CCSDS Outreach Initiative and Reference Implementation Development Competition
December 7, 2025ESA is presenting a pilot programme on behalf of The Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) and is pleased to announce a new outreach initiative aimed at strengthening engagement with the European amateur satellite and academic communities. This initiative supports the wider objective of promoting the adoption and practical application of CCSDS space communication standards.
CCSDS invites European amateur satellite operators, students, educators, and academic researchers to participate and to help advance open, interoperable space communication technologies.
ESA, in partnership with Goonhilly Earth Station, CCSDS, AMSAT-UK, and AMSAT-DL, are launching a competition to develop high-quality reference implementations of selected CCSDS protocols.
This competition is sponsored by the European Space Agency (ESA).
About the Competition
This programme invites participants to:
- Develop open, standards-compliant reference implementations of CCSDS protocols
- Contribute to a shared technical resource for amateur satellite operators, universities, and research groups
- Gain recognition within both the CCSDS community and the broader space communications field
An in-person hackathon at Goonhilly Earth Station will be available to interested participants, providing a unique environment for collaboration, expert guidance, and accelerated development.
Goonhilly Earth Station is coordinating the competition and will not assert any ownership over Hackathon/Competition outputs.
Prize
Winners of the competition will receive an invitation to attend a CCSDS conference in the United States, where they will present their results to the international CCSDS community.
Protocols Featured in the Competition
These are the outlines of the two CCSDS protocols selected for this competition:
- LunaNet Signal-In-Space Recommended Standard – Augmented Forward Signal (LSIS – AFS)
- The LSIS–AFS standard defines how lunar orbiters or surface systems broadcast a unified navigation and timing signal to support future missions on and around the Moon. It provides a framework for creating an enhanced, interoperable “forward signal” that spacecraft, rovers, and astronauts can use for more accurate positioning, timing, and situational awareness.
- Space Communications Session Control (CCSDS 235.1)
- The CCSDS 235.1 standard defines how space missions establish, manage, and conclude communication sessions between spacecraft and ground systems. It provides a common framework that ensures reliable coordination when exchanging data, sending commands, and transitioning between communication states.
Participants may choose either to develop a functional concept or prototype that demonstrates how the LSIS–AFS signal could be designed, transmitted, interpreted, or applied to support future lunar missions, or to create a practical, interoperable reference implementation of Space Communications Session Control aligned with the CCSDS 235.1 standard.
A Long-Term Vision: Toward a Cislunar Amateur Radio Payload
CCSDS is pleased to highlight a longer-term aspiration linked to this initiative. In close cooperation with its partners—particularly ESA, which is proposing a future cislunar amateur radio payload—CCSDS intends to support the preparation of the most successful protocol implementations for potential consideration for flight.
This offers an exceptional opportunity for community-developed CCSDS-compliant software to be demonstrated in a deep-space operational environment.
This prospective mission is subject to funding and programme approval.
Contact and Expressions of Interest
For enquiries or to express interest in participating, please contact:
📧 esa-competition@amsat-uk.org
Further Information
Additional details—including eligibility criteria, protocol specifications, submission requirements, evaluation processes, and timelines—will be released soon.
