The Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS) team were at the leading mobility innovation event in London ‘MOVE: Mobility Re-imagined’, 17-18 June 2026, to showcase the growing role of space technologies in the mobility sector.
Maria Zaretskaya, Business Development & Partnerships Officer at BASS, joined the panel on ‘V2X deployment: The global standardisation battle and infrastructure rollout’, as part of ESA’s commitment to supporting sustainable development in the industry. The panel explored the opportunities and challenges of V2X (vehicle-to-everything) – an opportunity for Ms Zaretskaya to discuss how space data is a key enabler to cost effective scalability of V2X.
“People are surprised to see ESA in a mobility context as they associate us with astronauts and rockets, but a large part of our work is with the non-space sector, supporting industry to create innovative services and products,” she said.” With V2X, there are three critical areas involving space data: you need to know where you are and that is satellite navigation data, you need secure communication and satellite communication provides backup and coverage in areas lacking terrestrial comms and you need situational awareness which can come from environmental data provided by space.”
Rapid urbanisation, climate change and new technology are transforming transport, from the vehicles we drive, the roads we use and the infrastructure which keeps traffic moving. New sectors, such as micromobility and autonomous vehicles are growing, leading to risks and opportunities, and solutions are needed to ensure roads are safe for all users.
It is against this backdrop that Ms Zaretskaya announced new ESA BASS Road Traffic and Safety funding call that is expected launch later this summer.
“We are about to launch our call for proposals for Road and Traffic Safety, and we have worked with key stakeholders, including cities and UK National Highways, to develop use cases. V2X came out as being very important so if you are piloting or developing something new with V2X, contact us and see if we can support you,” she said.
ESA BASS offers funding for projects across the road transportation sector, supporting the transition to cleaner, safer, smarter mobility and current focus areas include decarbonisation, automation and connectivity, mobility as a service and road traffic management.
Satellite Earth Observation images can be used for planning and maintaining road networks, updating maps, monitoring hazards and assessing the conditions of roads. Satellite Navigation systems provide accurate positioning and timings, essential for vehicles with autonomous capabilities while data from connected vehicles and mobile devices can help monitor traffic flow, reducing traffic jams and improving safety. In remote areas, Satellite Communication provides seamless connectivity, enabling vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) technologies to provide near real-time information about potential hazards.
Keep up-to-date with ESA BASS mobility activities, including the launch of the Road Traffic and Safety funding call, by signing up for the Mobility Bulletin.
