The ARTES 11 program is aimed at the development of a general purpose small geostationary satellite platform, and the Hispasat AG1 satellite will be the first mission to provide flight experience and an in-orbit demonstration of the advanced payload and the platform. HISPASAT is prime contractor for the mission, and subcontract the REDSAT advanced communication payload development to Thales Alenia Space España, the project lead. The REDSAT payload features two major innovations: a broadband multimedia system and an advanced antenna system.
The broadband multimedia DVB system is an end-to-end advanced communication system based on an Onboard Regenerative Processor (OBP) and providing DVB-RCS/DVB-S2 capabilities, including an IP router in the space. Thales Alenia Space España will define, develop and produce the whole system.
The advanced antenna system will allow the AG1 mission to meet its performance specifications for both the transparent and regenerative repeaters in the Ku-band. EADS CASA Espacio will develop and produce the Reflector and DRA Antennas.
The REDSAT Regenerative System is fully compliant with two European standards: DVB-RCS and the recently issued DVB-S2. The system and payload designs draw on the broad experience of Thales Alenia Space España. AmerHis is the first real time IP multimedia system that is compliant to these specifications and will be aboard the Amazonas satellites and commercialized by Hispasat. Also worthy of mentioning is that last May, the United States Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) took as their own the standards of the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) related to C2P, ending the Thales Alenia Space España years' long effort to promote these new Connection Control Protocols for DVB-RCS satellite based communication systems.