NEW opportunities for Irish companies working in telecommunications, software and microelectronics are rapidly opening up in the space sector. This was the dear message given by NASA, ESA (the European Space Agency), and the commercial telecommunications partnership Iridium at a seminar held in Forbairt in Dublin earlier this month.
Aldiscon, Armstrong Electronics, Bocom, Euristix, Iona Technologies, National Avionics, Silicon Systems and Vector Computing International are among Irish companies which have recently joined the space race. This surge from Irish firms is unusual, according to ESA's head of industrial policy, Eric Morel.
"Ireland is a particular case, and is different from other ESA member countries where the situation is more static," he told the seminar.
Intelligent simulation-based design, including immersive three-dimensional systems, was an area recommended to Irish companies by Gregory Reck, NASA's deputy chief technologist.
The Iridium worldwide mobile phone and paging system is expected to be operational next year, and the consortium has a large number of members, including Motorola. It will use 6 satellites. Once all of them are in orbit and working, the services will be managed through 12 ground stations and delivered through national service providers. It is in the latter two areas that there will be opportunities for Irish companies, according to Rickie Currens of Motorola.
Irish companies Aldiscon and Iona Technologies are among those already involved at the ground stage.
Iona's tools are being used in the ground segment of Iridium to tie subsystems together, the company's Chris Horn told the seminar. "The question is a complex one - how to route calls dynamically across a network that is constantly on the move," he said.
Space has traditionally been regarded as a semiconductor backwater with the applied technology lagging by several years, but this has now changed, according to Bob Tait, product marketing engineer with SSL.
"New developments in satellite telecommunications are bringing the requirements of the industry back in line with the status quo in general," Mr Tait stated. "The need for higher functionality and greater levels of integration and miniaturisation is beginning to push the technology for applications such as broad-band systems."
SSL has started work on two ESA-backed projects called Petra and Safron.
The seminar was jointly organised by Forbairt and the Federation of Aerospace Enterprises in Ireland. According to Tony McDonald of Forbairt's space programme, 27 Irish companies have participated in space programmes and contracts, so far, earning £8-£10 million.
"Irish telecommunications, software and microelectronics companies, have so far earned only a small portion of this, as "the area is so new, but we believe that this area has great potential," he said.