A brief overview into the manufacture of rockets. The materials used in Arianespace rockets, the challenges faced in making and launching rockets and future Ariane 5 ME launch vehicle all are discussed. Credit: ESA

Sponsored by 1st ESA Workshop on Satcom in VLEO - Telecommunications in Very Low Earth Orbit
In recent years, there has been a notable increase in interest in constellation initiatives, bringing Satcoms to orbits progressively closer to Earth. Whilst this brings with it amazing opportunities, such as very low latency and direct-to-handheld communications, flying in VLEO comes with several challenges.
The 1st ESA Workshop on Satcom in VLEO event aims to identify the key technologies, concepts and solutions for the design and implementation of Satellite Communications constellations to fly in Very Low Earth Orbit.
The ESA's Directorate of Telecommunications & Integrated Applications (TIA) is pleased to invite ESA Member States Entities and Institutions to participate in the 1st ESA Workshop on Satcom in VLEO, in support of Telecommunications in Very Low Earth Orbit.
The main objectives for this workshop are as follows:
- To identify use cases for Telecommunication satellites to fly at lower altitude than LEO
- To identify the key technologies, concepts and solutions for VLEO telecommunication applications
- To foster discussions between the main players across the Satcom value chain
- To pursue Industry collaborations and generate multiple consortia to develop VLEO technologies
The workshop is comprised of 4 sessions addressing the following topics:
- VLEO Market Context
- Mission and System design
- Payload and Spectrum challenges
- Space Segment and Operations
In addition, the agenda will include one Round table, two Keynotes, several networking breaks and many presentations from a variety of panellists. The goal is to expand the importance of responsible and sustainable practises across space and non-space communities, foster discussions between the main players across the Satcom value chain for exploring responsible and sustainable solutions for Satcom constellations and pursue industry collaborations across ESA Member States.