New Research Project SeRANIS: Small Satellite Mission

11 Januar 2021

The research center SPACE and the Munich Center of Space Communications have been awarded a grant to perform a small satellite mission. The research funds is issued by dtec.bw – Zentrum für Digitalisierungs- und Technologieforschung der Bundeswehr. Until 2024, the mission called SeRANIS (Seamless Radio Access networks for Internet of Space) will demonstrate various radio communication technologies as well as GNSS and radio science experiments on a small satellite platform. The communication technologies include advanced beamforming and precoding for 6G networks, robust and resilient IoT and LPWAN technologies as well as optical / laser communications and artificial intelligence methods.

“In this project, we will transfer pioneering research results into meaningful real-world prototypes and in-orbit verification experiments” says Professor Andreas Knopp (PI) excitedly about this outstanding opportunity. He adds “the goals set out by the German government, however, do not only include successful research but also the involvement and participation of the German space industry and startups to transfer research into viable products and to strengthen the industry’s leading market position. This way, our research will create societal impact.” Professor Förstner adds that "for a university that has been a leader in space technology for decades, having its own small satellite mission is a historic opportunity that we are extremely excited about."

The SeRANIS project is funded by the dtec.be – Zentrum für Digitalisierungs- und Technologieforschung der Bundeswehr  which is financed by a 500 million Euro research stimulus package set out by the German government to combat economic shortfalls due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With a successful joint proposal, which included not only outstanding research concepts but also a unified approach for a startup and business incubator, the Bundeswehr Universities in Munich and Hamburg have been awarded this research grant. 

^{Lead image: © iStockphoto / Devrimb}