PaTTS by TALOS won the SeRANISxfounders-Challenge of the Universität der Bundeswehr München and thus secured an opportunity to fly on the SeRANIS small satellite mission. PaTTS (Passive Tag Tracking by Satellites) is a new and innovative passive tracking technology that was invented by researchers of the TU Dresden and will now be further developed by the new startup TALOS based in Munich and marketed as a national key technology. In this context, the recent statements by the Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Grüne) on European sovereignty at the ESA Council of Ministers in Paris are viewed very positively and more political support for German start-ups in the space industry is called for.
At Monday’s final pitch of the start-up challenge SeRANISxfounders - the first competition of this kind at the Universität der Bundeswehr München - PaTTS by TALOS was able to prevail over five competitors and convinced the top-class jury from the Federal Armed Forces, research and industry with the enormous progress made in recent months and the proposed business plan.
PaTTs describes a new type of passive tracking technology that implements a number of innovative ideas: The technology works purely passively and can therefore not be located by third parties. The tags also have an enormous life-time paired with low maintenance cycles, since no transmission components are used. Last but not least, the tags are small, light and have a high level of robustness in regard to large temperature ranges and mechanical stress.
PaTTS by TALOS will now bring scientific equipment onto the SeRANIS small satellite mission and can thus carry out a first in-orbit validation of its passive tracking technology. This is the first step towards marketing this globally unique technology and opens up the opportunity to create a new national key technology.
Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) said on Tuesday at the ESA Council of Ministers meeting in Paris: "What is happening on earth must also apply to space. A separate sovereignty, satellites and thus security and security communication must also be granted in space." In addition, Habeck continued, it is also a priority to obtain data on climate change through earth observation. PaTTS can make an enormous contribution to this in particular and provide valuable measurement data that allow scientists to draw conclusions about climate change. Bruno Le Maire, France's Economy Minister, also stressed at the Council of Ministers meeting: "If we want to be independent, we have to put money on the table".
The emphasis on space as an integral part of European sovereignty is viewed very positively and underlines the need for political support for the German space industry. However, startups must also be considered in order to give new and innovative ideas a chance on the world market. The removal of bureaucratic hurdles and the simplification of public procurement processes would be a step in the right direction so that start-ups can contribute to European sovereignty.
Further information can also be found in the IDW press release from the Universität der Bundeswehr München on the SeRANISxfounders Challenge.
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