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European Space Agency and Thales Alenia Space sign production agreement for Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle (IXV)

22 June 2011

Le Bourget, June 22, 2011 -- The European Space Agency (ESA) and Thales Alenia Space have signed yesterday an agreement for the production of the atmospheric reentry demonstrator IXV (Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle) and its Ground Segment, paving the way for the signature of the contract by end June.

The IXV project aims to develop an autonomous European atmospheric reentry system, offering excellent aerodynamic performance due to its lifting body shape, along with a high-performance control system based on propulsion vectoring and aerodynamic surfaces, and advanced thermal protection systems for atmospheric reentry.

The IXV project passed its system Critical Design Review (CDR) in May and this agreement prepares the start of the final development and integration phase.

Thales Alenia Space is responsible for the design, development and integration of the IXV vehicle, leading a consortium from European industry, research centers and universities. The IXV vehicle will be delivered to ESA in 2013, for a launch by the Vega rocket.

“ESA’s advanced IXV project, strongly supported by the Italian Space Agency ASI, will allow Europe to develop expertise in reentry technologies,” said Luigi Maria Quaglino, Thales Alenia Space Senior Vice President for Space Infrastructures and Transportation. “We see IXV as the precursor to a series of vehicles that will be used for solar system exploration and space transportation applications. Along with our partners, Thales Alenia Space is greatly looking forward to this highly challenging and motivating project.”

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, which achieved revenues of Euro 2 billion in 2010, has a total of 7,200 employees located in 10 industrial sites in France, Italy, Spain, Germany and Belgium.
www.thalesaleniaspace.com

Thales Alenia Space Press Contacts
Sandrine Bielecki - Tel: +33 (0)4 92 92 70 94
sandrine.bielecki@thalesaleniaspace.com

Tiziana Ebano - Tel: +39 06 41512574
tiziana.ebano@thalesaleniaspace.com