Satellite swarms have the potential to be an integral part of future satellite systems. They are basically a clusters of small satellites with inter-satellite coordination to perform common tasks. In this project, the focus is on satellite swarms in the LEO orbit. Swarms can be used for a broad range of applications including direct connectivity to handheld/IoT devices and ultra-high capacity links with very-small-aperture terminals (VSAT). In the direct connectivity scenario, the corresponding distance between the individual small satellites is on the order of a few meters. This results in an ultra-dense antenna array which can be used to obtain a significant array gain. In this way, very narrow beams can be formed. On the other hand, in the ultra-high-speed connectivity scenario, the satellites are separated by several km. In this case the goal is to achieve spatial diversity and/or multiplexing.

This project is funded by the European Space Agency (ESA) within the Satellite Network of Experts V (SatNEx V).

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