of infrastructure. Satellite Applications Catapult is championing the adoption of new waveforms such as 5G, and the development of beamforming and phased array antenna systems. These innovations will increase capacity with the minimum of investment in new infrastructure, increasing the ‘usefulness’ of digital connectivity and extending its benefits to more people.

Radio Frequency (RF) beamforming is crucial and a key requirement and enabling technology for broadband satellites and terrestrial 5G mobile infrastructure. This intervention is supporting the development of low-cost mass market phased array terminals, essential for ubiquitous access to satellite broadband, together with the development of satellite multi-beam technologies to supply increased demand.

Agile multi-beam capabilities require a high level of automation to manage traffic efficiently, creating demand for new Operational and Business Support Systems (OSS and BSS) and this links to other technologies being developed in the UK with the support of the Catapult.

Future Networks Testbeds

The Satellite Applications Catapult’s award-winning 5G testbeds in Milton Keynes, Dorset, and Westcott are helping businesses embed cutting-edge satellite connectivity into their solutions.

We are continuously evolving our facilities and integrating an OpenRAN platform for intelligent radio function and network convergence. Our neutral host platforms accelerate 5G and 6G rural and emergency network deployments, while enhancing connectivity in urban areas with high demand for data services.

RELATED FACILITIES:

Future Networks Development Centre

Coordinated Autonomy

Coordinated autonomy is the application of new, faster computing to enable autonomous services and applications to work more independently of human supervision. Such autonomous systems will ‘learn’ how to deal with emergent situations and be more efficient and adaptable, particularly in the delivery of in-orbit servicing and manufacturing (IOSM).

UK LEO

UK LEO is developing infrastructure that will support more effective Position Navigation Time (PNT) services. Among other benefits, UK LEO will drive the uptake of autonomous vehicles and urban systems that will improve the sustainability, safety and convenience of transport in the near future.