The GMP-T Central Thrust Tube Engineering Model at SSTL's Composite Facility.

Photo courtesy of SSTL.

[Satnews] Last month, SSTL commenced manufacture of its first small geostationary platform, the GMP-T.

The carbon shells for the central thrust tube and the metallic interface rings are already in production at SSTL's Composites Facility in Bordon, Hampshire, UK, with other key components and modules also following on in the manufacturing pipeline. The platform is destined for the Eutelsat Quantum spacecraft.

The GMP-T platform was contracted last year by Airbus Defence and Space, prime contractor for the Eutelsat Quantum mission. Under the contract, Airbus Defence and Space is mission prime and provider of its innovative flexible payload, which delivers complete electronic synthesis of 'receive' and 'transmit' coverages in the Ku-band, with the ability to serve any region of the world.