From Mbps to Gbps: Evolution of Payload Data Handling and Transmission system for future earth observation missions

On-board data handling and transmission for Earth Observation (EO) satellites had been usually implemented, for many years in the past, through a set of devices distributed on the platform, each independently controlled by an on-board computer. In the frame of Rasarsat-2 (a Canadian Space Agency mission - end of the 90's), Thales Alenia Space-Italia (TAS-I) has designed a self-contained system, named PDHT (Payload Data Handling and Transmission) deputed to handling and transmission of scientific data. Starting from this innovation, PDHT performances have been improving in the last years, pushed by an increasing demand for high resolution images with daily availability and thanks to new technologies available on the market. Therefore two reference configurations have been identified according to the Cosmo Sky-Med and GMES Sentinels mission requirements. The market of EO satellites, pushed by the scientific, institutional and commercial requests, is even more increasing the demand of high performance handling and transmission system, so TAS-I is also ready to propose advanced solutions that may support more sophisticated sensing techniques and higher downlink data rates.