One Sea and the European Space Agency (ESA) have agreed to promote the development of new space-enabled services which will support the maritime sector’s transition towards autonomous shipping.

The new partnership will combine One Sea’s unique expertise in the maritime sector and in autonomous shipping with ESA’s technical competence and mandate through the Business Applications and Space Solutions programme to support the development and demonstration of space solutions in addressing user needs. 

Satellite communications and satellite navigation play a key role in the adoption of autonomous shipping technologies and operations. During offshore passages, ships are often further from land than satellites which can offer invaluable secure and resilient communication channels for monitoring, command, and control of autonomous ships. Furthermore, in ports and congested areas, high precision Position Navigation and Timing (PNT) provided by satellites is also critical for the safe operation of autonomous shipping.