Back to news

May 6, 2019 | International, Aerospace, C4ISR

Thales Alenia Space and Maxar Consortium Achieve Significant Milestone for Telesat’s LEO Satellite Constellation

CANNES, France & WESTMINSTER, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Thales Alenia Space, a Joint Venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%) and Maxar Technologies (NYSE: MAXR) (TSX: MAXR), have completed an important milestone for the Telesat LEO constellation.

Our solution leverages both Maxar and Thales Alenia Space's experience in building LEO constellations and also integrates advanced technologies from Maxar's MDA business.

The consortium has now significantly advanced their detailed, low-risk designs for the complete LEO system, including system optimization, requirements development, engineering trade-offs and technology prototyping to establish mature and compelling designs for Telesat LEO's space, ground and user terminal segments.

As previously announced, Telesat selected the consortium of Thales Alenia Space and Maxar, as one of two contractors for its LEO system design phase to design an end-to-end communications system, including satellites, landing stations, user terminals, operations centers, and ground network. In January, the consortium, led by Thales Alenia Space, announced the success of the System Requirements Review.

The Thales Alenia Space / Maxar design for Telesat LEO is based on the combined companies' proven experience, industrial capability and a strong supplier base for fully integrated communications satellite systems, including payload antenna design, on-board processing, optical inter-satellite links and LEO satellite production. This milestone is the result of fruitful and efficient teamwork between the two commercial companies.

“Together with Maxar, we bring a strong expertise in integrated systems, high throughput payloads, advanced antennas and processors, as well as production heritage for constellations of high technology satellites. Leveraging the flight proven success of sophisticated constellations deployed by Thales Alenia Space, we are confident to enable Telesat LEO to deliver low-risk, breakthrough performance and affordability dedicated to broadband services around the world,” declared Martin Van Schaik, Senior VP Sales and Marketing Thales Alenia Space.

“Achieving this milestone demonstrates the success of Maxar's close collaboration with Thales Alenia Space and highlights the progress we've made in our innovative and low-risk design for Telesat's LEO constellation. Our solution leverages both Maxar and Thales Alenia Space's experience in building LEO constellations and also integrates advanced technologies from Maxar's MDA business,” said Megan Fitzgerald, Maxar's Senior Vice President and General Manager of Space Solutions. “For over 60 years, Maxar has helped to address many of the world's most challenging communications requirements, delivering some of the most complex, powerful and highest capacity satellite systems, and building a better, more connected world.”

The operations of DigitalGlobe, SSL and Radiant Solutions were unified under the Maxar brand in February; MDA continues to operate as an independent business unit within the Maxar organization.

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190506005173/en

On the same subject

  • Leonardo DRS Awarded Contracts Valued at Over $3 Billion for U.S. Navy’s Columbia-Class Submarine Program

    January 11, 2024 | International, Naval

    Leonardo DRS Awarded Contracts Valued at Over $3 Billion for U.S. Navy’s Columbia-Class Submarine Program

    This contract solidifies DRS’s position through shipset 12 for the Columbia-class program.

  • FRENCH ARMED FORCES BOOST THEIR SECURE, HIGH-THROUGHPUT SATCOM CAPABILITIES WITH THALES TECHNOLOGIES

    June 19, 2019 | International, C4ISR

    FRENCH ARMED FORCES BOOST THEIR SECURE, HIGH-THROUGHPUT SATCOM CAPABILITIES WITH THALES TECHNOLOGIES

    The French defence procurement agency (DGA) has awarded Thales a major contract to design and build the ground segment for the next-generation Syracuse 4 satellite communication system for the French armed forces. From 2023, the armed forces will benefit from interoperable communication capabilities with improved throughput, availability, threat protection and end-to-end connectivity. This contract will enable French armed forces to meet their initial strategic capability objectives for the Scorpion vehicle programme, the Charles De Gaulle aircraft carrier and the Rafale combat aircraft. An instrument of national power, space is strategically important for the defence authorities: military satellite capabilities enable forces to operate independently, with greater precision and with the highest levels of security. With the development of expeditionary missions and a growing operational need for advanced in-theatre communications, commanders and deployed forces on the move must be able to access and share information quickly. For urgent interventions and broader operations, forces need end-to-end, high-throughput mobile communication systems that are protected and secure with 24/7 operation and a high level of availability. Syracuse 4 will benefit from Thales's expertise in satellite communication systems, which the company has built up as a technology orchestrator and integrator in France and internationally. It will rely on the System21 highly secure transmission system to guarantee the availability and confidentiality of all communications and protection against jamming, interference, interception, detection and cyberattacks. As Thales Alenia Space will participate in the design of the ground segment, it will be responsible for the management of the mission and will enable the consistency of this kind of management in the frame of the onboard and ground contract for Syracuse 4 program. As prime contractor for the Syracuse 3 ground segment since 2004, Thales has deployed over 1,000 satcom stations worldwide and is a NATO approved supplier with its System21 protected and secure transmission system. https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/group/press-release/french-armed-forces-boost-their-secure-high-throughput-satcom-capabilities

  • L'achat de 24 Eurofighter par le Qatar devient effectif

    September 19, 2018 | International, Aerospace

    L'achat de 24 Eurofighter par le Qatar devient effectif

    Le contrat signé par le Qatar pour l'achat de 24 avions de chasse Typhoon Eurofighter est devenu effectif mardi, a annoncé l'industriel BAE qui a reçu la première tranche de paiement d'un contrat de 5 milliards de livres. "Ce contrat d'environ 5 milliards de livres (5,6 milliards d'euros, ndlr) est devenu effectif lorsque nous avons reçu le premier paiement ce jour", a expliqué dans un communiqué le groupe de défense britannique, membre du consortium européen Eurofighter aux côtés d'Airbus et de l'italien Finmeccanica. L'accord prévoit non seulement la livraison de 24 Eurofighter mais aussi de 9 avions d'entraînement avancés Hawk, ainsi que les services associés. Les appareils doivent commencer à être livrés à partir de 2022, a précisé l'avionneur. Un accord de principe en ce sens avait été conclu en septembre 2017 puis confirmé lors de la signature du contrat au mois de décembre suivant. Depuis le début de la crise avec ses adversaires arabes qui tentent de l'isoler depuis plus d'un an, le Qatar a pris de nombreuses mesures sur le plan international ou en interne, qui comprennent la signature de nombreux contrats d'équipement militaire. En juin 2017, Doha a signé un accord avec les Etats-Unis portant sur 12 milliards de dollars (10 milliards d'euros) pour l'achat d'avions de combat F-15. Deux mois plus tard, il a confirmé une commande de navires de guerre à l'Italie pour un montant de cinq milliards d'euros. En décembre, outre le contrat avec les Britanniques, le Qatar a signé des contrats de plus de dix milliards d'euros pour l'achat notamment d'au moins 12 avions de combat Rafale et 50 Airbus A321. Le consortium Eurofighter a conclu en mars dernier un protocole d'accord distinct avec l'Arabie Saoudite pour la livraison de 48 avions de chasse. Ryad a déjà reçu 72 appareils de ce type commandés il y a dix ans. Cet accord et celui avec le Qatar ont constitué une bouffée d'air frais pour le programme Eurofighter, qui avait dû ralentir dernièrement son rythme de production faute de commandes - poussant BAE Systems à annoncer en octobre 2017 la suppression de 1.400 emplois dans sa branche aéronautique. Le programme Eurofighter emploie plus de 100.000 personnes sur l'ensemble de la chaîne de fabrication, essentiellement en Europe, dont 40.000 au Royaume-Uni, où BAE Systems fait travaillere pour le moment 5.000 personnes directement pour fabriquer cet avion. https://www.journal-aviation.com/actualites/41110-l-achat-de-24-eurofighter-par-le-qatar-devient-effectif

All news