Filtronic will play an important role in the European Space Agency (ESA) and Viasat’s Direct-to-Device (D2D) initiative, contributing feeder link technology to enable seamless connectivity between Earth and the low Earth orbit (LEO) constellation. Filtronic will work closely with Viasat to define the optimal feeder link requirements and develop high-power RF solutions essential for the success of this proposed, partner funded next-generation satellite network.
This initiative follows a landmark agreement between ESA Director of Connectivity and Secure Communications, Laurent Jaffart, and Viasat Chairman and CEO, Mark Dankberg, who met in Brussels in January 2025 to accelerate the deployment of Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) LEO D2D systems across Europe and beyond.
Under ESA’s Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES 4.0), a programme that stimulates research and development within ESA’s Connectivity and Secure Communications directorate, Viasat and its European partners, including Filtronic, are working towards the design and procurement of an Open Architecture LEO network capable of delivering 5G non-terrestrial services directly to handheld devices.
Filtronic’s contribution includes advanced feeder link technology for both satellite payloads and ground stations. These feeder links enable high-throughput satellite communications, support both uplink (Earth-to-satellite) and downlink (satellite-to-Earth) transmissions. Filtronics expertise in high- solid state power amplifiers will also be instrumental in enabling high data rate feeder links.
This work builds on Filtronic’s involvement in the ESA ARTES-funded project initiated in 2023, with additional support from the UK Space Agency, a sponsor of both the ARTES programme and Filtronic’s participation in the D2D framework.
