The CANEUS Shared Small Satellites CSSP (Collective Security, Safety, and Prosperity) International Workshop is the forum dedicated to fostering Global collaboration to create a concept for space-based communications infrastructure owned and operated by a multi-national cooperative. The capability envisions data extraction from position reporting systems and other distributed sensors to enhance partners’ safety and security. The NATO Undersea Research Centre (NURC) will be hosting the event from October 20-22, 2010 in Marina di Carrara, Tuscany, ITALY.

Ultimately, the workshop aims to identify issues for the potential Concept of Operation and international cooperation framework It will also explore the particulars of international technology developments and applications that complement and are enabled by such a capability, so that a comprehensive profile of international impact may be quantified. The workshop deliverables will help formalize an implementation and transition plan for the operational phase of this international, cooperative nano-satellite project.
Shared Space Based Communications Infrastructure

At this workshop, we will explore shared communications infrastructure designed to retrieve data from beyond line of sight and in unwired regions for fusion, analysis, and action with minimum latency. By using a global constellation, participating nations can collect and share data from the “unwired world” that then can be used to enhance the safety, security, economic development and environmental protection of each sovereign state.
Fractional Ownership Model

In the collaboration model, multinational participants partner to deploy a constellation of relatively inexpensive nano-satellites and a network of small, moveable ground terminals that together create an efficient, persistent communications infrastructure. Partnership is provided in return for investment in the system. Investment may be monetary or in-kind contributions such as launch services or ground station operation.

At this workshop, we will analyze several collaboration models that define alternatives for sharing the capacity of the system between the partners and providing services to external subscribers. For example, a Consortium Member country would be entitled to a share of the available bandwidth from the total constellation. The satellites would relay data from that nation’s sensors to a ground terminal (which may be in another country), and from there to an enterprise server (in yet another country, perhaps) for distribution to the country owning the data. That country could then choose to share this information to enhance cooperation with the other constellation partners and / or its neighbors who may not be participating.
Workshop Objectives

The CANEUS CSSP International Workshop has a unique flow-down format which emphasizes, as its primary deliverable, an international framework for joining the Shared SmallSat undertaking as a stakeholder; the issues, costs and benefits involved; what prospective stakeholders can expect to gain by participation, as well as the potential business model. The CANEUS Shared SmallSat CSSP International Workshop aims to:

* Provide participants and potential stakeholders with an interactive, in-depth assessment of current end-user requirements for AIS and data extraction to support short term and potential long term requirements, including potential new applications. This assessment would also help identify and address outstanding issues with current AIS and data extraction systems, such as, safety, security, privacy, infrastructure care and feeding cost, policies on data sharing, vulnerabilities to interference, reliability, and authentication.
* Present program factors with the active participation and contributions of attendees to articulate data gathering, data handling, and data distribution concepts; Small Sat Constellation Systems and Technologies; AIS and data extraction Applications.
* Facilitate international partnership by addressing challenges to collaborative framework models. Issues to be discussed include: proposed data formats, assigned frequencies and bandwidth; legal policies and considerations; regulatory considerations; and proposed Consortium scope, structure, roadmap and ROM funding

To learn more about the workshop, visit www.caneus.org/cssp