SIDLOC (Spacecraft Identification and Localization) is a project funded by the European Space Agency, an ARTES activity developed by the Libre Space Foundation and FORTH.

The project’s goal is to create a proposed standard of identification and localization for satellites and spacecraft. It will be doing so via a radio-transmitted schema paired with open-source software and hardware implementation of the SIDLOC standard.

SIDLOC is a multi-faceted project that is expanding to include different technologies to provide solutions for significant issues. These issues regarding the situation in space, the difficulties and vulnerabilities existing, were identified during an extensive survey that Libre Space Foundation conducted. Thus, SIDLOC is being developed to provide properly designed next-generation identification systems and help develop ways these difficulties and vulnerabilities can be dealt with efficiently.

SIDLOC is scheduled to fly onboard Ariane 6, and it will be a pivotal moment for the project as it will be tested for the first time in real-flight conditions.

If you want to learn more about the Ariane 6 launch and SIDLOC, read the dedicated article on ESA’s blog.

You can join the dedicated SIDLOC Element/Matrix Channel here and check out the open-source repositories.