Welcome to the Second Edition of the SATERA Newsletter!

We’re excited to bring you the latest updates in this issue, where we dive into the journey of our project—where we started, what we’ve accomplished, and what’s coming next. Over the past months, we’ve been hard at work making significant strides, overcoming challenges, and setting the stage for the next phase.

In this edition, you’ll get an inside look at our progress, key milestones, and our vision for the coming months. From the lessons we’ve learned to the exciting plans ahead, we’re sharing it all.

Stay with us as we take you behind the scenes of SATERA’s evolution. 

SATERA is an EU-funded project running from July 2024 to December 2026. It aims to enhance the integrity of space-based air traffic surveillance by cross-verifying aircraft positioning using ADS-B and multilateration data from low Earth orbit satellites, ensuring accurate tracking over remote and oceanic regions. We are now at month 11 of the project. 

So far, the SATERA project has developed and refined the system concept, completing key documents like the Operational Services and Environment Description (OSED) and identifying the technical specifications for the system. Several components have already been modeled and partially tested, including satellite-based receivers, communication networks, and performance prediction tools. The communication model and security framework are in progress, and preliminary results from simulations are available for evaluation.

Looking ahead, the team plans to finalize simulations, build and test prototypes, and run validation exercises in different airspace scenarios. These activities will help assess the system’s feasibility and prepare for future industrial implementation. Workshops are also scheduled later this year to coordinate and evaluate the validation phase.

Let's see what the SATERA team have been through in the previous months:

SESAR JU Annual conference

EuCAP 2025 Conference

From March 31st to April 4th, our paper titled “Circularly Polarized Conical Array for ADS-B Applications in LEO Satellites” was presented at the 19th European Conference on Antennas and Propagation (EuCAP 2025) in Stockholm, Sweden.

This paper presents the design of a dual-layer conical antenna array tailored for Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) applications intended for integration into Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites. The proposed antenna system comprises two vertically stacked layers, each comprising six magneto-electric dipole antennas arranged in a circular configuration. Each antenna element covers a sector of ±30° in azimuth, providing comprehensive coverage for real-time aircraft tracking over wide geographical regions. The antennas in the upper layer are positioned slightly farther apart due to the conical geometry, optimizing the radiation pattern and minimizing mutual coupling between layers. The array operates within the L-band spectrum (960–1164 MHz), making it suitable for ADS-B communication in remote areas with limited ground station coverage, such as oceans and deserts.

SATERA Paper Accepted at MetroAerospace 2025!

The paper titled “Robust and Resilient GNSS Synchronization of LEO Satellites for Space-based Aircraft Multilateration” has been accepted for presentation at MetroAerospace 2025, scheduled for June in Naples, Italy.

The paper presents a new synchronization framework for LEO satellite constellations, developed within the scope of the SATERA Project. The proposed approach supports space-based aircraft tracking in regions without radar coverage—such as oceans, deserts, and polar zones.

The system combines GNSS timing, Precision Time Protocol (PTP) over inter-satellite links, and a Kalman filter-based detection mechanism, achieving nanosecond-level accuracy even in the presence of GNSS jamming or spoofing.

The work contributes to the development of robust and resilient synchronization methods for future space-based aviation surveillance systems.

SATERA Paper accepted at 76th International Astronautical Congress (IAC).

The paper “Space-based multilateration system for a GNSS-independent aircraft localization" has been accepted for presentation at IAC 2025, scheduled for September in Sydney, Australia.

This paper presents a satellite-based solution to improve the reliability of ADS-B air traffic surveillance in remote areas, where ground-based validation is not available. It proposes a LEO satellite constellation capable of independently verifying aircraft positions using multilateration techniques that combine Time of Arrival (TOA), Frequency of Arrival (FOA), and Angle of Arrival (AOA) measurements. The system is designed to reduce dependence on GNSS and improve security against failures or cyber-attacks. Simulations show that with the right configuration, the proposed system can achieve the accuracy required for en-route air traffic control.

SATERA Second Plenary Meeting

On May 26th, the University of Rome Tor Vergata hosted the 2nd Plenary Meeting of the SATERA project 

The meeting brought together all SATERA partners and the Advisory Board, marking a crucial milestone in the progress of the project. It was a full day of collaboration, technical insights, and shared commitment toward advancing space-based surveillance technologies.

Each Work Package — from solution formulation and embedded measurement systems to communication networks and data processing — was presented and discussed in depth. The project’s mission to enable accurate, reliable aircraft tracking over oceanic and remote regions took significant steps forward.

  watch video

UPVCollins Tor Vergata

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