European manufacturers Airbus Defence and Space and Thales Alenia Space have been awarded the phase B contract to develop their next generation satellite platform NeoSat.
The €18.2m (US$25m) funding from the European Space Agency covers initial design…
European manufacturers Airbus Defence and Space and Thales Alenia Space have been awarded the phase B contract to develop their next generation satellite platform NeoSat.
The €18.2m (US$25m) funding from the European Space Agency covers initial design work for the new telecoms spacecraft, which will be optimised for electric propulsion and aims to be in operation from 2019.
The spacecraft will be lighter and smaller than their current platforms at between three and six tonnes, and will come in all-electric as well as chemical propulsion models.
François Auque, head of space systems at Airbus DS, said: “Our aim is to provide telecommunications satellites that deliver even more in the way of performance and are 30% more competitive.
“The increased competitiveness of our next generation satellite, which will be designed predominantly at our design offices in Toulouse [France] and Stevenage [UK], will be made possible thanks to substantial technical innovation as well as innovative industrial organisation.”
Phase A kicked off in November 2012, and phases C and D are expected in 2015 with the development of the first two prototype flight platforms.
Neosat is part of Europe’s ARTES 14 programme that was launched in 2011 for next-generation telecoms satellite platforms. The programme has an approved budget of €260m (US$357m) and has received significant backing from the French and British space agencies.
