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PDR Completed By Thales Alenia Space For Space INSPIRE

Thales Alenia Space, a Joint Venture between Thales (67 %) and Leonardo (33 %), has announced that a major milestone for Space INSPIRE (INstant SPace In-orbit REconfiguration) development has been achieved by the accomplishment of the Preliminary Design Review (PDR).

The Americas at night viewed from space with city lights showing human activity in United States (USA), Canada and Mexico, New York, California. The elements of this image furnished by NASA.

Thales Alenia Space is developing this product line with the aim to allow seamless telecommunication mission and services reconfiguration, instant on-orbit adjustment to the demand, outstanding flexibility for video broadcasting and broadband connectivity services while maximizing the efficiency & effective use of the satellite resources.

This product line is supported by France’s space agency (CNES) with which a contract for satellite system engineering and development for phase CD activities has just entered into force in the frame of Space Inspire PIA (Plan d’Investissement d’Avenir) and by the European Space Agency through a dedicated Partnerships Project contract which has also entered into force and which will develop several building blocks outside France within an extensive European supply chain.

Space Inspire product line will embark on the following major innovations…

  • A new design and architecture to fully fit new satellites communication environment, in particular regarding flexible payload and multi launches capability
  • A new industrial approach enabling series production designed to lower cost satellites and reduced procurement schedule
  • Major breakthroughs with disruptive technologies to allow European industries to take the lead on major innovations

Following this Preliminary Design Review, Space Inspire product line is now entering into final design and qualification phases involving an industrial consortium all across Europe.

Executive Comments

“We are delighted to put on track our Space Inspire product line thanks to the fruitful partnership and strong involvement of all the industries and agencies teams. Mixing extremely high capacity, unique agility, on-orbit reconfiguration, flexible coverage, this solution is perfectly adapted to operators’ expectations in the evolving telecommunication market,” said Marc-Henri Serre, EVP Telecommunications at Thales Alenia Space.