Here is ORI’s response to the call for participation from AMSAT-DL concerning the FutureGEO project, sponsored by the European Space Agency. We are looking forward to participating in the FutureGEO workshop in September 2025.
What is the ESA FutureGEO Project?
The FutureGEO project is an ESA (European Space Agency) initiative to develop a future amateur radio payload for a geostationary satellite. The aim is to identify potential partners who would like to actively participate in the definition and development of a new amateur radio payload for a future geostationary satellite.
ESA proposed the idea of a geosynchronous satellite back in December of 2023. Frank Zeppenfeldt, PD0AP, of ESA, secured €250,000 in funding to investigate the possibility of an amateur satellite or payload in geostationary orbit. The announcement was made in a presentation at the AMSAT-UK Colloquium.
Proposals Submitted
Following ESA’s initiative, proposals were received from AMSAT-UK, AMSAT-Canada, and AMSAT-DL.
AMSAT-UK Proposal (December 2023): A proposal was submitted to the European Space Agency (ESA) by AMSAT-UK, the British Amateur Television Club (BATC), and AMSAT-NA, with input from members of the UK Microwave Group for a geostationary microwave amateur payload
AMSAT-DL published an extensive proposal for a Geostationary Microwave Amateur Radio Payload in March 2024.
Technical Specifications
The proposed payloads include sophisticated amateur radio capabilities. Two 5.6 GHz uplink and 10 GHz downlink transponders (Mode C/x) – one 250 kHz wide with 20 watts of output for narrowband modes such as SSB, CW, and narrowband digital modes and one 1 MHz wide with 20 watts of output for wideband modes, including amateur television. Additional experimental features including 24 GHz receivers, millimeter wave beacons, and educational cameras.
Coverage Area
The footprint of the satellite is expected to cover eastern European countries and large portions of eastern North America with the western limit including Ontario and points east.
AMSAT-DL did not “win” a traditional grant from the ESA for FutureGEO, but they have established a cooperative partnership with ESA. AMSAT-DL is now leading the project coordination and has invited Open Research Institute to participate.
Currently, AMSAT-DL is in the partnership development phase, having recently issued a Request for Expression of Interest (RFEI) to amateur radio associations, AMSAT organizations, and other experts Deadline for feedbcak was June 30th, 2025
The project represents a collaborative approach rather than a traditional grant award, with AMSAT-DL serving as the primary coordinator working with ESA to develop requirements and gather international support for this ambitious amateur radio satellite project.
Continue on to read Open Research Institute’s response to the RFEI.