C2I 2021 Aerospace & Defence Award Winner: Discoverer

The communication and sensing satellites upon which many of our earthly activities depend typically operate at altitudes of between 500 and 1200km. But what if these critical components of our modern world were able to function at much lower orbits?

DISCOVERER - a Horizon 2020 funded project led by Manchester and involving eight industrial and academic partners - is driving the development of a range of technologies that could enable satellites to do just that, allowing them to operate at altitudes below 450km, in Very Low Earth Orbits (VLEO).

Category: Aerospace & Defence

Winner: Discoverer

Partners: Manchester University with University College London (Mullard Space Science Laboratory), University of Stuttgart (IRS), University Politecnica Catalunya, GOMSpace, Deimos Space, Euroconsult, and concentric

According to project leader, Manchester University’s Dr Peter Roberts, such a capability could bring a range of benefits including reduced latency for communications satellites; improved imaging resolution for remote sensing systems and an ability to use much smaller payloads, thus reducing launch costs. Use of lower orbits could, also make it easier to recover satellites at the end of their operating lives, he added, ensuring they don’t add to the growing problem of space debris.