Satellite Technology

Several thousand active satellites are currently orbiting our planet. They enable science, providing information on the state of and changes to Earth and its climate, and are the backbone of today's information society in the areas of communications and navigation. Future space missions will place ever greater demands on satellite technology: increasingly large amounts of data require more on-board computing power for more autonomous operations and higher rates of data processing. Other important developments include improved and lower-vibration attitude control systems, more powerful conventional and electric propulsion systems, a higher energy supply for satellites and their payloads and the miniaturisation of components.