Abu Dhabi-based satellite operator Al Yah says that Airbus has wrapped the initial Preliminary Design Review (PDR) for the company’s upcoming Thuraya 4-NGS. Thuraya 4-NGS will have an L-band ecosystem with the upgrade of Thuraya’s space and ground and user (products and solutions) segments. Complemented by a 5G-ready core network, Yahsat’s newest satellite system will […]
The European Commission has selected a consortium of companies and research institutes to study the design of the future European quantum communication network, EuroQCI (quantum communication infrastructure). It will enable ultra-secure communication between critical infrastructures and government institutions across the European Union. The European consortium, led by Airbus, is composed of Leonardo, Orange, PwC France […]
The European Union wants its own Low Earth orbiting mega-constellation of satellites for its citizens, and separate from the offerings from Elon Musk, OneWeb or Canada’s Lightspeed. The EU invited a consortium of industry suppliers to come up with a fast-track LEO scheme and Dominic Hayes, spectrum manager for the EU’s space programme at the […]
Abu Dhabi’s Al Yah Satellite Communications (better known as Yahsat) is building a sixth satellite. The company also owns the Thuraya telecoms satellite system and, with Thuraya, have five satellites in total already operating. According to reports Yahsat is well advanced with its 6th satellite (Thuraya-4) under construction with Airbus. Thuraya-4 is designed to have […]
SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation, the main satellite operator in Japan, has selected Airbus to build Superbird-9, a fully digital in-orbit reconfigurable telecommunications satellite. It is due for launch in 2024. The satellite will be based on Airbus’ standardised OneSat product line. Airbus will provide a turnkey solution, including design and manufacture of the Superbird-9 spacecraft, […]
Airbus has won the prime contractor order from Eutelsat for its E-36D satellite replacement for Eutelsat 36B which is likely to reach the end of its working life during 2026, some 17 years after its launch in November 2009 (and was previously known as Eutelsat W7 and with a 15-year design life). 36D is planned […]
Thales Alenia Space has won a $930 million-value contract (€772m) from the European Commission (EC) and issued via the European Space Agency to build six ‘next generation’ Galileo satellites. However, the contract is reportedly funded at 9.6 per cent higher than the main rival bid from Airbus, which is also seeking a contract to build […]
While much of the Airbus Group results released this week are focused on its aircraft business, Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury told analysts that the past year represented the most challenging crisis to hit the aerospace industry. However, the satellite and rocket business figured in its end-of-year numbers (to December 31st 2020). The pressures from across […]
The European Court has suspended a massive $1.8 billion (€1.47bn) manufacturing contract with Airbus and Thales Alenia for production of Galileo sat-nav satellites. The Court is looking at allegations of trade secret thefts. An objection to the Court from Germany-based satellite builder OHB-System which had pitched with the UK’s Surrey Satellite Technology (SSTL) on construction […]
Airbus has confirmed that it has received an order from Intelsat for two satellites. Intelsat had requested permission from its Bankruptcy Court to go ahead with the contract. Intelsat has ordered the paid of Airbus ‘OneSat’ craft which are highly flexible satellites with next-generation software giving Intelsat a variety of technical options including frequency adaptability. […]