Thales Alenia Space

Thales Alenia Space leading another ESA push to develop quantum comms
Thales Alenia Space has signed a contract to develop quantum technologies in another push by the European Space Agency to use the behavior of subatomic particles to make communications more secure.

Eutelsat 5 West A successfully retired in graveyard orbit
Eutelsat said Jan. 19 it retired a satellite last week that had helped Europe transition from analog to digital television two decades ago.

Thales Alenia Space studying reusable spacecraft for in-orbit manufacturing
Uncrewed rather than crewed spacecraft will be key to realizing an emerging in-orbit manufacturing industry, according to a European venture that has tasked Thales Alenia Space to develop a vehicle called REV1 for missions starting in late 2025.

Eutelsat orders GEO broadband satellite with LEO in mind
Eutelsat said Dec. 1 it has ordered a geostationary broadband satellite to support multi-orbit services in the Americas from 2026.

SpaceX launches Eutelsat 10B on expendable Falcon 9
SpaceX overcame a bleak weather forecast to launch a satellite Nov. 22 that expands Eutelsat further into fast-growing markets for providing broadband to planes and ships.

Azure Orbital Space unveils software tools for space applications
Microsoft announced the private preview Nov. 17 of a new product, the Azure Orbital Software Development Kit, the latest move by the software giant to play an important role role in the rapidly evolving space sector.

KT SAT orders Koreasat 6A communications satellite from Thales
Thales Alenia Space said Sept. 17 it has signed a contract to deliver a communications satellite for South Korea’s KT SAT in the fourth quarter of 2024.

U.S.-French Earth science satellite ready to ship for December launch
A joint U.S.-French Earth science mission is ready to be delivered to California for a launch now scheduled for early December, a slight delay caused in part because of transportation issues.

Aging Telesat satellite running out of fuel as projected LEO costs soar
Canada’s Telesat is bracing for a revenue hit in 2023 after being forced to retire its Anik F2 satellite from full service three years earlier than planned.

ESA funds Skimsat demonstrator study for VLEO
The European Space Agency has awarded funds to develop a demonstrator for Skimsat, a small satellite platform designed to operate in very low Earth orbit (VLEO).