Eutelsat’s Quantum in use
August 17, 2022
By Chris Forrester
Launched in July 2021 to a location at 48 degrees East, the European Space Agency (ESA) says that Eutelsat’s Quantum satellite is not only busy, but filling up with 6 out of its 8 beams sold.
Quantum is a fully-reconfigurable software-defined satellite with extremely sophisticated benefits. It mainly serves the Middle East and North African regions. ESA, in a report, says the satellite offers “unprecedented mission reconfiguration capacity. Its beams can be reshaped and redirected to provide information to people on moving planes, trucks and cars in close to real time.”
Eutelsat’s Quantum is a collaboration under an ESA Partnership Project between Eutelsat and satellite manufacturer Airbus, with significant support from the UK Space Agency. Its cutting-edge technologies were developed and manufactured in the UK and in Spain, with additional contributions from companies based in Canada, Italy, Norway and the Netherlands, says ESA.
Elodie Via, Director of Telecommunications and Integrated Applications at ESA, said: “ESA’s Partnership Projects help to federate industry around large-scale programmes that have a demonstrable economic impact. This satellite commercialisation represents a major milestone for this successful ESA Partnership Project, creating jobs and prosperity across ESA’s Member States