ESA Φ-lab
The European Space Agency (ESA), established in 1975, is a leading organization in space exploration, fostering cooperation among European countries. ESA conducts missions in Earth observation, human spaceflight, and more, aiming to use space for a sustainable future. With facilities across Europe, including a spaceport in French Guiana, ESA is committed to advancing space knowledge and technology, making space accessible and beneficial for society. ESA Φ-lab accelerates the future of Earth Observation (EO) through disruptive and transformational innovation, aiming to strengthen the world-leading competitiveness of the European EO industrial and scientific sectors.
Indra Space
Indra Space is Indra Group’s initiative that brings together end-to-end capabilities across the entire value chain of the space sector, offering dual solutions that cover both civil and defence applications. Our solutions combine innovation, resilience, and security to strengthen strategic autonomy and support critical missions on a global scale. Indra Space is a European integrator with global reach, actively participating in major space programmes and contributing to the development of a more competitive and sovereign industry. With 40+ years in pioneering space technologies, 500+ space projects worldwide, and 50+ space missions and satellite programmes, Indra Space is a key element in Europe’s strategic autonomy, strengthening secure communications, space access, and security. Indra Space’s expertise spans the entire spectrum of space activities, where technology translates into real impact. These include end-to-end capabilities across the areas of Earth Observation, Telecommunications, Satellite Navigation, Space Surveillance, and Space Exploration. Indra Space has been involved in projects such as Copernicus, PAZ, GOVSATCOM, GALILEO, STARTICAL, DRACO, CASSINI, and EXOMARS, among many others. Indra Space is leading the OpenSAR project, supporting the generation of open-source datasets, and leading the development of novel ML models for extracting insights from raw SAR data.
University of Alcala
The University of Alcalá (UAH) is a public university in Spain with a strong research profile and active participation in national and international R&D projects. Within its research structure, the university hosts numerous research groups working in different areas of engineering and information technologies. Among them is the AES3 research group – Acoustic and Electromagnetic Smart Sensor networks and Signal processing, which focuses on the study and development of advanced sensing systems and signal processing techniques applied to acoustic and electromagnetic sensors, including applications in monitoring, localization, and SAR and passive radar systems. The group contributes to scientific knowledge generation and the development of innovative technologies in the field of electronic and telecommunications engineering.
INTA (National Institute of Aerospace Technology)
INTA is a Public Research Organisation attached to the Spanish Ministry of Defence, specialized in technological research and development in aerospace, aeronautics, and hydrodynamics, and in security and defence technologies. Its Space Programs Department manages the Institute's Space Programs (e.g., Small Satellites Program), develops satellite technologies, conducts engineering activities for space platforms and ground segments, and qualifies and operates space missions and ground segments. Within this department, the Spaceborne SAR Systems and Calibration Group focuses on the development, project management, implementation, operation, processing and calibration of SAR space missions. The group operates the PAZ CALVAL Centre and has extensive expertise in SAR system engineering, end-to-end SAR performance analysis, SAR calibration, algorithm development, mission planning, and SAR instrument operations. It also defines, designs, and maintains the INTA SAR Calibration Field and leads the scientific exploitation of the PAZ mission. The team’s experience in SAR systems has been consolidated through its central role in the PAZ Mission, where during the commissioning phase, it was responsible for the ground segment system engineering, external calibration, SAR product characterization, and overall system performance monitoring. Currently, the group continues to manage the PAZ CALVAL Centre while broadening its scope through new initiatives. Notably, it contributes to the definition and design of ECO, a small SAR satellite mission, including the development of acquisition and processing algorithms. In addition, the group is actively involved in projects applying Artificial Intelligence to the SAR domain, including OpenSAR AI4SAR, Onboard Intelligence for SAR Missions (EXPRO+ ESA ITT ESA AO/1-11954/23/NL/EG), and MARVISION, a Spanish PERTE-1 project (CPP 11/2023 AB, DG/OCIE – PERTE-1).
