For planet earth and beyond
ESA has awarded a contract to Inmarsat, the world’s leading provider of global, mobile satellite communications (satcom), as the prime contractor for the new “Pacis-6” Govsatcom Precursor project under ESA’s ARTES programme.
On 21 November 2017, ESA and an SES-led European consortium agreed to join forces to set up a new platform that will make secure and affordable satcoms available to public users, as part of a Europe-wide push to help governments get the most out of existing systems and services.
On 21 June 2017, at the airshow in Le Bourget, France, ESA unveiled two new satcom initiatives, Govsatcom Precursor and Satellites for 5G.
Three of Europe’s latest line of all-electric Spacebus Neo satellites are in production, proving new materials and industry cooperation.
Within ARTES C&G Product phase, Reliance Precision Ltd have developed the EuroSMG Stepper Motor Gearbox, designed to meet the mechanism requirements for a high-power telecoms satellite application as specified by Airbus Defence & Space Limited.
Tesat-Spacecom has extensive experience in the design, manufacturing and testing of passive Microwave Products for satellite payloads. Their product portfolio includes components such as switches, filters, circulators, couplers, OMUXs / IMUXs and subsystems, the majority of which are in a frequency range from 7 GHz up to 30 GHz.
During the latest G7 Summit in Taormina, Italy, in May 2017, the surrounding area was monitored using an aircraft of the Italian Ministry of Defense equipped with the Space Engineering Janus Aero antenna system. This is part of the Satcom system used by Leonardo Airborne and Space Systems Division (ASSD). The aircraft provided video footage monitoring of the Summit area.
Advanced Satellite-AIS payloads launched aboard Norwegian satellites last year has boosted the number of ships tracked by up to 70% and ship positions received by factor of three.
Norway-based test campaign for VDESC will be discussed at a related workshop on 16th of January, hosted at ESA’s technical centre in the Netherlands.
December 2017
Magali Vaissiere reflects on the volume, variety and quality of activities the ARTES programme has been able to support over the past twelve months.