The French space agency, CNES, has chosen the Space Alliance made up of Telespazio (Leonardo 67%, Thales 33%) and Thales Alenia Space (Thales 67%, Leonardo 33%) to extend the fiber optic communication system (STFO ) of the European spaceport of Kourou CSG (Guiana Space Center), in French Guiana, to the new launch site of Ariane 6, under construction. The new system will be ready by the end of the 2019.
The STFO communication system is the interface between the test stations used by customers and the satellites during the various preparation stages for launching from the Kourou spaceport, including the refueling of spacecraft, the encapsulation of satellites in the carrier rocket and the launching operations.
In operation since the 90 years, the system will be expanded and updated to serve Ariane 6 users. The new system is specially designed to meet the needs of the market for high-speed transmission satellites (VHTS), as it extends radio frequency services to 40 GHz and allows simultaneous operation on two Ka-band satellites.
Telespazio France, the first contractor, and Thales Alenia Space Spain will contribute to this program with its expertise in engineering systems, communication networks, software, RF and fiber optics, as well as in the operations and maintenance of the current STFO system.
"At Kourou Telespazio France plays a leading role as a provider of telecommunications services since the first commercial launch of Ariane 1 and we are therefore proud to have been awarded the contract for the extension of the STFO system", said Jean-Marc Gardin, Deputy CEO of Telespazio and CEO of Telespazio France. "Telespazio, already responsible for activities mission critical at the Space Center of French Guiana, it therefore seizes the opportunity to play an important role in the construction phase of the new Ariane 6 launcher. I am sure that the Space Alliance's experience, both in the manufacturing sector and in the services sector, will ensure optimal performance at CNES and ESA ".
"We are proud to put our expertise at the disposal of the European Spaceport on behalf of the Space Alliance" - said Eduardo Bellido, CEO of Thales Alenia Space in Spain -. "This latest success testifies once again the complementarity between the technical skills and associated services of Thales Alenia Space and Telespazio".