UK, Guildford, 26 November 2020 – Clutch Space Systems announced today a collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA) and has completed the installation of its AnyBand system for experimental research purposes at ESA’s ‘Special Mission Infrastructure Lab Environment’ (SMILE), which can be used to test or validate new ways to perform spacecraft operations and related activities.
SMILE is located at ESA’s European Space Operations Centre, Darmstadt, Germany, and comprises an operational laboratory, the SMILE Ground Terminal – with one 3.7 m S- and X-band antenna – and an amateur radio antenna. While this experimental ground station is not part of ESA’s tracking network and is not conceived for routine mission operations, it can be used for research and technology development and to demonstrate and prove innovative new technologies.
Clutch AnyBAND is a high-performance solution based on software-defined radio technology, with an excellent value proposition for satellite ground station network providers and satellite operators looking to solve their own ground segment needs, including easy integration into existing network management systems and solving the problem of costly legacy replacement and support.
Martin Philp, CEO Clutch Space said: “We completed the installation of our system within 15 minutes, proving the absolute efficiency in the deployment of our solutions. We are grateful to ESA for allowing us to connect to its network and demonstrate our software-defined solution at this key location, as further evidence of what Clutch Space can offer the ground segment of space.”
“ESA is interested in working with organisations that can broaden its experience and expertise in performing communication experiments,” says ESA’s Pier Bargellini, responsible for mission operations infrastructure. “ESA is keen to validate innovative operations concepts, and in working closely together with external partners active in the field of operations, such as Clutch Space, to stay knowledgeable about new developments in terms of technology, research and commercial trends.”
About Clutch Space Systems
Clutch Space Systems, located at the Surrey Technology Centre, Guildford, Surrey UK, on the same Research Park as SSTL and BAe Systems. Clutch Space provides software-defined solutions for the exponentially growing ground segment of space. This includes software defined radio (SDR) ground stations for satellite communications; software enabled satellites; constellation management and mission planning solutions.
For more information about Clutch Space, visit www.clutchspace.com
For media enquiries, please contact:
Martin Philp, CEO
E: martin.philp@clutchspace.com
T: +44 1483 684819