ESA Neosat boosting Europe's telecommunications by satellite

ESA is forging ahead with the Neosat next-generation satcom platform, planning the first flights within five years. 

The goal is for European satellite builders to capture at least half of the world's satcom market in 2018-30 through innovation and efficiency, generating 25 billion pounds in sales.

The contract for Phase-B of Neosat was signed today by Magali Vaissiere, ESA's Director of Telecommunications and Integrated Applications, and Eric Beranger and Bertrand Maureau for prime contractors Airbus Defence and Space, and Thales Alenia Space, respectively.

Magali Vaissiere commented: "Neosat will foster the competitiveness of European satellite industry and strengthen Europe's position in the core satcom market for the next decade.

"This is a unique opportunity for Europe's suppliers, as 80% of European satellite platform equipment is procured from within ESA Member States. This will be worth 7 billion pounds to those suppliers."

Magali Vaissiere, ESA’s Director of Telecoms,
Eric Béranger (EADS) and Bertrand Maureau (Thales)

The contract signed today covers selection of the equipment suppliers for the Neosat product lines.

The two co-primes will run competitions between equipment suppliers for platform building blocks, based on an agreed single set of requirements.

The winners of these competitions will become part of the industrial consortium for developing the two platform lines, one led by aerospace super-corporation EADS (European Airbus Defense and Space), and the other by Thales Alenia Space.

The upcoming phase will include concurrent engineering activities to define the technical baseline of the new platforms and involve subcontractors in the UK, Sweden, Switzerland and Luxembourg.

Technologies to be investigated for the future platforms include orbit raising by electric propulsion, new thermal control concepts and next-generation battery cells.

The Neosat prime contractors have activities in France and in the UK, both countries being major contributors to Neosat.

The contract for Phase-B is expected to last around 13 months. The subsequent Phase-C/D will start in 2015 for the development and manufacture of the first two prototype flight platforms, launch in 2018-19 and in-orbit demonstration under a public-private partnership to be established with satellite operators.

Neosat is part of ESA's Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems programme (ARTES), and aims at developing, qualifying and validating in orbit next-generation satellite platforms for the core satcom market.

A crucial objective for Neosat is to reduce the cost of a satellite in orbit by 30% compared with today's designs by the end of the decade.

Existing and new technologies will be used in innovative ways and to achieve economies of scale by creating a common supply chain for both satellite prime contractors.

Engineering antennas into solar panels

Researchers at EPFL have managed to combine antennas and solar cells to work together with unprecedented efficiency in a near future. 

This is a first step towards more compact and more lightweight satellites.

The technology could also be deployed in the autonomous antenna systems used in the aftermath of natural disasters.

Traditionally, telecommunication antennas and solar cells have never really worked well together, as they have to function independently of each other in order to avoid interference.

This has an impact on the weight and size of satellites - the surface area has to be large enough for both antenna systems, which emit and receive data, and solar panels, which supply the electricity.

For his master project, Philippe Dreyer, who is part of Julien Perruisseau-Carrier Group, has been working on ways to combine solar cells and antennas.

Julien Perruisseau-Carrier

In collaboration with the Transparent Conductive Oxides group (TCOs) which is part of the Photovoltaics and Thin Film Electronics Laboratory (PV-Lab), he has developed a mixed surface that allows both the antenna and the photovoltaic cell to perform extremely efficiently.

This could substantially reduce the volume, weight and cost of satellites but not only that. Mobile and autonomous communications systems are often necessary to keep in contact with people in the wake of a natural disaster.

This new technology would make these systems lighter and therefore easier to carry around. "Our device could also support flexible implementation.

It could be folded up so that it isn't deployed until the relief area has been reached," states Julien Perruisseau-Carrier, who supervised the project.

More information: "Copper and Transparent-Conductor Reflectarray Elements on Thin-Film Solar Cell Panels." Philippe Dreyer, Monica Morales-Masis, Sylvain Nicolay, Christophe Ballif, Julien Perruisseau-Carrier. arXiv:1311.4737 [physics.optics] arxiv.org/abs/1311.4737

ESA Telecomms: SmallGEO Extension

ESA and OHB System AG have signed an extension to the contract for development of the SmallGEO geostationary satellite platform.

Estimated at a value of EUR 14 million, the added features in this extension contract will optimise the SmallGEO platform for a number of different commercial satellite services beyond the Hispasat AG1 mission.

By expanding SmallGEO’s capabilities, the costs of the entire platform as well as production and process costs will be reduced.

“This extension will allow SmallGEO to offer higher flexibility as well as better performances,” said Antonio Garutti, ESA’s programme manager. “It contributes to the enhancement of European industry potential and growth in the satellite telecommunication market."”

Read more at ESA Portal

Russia Roscomos Grounds Proton-M rocket after Launch Failure

Russia has grounded its workhorse Proton-M rocket as it investigates a launch mishap last week that placed a $300 million telecommunications satellite into a bad orbit, AFP reported Aug. 23. 

“The preparation of Proton-M carrier and Briz-M upper stage rocket launches is temporarily suspended until the reasons for the Express-AM4 satellite’s aborted ascent are learned,” the Russian space agency, Roscosmos, said in a statement.

Roscosmos said it had not given up entirely on Express-AM4 and was still trying to establish whether the satellite, launched Aug. 18, could be maneuvered into the correct orbit.

ESA Videos: Highlights of Telecommunications Satellite News

Featuring the ESA Director of telecommunication Systems: Magali Vaissiere

Intelsat New Dawn Launch Successful: Expands Africa’s Communications Infrastructure

Intelsat S.A., the world’s leading provider of fixed satellite services, announced today that Arianespace successfully launched the Intelsat New Dawn satellite.

The Ariane 5 vehicle lifted off from Kourou, French Guiana, at 5:37 p.m. (EDT), followed by spacecraft separation from the launch vehicle at 6:12 p.m. and signal acquisition at 6:29 p.m.

The Intelsat New Dawn satellite is owned by a joint venture between a consortium led by Convergence Partners and Intelsat.

The satellite’s 28 C-band and 24 Ku-band 36 MHz transponder units are designed specifically to supply critical communications infrastructure for African customers, who have experienced exceptional growth along with the development of the region.

Operating from a geostationary orbital slot at 32.8° East, Intelsat New Dawn will be ideally positioned to serve Africa through a payload optimized to deliver new capacity for voice, wireless backhaul, fixed line and wireless infrastructure, broadband and media– the fastest growing satellite-based applications in Africa.

“Intelsat and the African continent share a 40-year history in the development of Africa’s telecommunications infrastructure,” said Dave McGlade, Intelsat CEO.

“Intelsat New Dawn will be integrated with the resilient Intelsat fleet, allowing us to expand and enhance the vital communications services that are provided by our customers to business consumers throughout Africa.”

Andile Ngcaba, Chairman of Convergence Partners, said, “The satellite will not only deliver crucial services specifically tailored for Africa, it will also herald the dawn of a new era where Africans enjoy far greater involvement in the space communications industry.”

ESA Portal - Ariane 5’s third launch of 2010 - images

On 4 August 2010, an Ariane 5 launcher lifted off from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana on its mission to place two telecommunications satellites, Nilesat-201 and Rascom-QAF1R, into geostationary transfer orbits.

Liftoff of flight V196, the 52nd Ariane 5 mission, took place at 22:59 CEST (20:59 GMT; 17:59 French Guiana).

The target injection orbit had a perigee altitude of 250 km, an apogee altitude at injection of 35 919 km and an inclination of 2º.

The satellites were accurately injected into their transfer orbits about 28 minutes and 32 minutes after liftoff, respectively.

Since the Shuttle retirement, Ariane 5 is now the only launcher that can reliably uplift and inject two satellites into orbit around the Earth. Thus, giving Europe and ESA and big competitive advantage in space transportation and uplift.