Astri Polska will provide devices for satellites ordered by leading European telecommunications operators. Solutions designed and manufactured by Polish engineers will be used for the integration of satellites manufactured by Airbus Defence and Space as the main contractor.
Devices supplied by Astri Polska will be used to test the electronic systems of the satellites before they are put into orbit. A total of four satellites ordered by two leading European telecommunications operators will be tested. One is Eutelsat, the French company operating the Hotbird satellites, which are used for TV and radio transmissions. The other is Hisdesat, the Spanish operator of the SpainSAT satellites, which are used for secure communications by the Spanish Ministry of Defence and by countries participating in the European Governmental Satellite Communications Programme, or GOVSATCOM. The companies have placed orders with Airbus Defence and Space for two satellites each. The satellites will be based on the new Eurostar Neo platform. They are to replace the earlier-generation satellites, whose lifecycles are nearing the end.
“Thanks to the great work of our team, we are becoming part of the supply chain in the European market of commercial satellites. This is not an easy market to operate in but it offers the prospect of a significant increase in our sales. We will supply electronics and software for the integration of satellites ordered by large telecommunications operators,” saidJacek Mandas, President of Astri Polska. “In total, we will deliver two devices – one for each satellite. It is worth noting that, over the last two years, we have supplied 4 similar products for the Eurostar Neo platform, on which the new generation of the HotBird and SpainSat satellites will be based,” he added.
Eurostar Neo is a new-generation platform for telecommunications satellites. The platform has been developed by Airbus Defence and Space as part of the NEOSAT programme, jointly sponsored by the European Space Agency and the French National Centre for Space Studies (CNES). In comparison with the existing structures, the new platform offers considerably lower maintenance costs and greater possibilities in terms of payload. In addition, satellites based on the Eurostar Neo platform will use full electric propulsion, enabling orbital correction.
Astri Polska is a leading Polish company with respect to involvement in European space programmes. It has been providing solutions for a number of ESA’s flagship programmes, e.g. JUICE, METOP-SG, and SENTINEL-5. The company also specializes in developing dedicated solutions in the field of satellite Earth observation, satellite navigation (GNSS), and crisis management.
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