European Space Agency... Catching The Alphabus (Satellite)
Alphasat, developed in partnership with European operator Inmarsat, is the first satellite to be launched using the new European high-power Alphabus telecommunications platform developed by Astrium and Thales Alenia space under an ESA-CNES cooperation program. Credits: ESA
Alphasat I-XL showing the four hosted payloads supplied by ESA. Credits: ESA
Alphabus was formally accepted for its first satellite,
Alphasat I-XL on June 16th, marking an important milestone in its journey to space. Meeting at the
Paris Air & Space Show,
Astrium and
Thales Alenia Space, the industrial consortium behind
Alphabus, together with
ESA and the French space agency,
CNES, announced that its technical requirements have all been met. The platform provides unrivalled payload capacity to operators for commercial satcom missions and services such as fast Internet to remote locations, HD and 3D digital TV broadcast, and communication to mobiles.
Alphabus service module and Alphasat repeater module stand side by side before the mating procedure which took place at Astrium facilities in Toulouse, France on 15 March. Credits: Astrium, photo D.Marques
In addition, the high-power platform offers opportunities for Europes’ satcom industry and ESA to work together to develop cutting-edge technologies for new services such as air traffic management or security communications. Taking benefit of available spare capacity on commercial satellites, hosted, or piggyback, payloads are an attractive proposition for operators, industry and public institutions like ESA to fly additional transponders, instruments or other applications. Partners share the satellite platform, an arrangement that saves on the money and time to market, and promotes improved SatCom technologies and services.
The first Alphabus satellite, Alphasat I-XL, developed in partnership with European operator
Inmarsat, uses the platform’s full potential. Alphasat I-XL, planned for launch early 2013, carries a new generation of advanced geomobile L-band communications services across Europe, Africa and the Middle East. It also hosts four technology demonstration payloads developed through ESA's telecommunications and national programs. Alphabus has been developed by Astrium and Thales Alenia space under ESA–CNES cooperation.
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