Space

Thales Alenia Space signed a contract to provide HISPASAT AG1 satellite with REDSAT Advanced Communication Payload

18 June 2009

Le Bourget, June 18, 2009 - Thales Alenia Space announced today that HISPASAT has signed a contract with Thales Alenia Space España, its Spanish branch, for the development and supply of the REDSAT Advanced Communication Payload for the AG1, a GEO mission within the scope of the European Space Agency’s ARTES 11 program.

The ARTES 11 program is aimed at the development of a general purpose small geostationary satellite platform and the Hispasat AG1 satellite will be the first mission to provide flight experience and an in-orbit demonstration of both the advanced payload and the platform.

HISPASAT is prime contractor for the mission, and subcontract the REDSAT advanced communication payload development to Thales Alenia Space España, - which will lead this project. The REDSAT payload features two major innovations: a broadband multimedia system and an advanced antenna system.

* The broadband multimedia DVB system is an end-to-end advanced communication system based on an Onboard Regenerative Processor (OBP) and providing DVB-RCS/DVB-S2 capabilities including an IP router in the space. Thales Alenia Space España will define, develop and produce the whole system.

* The advanced antenna system will allow the AG1 mission to meet its performance specifications for both the transparent and regenerative repeaters in the Ku frequency band. EADS CASA Espacio will develop and produce the Reflector and DRA Antennas.

The REDSAT Regenerative System is fully compliant with two European standards:
DVB-RCS and the recently issued DVB-S2. The system and payload designs draw on the broad experience of Thales Alenia Space España. AmerHis is the first real time IP multimedia system that is compliant to these specifications, it is embarked on board the Amazonas satellites and commercialized by Hispasat.

Worthy of mentioning is that last May, the United States Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) took as own the standards of the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) related to C2P, ending the Thales Alenia Space España years long effort to promote these new Connection Control Protocols for DVB-RCS Satellite based communication systems.

Angel Post, CEO of Thales Alenia Space España, said: “We are very proud to sign this new contract with Hispasat, which further strengthens the company’s leadership in advanced communication payloads”. He also emphasized that this new contract reflects the years of innovation in the On Board Processors field, which enhance the technological and maturity position of the Spanish branch as traditional ESA partner for the development of Advanced Telecom Repeaters & Systems.

Thales Alenia Space España has supplied 2 Advanced Broadband Communications Systems: Ameris 1 and 2, both embarked on board of Amazonas 1 and 2 satellites, the first is commercial operation.

About Thales Alenia Space
European leader in satellite systems and a major player in orbital infrastructures, Thales Alenia Space is a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Finmeccanica (33%). Thales Alenia Space and Telespazio embody the two groups’ “Space Alliance”. Thales Alenia Space sets the global standard in solutions for space telecoms, radar and optical Earth observation, defense and security, navigation and science. The company has a total of 7,200 employees and 11 industrial sites, with design and manufacturing facilities in France, Italy, Spain and Belgium. www.thalesaleniaspace.com

About Thales Alenia Space España
Thales Alenia Space España, the Spanish subsidiary of Thales Alenia Space, is a world leader in S-band TT&C subsystems, a recognized supplier of microwave RF equipment and a pioneer in onboard processing components and subsystems. It has already contributed to more than 130 communication, optical and radar Earth observation, science and navigation satellite programs, as well as space infrastructures.

About Hispasat
With more than 1.100 TV and radio channels HISPASAT is the seventh company of the world for income, is the leading operator in communications in Spanish and Portuguese markets and the principal bridge of communications for satellite between Europe and America. In the next years, Hispasat has foreseen the launch of three new satellites that will duplicate his spatial capacity in orbit and will consolidate his presence in America.