GOVSATCOM Extreme Crisis Management Service: Space Helping to Save Lives
Authors: Almudena Sánchez and Sylwia Okrasa
GEXTRECS was showcased and discussed during the Special Session on Research Advances in EU GOVSATCOM at 12th Advanced Satellite Multimedia Systems Conference and 18th Signal Processing for Space Communications Workshop (ASMS/SPSC 2025), organised in Sitges, Spain.
The Special Session on Research Advances in EU GOVSATCOM, which took place on 28th February, was organised jointly by the European Space Agency (ESA), German Aerospace Center (DLR), Centre Tecnològic de Telecomunicacions de Catalunya (CTTC) and the University of Bologna. It served as an interesting clustering event aimed at fostering synergy among projects funded under Horizon Europe (HE) GOVSATCOM 2022 call.
The event moderated by the Spanish HE Space NCP, from CDTI, provided participants with an overview of HE activities for GOVSATCOM and the Union Space Programme, and introduced to projects under HE GOVSATCOM calls, including GEXTRECS, SIGMA and 5G-GOVSATCOM. Short presentations on all three projects were followed by round table discussion accompanied by active participation of the audience. The clustering event proved highly valuable in highlighting complementarities among these projects, reinforcing the importance of coordinated efforts to maximize the impact of EU-funded research.
GEXTRECS was represented by Almudena Sánchez González – Business Development Executive at GMV. She provided a high-level overview of the project progress in a moment when its Mid-Term Review has been successfully approved. Since the kick-off, GEXTRECS managed to demonstrate innovative ground segment solutions for secure satellite communications. More specifically, an end-to-end GOVSATCOM service was tested by the End-Users, ensuring data transfer integrity and adequate performance of technological innovations developed by GMV (the Dynamic Planner) and TTCOMM (the Network Balancer for handover among satellite military X-band, satellite commercial Ku-band and terrestrial network). In addition, GOVSATCOM service was successfully integrated with a specific Copernicus Emergency product and Galileo OSNMA and PRS services.
The success of the Special Session on Research Advances in EU GOVSATCOM at ASMS/SPSC 2025 underscores the importance of continued collaboration among HE-funded projects. By leveraging synergies, sharing insights, and fostering innovation, the European space community is paving the way for more resilient and effective crisis management solutions.
GEXTRECS has entered into the last stage of implementation, which will end with the final demonstration of GOVSATCOM services in the last quarter of 2025. GOVSATCOM End-Users, stakeholders and Competent GOVSATCOM Authorities from EU Member States are more than welcome to participate in demonstrations and a dedicated Stakeholder Workshop. If you are among such profiles, stay tuned and do not hesitate to join us!