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This week: 🇮🇪 What’s next for Irish space? UCD’s ComCube swarms • 🛰️ Ubotica’s space-to-seabed security • 🎟️ How to boost your odds for ESA Phi-lab funding…and more
TLDR
UCD to lead a small satellite swarm to spot cosmic explosions quicker.
Ubotica partners on a system to protect cables and energy links, from space to seabed.
Apply for up to €400k in ESA funding by 16 Sept
After EIRSAT…A ComCube Swarm 🛰️ 🇮🇪
Ireland's first satellite EIRSAT-1 has completed its mission and is no more. The UCD C-Space team is now preparing for something significantly more ambitious: coordinated satellite swarms through the ESA’s ComCubes project.
COMCUBE-S will develop cubesat swarms to deliver faster, more detailed information about gamma-ray bursts.
It’s a significant step-up for the UDC team, no longer managing one small cubesat like the building block-sized EIRSAT, but multiple satellites working together.
That offers big advantages over single missions: triangulation of gamma-ray bursts, larger effective detection areas, built-in redundancy and the possibility for future expansion.
Ireland's approach integrates university research, industry expertise, government support, and private sector innovation. Enterprise Ireland’s Padraig Doolan described the success of the EIRSAT-1 mission as a “milestone for Ireland's space sector. It shows how Ireland not only participates, but also leads, complex space missions from design through to operations."
We're keen to apply what we have learned, building new missions, and collaborating to grow Ireland's space sector," - Prof Lorraine Hanlon, director at UCD C-Space.
UCD was confirmed as mission lead for the project in April 2024 when the ESA announced COMCUBE-S as one of the two winning concepts in its SysNova Challenge to foster innovation.
Glasgow-based AAC Clyde Space has been hired to translate UCD’s concept into a full system design, marking the first concrete step toward an Irish-led space-science fleet.
Strategic Implications
ESA's selection of UCD to lead the mission shows confidence in Irish capabilities while opening doors for future partnerships. The technologies being developed have applications beyond gamma-ray detection — spanning telecommunications, data processing, and precision manufacturing.
The progression shows Ireland accelerating its development as what Doolan calls "a space-faring nation" — one that leads rather than simply follows in the development of Space tech.
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UBOTICA
🛰️ Space-to-Seabed ⚓️
Eyes on Europe's Underwater Lifelines
Fugro, DTACT, and Dublin-linked Ubotica are building an integrated "space-to-seabed" surveillance system to protect Europe's vulnerable underwater infrastructure. The partnership combines satellite AI, ocean drones, and data fusion at a critical time for subsea security.
How It Works
Fugro provides ocean and seabed data through autonomous drones and uncrewed vessels. Ubotica contributes AI-powered satellites that detect and track vessel movements in near-real time. DTACT fuses all feeds into a single operational picture, allowing authorities to spot suspicious activity around critical infrastructure and respond quickly.
It’s part of a European push for a comprehensive "radar picture" for the seabed—persistent satellite monitoring with AI anomaly detection, responsive ocean robots for verification, and real-time data fusion that delivers actionable intelligence.
Why Now
Recent incidents highlight the vulnerability of subsea networks. Nord Stream (2022) was confirmed sabotage following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. The Balticconnector pipeline (2023) was damaged by a ship's anchor, with intent initially unclear. Recent Red Sea cable outages were likely anchor-related, while Taiwan reports deliberate cable cuts as part of "grey-zone" pressure.
Bubble trouble for Europe as the Nord Stream pipeline explodes
Ireland's Strategic Interest
This matters for Ireland's position as a critical digital infrastructure hub. The country sits on major trans-Atlantic data arteries, including Aqua Comms' AEConnect system landing in Mayo. The stakes are rising with the Celtic Interconnector—EirGrid's 700 MW subsea link to France currently under construction, crucial for renewable energy goals and grid resilience.
As Europe expands offshore renewables and digital connectivity, comprehensive subsea monitoring becomes essential. For Ireland—with its strategic position and critical role in global digital infrastructure—space-powered maritime awareness isn't just innovative, it's increasingly vital.
There’s a real awakening. I think as we know, through the geopolitical situation in the world, about how Europe needs to close the gap or step-up in providing the ability to defend its own infrastructure
Ubotica CEO Fintan Buckley
MOON SHOTS 🧑🚀— quick hits
NASA bans Chinese nationals from its Space programme
Australia readies its Rover for the Moon
UK Space Agency scrapped to cut costs
Space X buys big to beef up broadband
ESPI steps up efforts to help Europe’s new space ambitions
Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus cargo spacecraft launches to the ISS
World Space Business Week Paris • Summit for Satellite Financing • Summit on Earth Observation Business • Space Innovation Summit
How to stack your odds for ESA Phi-lab (Ireland)
Up to €400k available. You don’t have to be a “space company.”
Prove you’re a fit, fast. Anchor your idea to one of the six focus areas (advanced materials, design optimisation, additive manufacturing, structural analysis & simulation, production-process optimisation, smart-materials integration) and state the benefit to Ireland in one sentence.
Show a real pull to market. Name the target segment, 2–3 potential customers, your value prop, and your Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) plan (what new IP you’ll create, who owns it, how you’ll protect it, and how partners can use it).
Show clear evidence. Cite current state-of-the-art, what’s novel, the feasibility path (tests, rigs, datasets), and how you’ll reach flight-relevant performance.
Your team. List core capabilities, gaps you’ll close, and any letters/MoUs from partners or end-users.
Pitch like mad. Prepare a tight 10–15 min deck.
Deadline. Submit by 16 Sept 2025
Remember, you don’t need to be a “space company” to apply, adjacent manufacturing and materials firms are welcome.
Details: esaphilab.ie/opencall.
Space → Earth
Colours of Australia’s Gibson Desert from Space - Credit: ESA