Eutelsat and the European Space Agency are to form a public private partnership for a new software-defined Ku-band satellite that is designed to offer customers the ability to actively configure the performance and flexibility they need from a…
Eutelsat and the European Space Agency are to form a public private partnership for a new software-defined Ku-band satellite that is designed to offer customers the ability to actively configure the performance and flexibility they need from a satellite.
Called Eutelsat Quantum, the new class of satellites will be built by Airbus Defence and Space and its small satellite specialist Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd.
The spacecraft will be SSTL’s first geostationary satellite platform and is based on the company’s SSTL GMP-T product. The satellite will weigh around 3.5 tonnes, have a payload power of up to 7kW and a payload mass of up to 450kg. Airbus DS is the prime contractor and its Portsmouth, UK facility will be responsible for constructing the payload.
Eutelsat Quantum is due to be launched in 2018 and is designed to be accommodated on all the major launch vehicles including the lower position of the Ariane 5 as well as the Falcon 9, Zenit and Proton rockets.
The PPP, which is part of the agency’s Artes 33 programme, was approved by ESA’s council of ministers on 2 December and is expected to be established in early 2015. The first Quantum satellite will then be ordered by Eutelsat by mid-2015.
The spacecraft will be jointly funded by Eutelsat and ESA with both investing approximately €80m. For the latter, the UK has committed the majority of the funding, around €60m. Italy and Canada agreed to pay €2.5m and €1.2m respectively, while the remaining €16.3m will be decided at a later date.
The satellite will be the first in the commercial satellite industry to enable the complete electronic synthesis of ‘receive’ and ‘transmit’ coverages in the Ku-band, including on-board jamming detection and mitigation.
Eutelsat said that this will give its customers access to premium capacity through footprint shaping and steering, power (Mbps) and frequency band pairing, and the ability to define their own performance and flexibility requirements.
This is particularly useful for those businesses and institutions operating in the government, mobility and data markets. This includes some markets such as maritime and in-flight connectivity that were traditionally the focus of MSS operators.
Michel de Rosen, chairman and CEO of Eutelsat, said: “We are delighted to initiate this ground-breaking programme with the support of ESA, as well as our longstanding partner, Airbus Defence and Space. Developing solutions that give our customers control over the performance and adaptability they need from our satellites is a key ambition for Eutelsat.”
Eutelsat will order just one satellite initially, although it sees the design as a future blueprint for future satellite that are required to meet this kind of demand.
