In the frame of the 2021 International Women in Engineering Day, we have asked 3 questions to our colleague, Alexandra Chosson, Ground control & Operations Manager, working on EUTELSAT KONNECT VHTS and EUTELSAT 10B satellites.

Could you please explain your job?

I have been working on EUTELSAT KONNECT VHTS telecommunications program for more than a year.

My role consists in managing the ground control operations and, together with my team, 100% women, to handle the Launch and Early Operations activities (LEOP) as well as the in-orbit support activities during the satellite’s operational lifetime, that is superior to 15 years! As part of my job, my team and I have to understand how the satellite behaves, to interact on a regular-basis with the Eutelsat team and prepare together all the potential scenarios to be considered during the entire mission. Our tasks take into account ground testing, operator training, operations and satellite in-flight testing.

Can you say a few words about the satellite?

This geostationary satellite will deliver very high-speed Internet access anywhere in Europe, especially in isolated areas called “white zones”, with service comparable to a fiber-optic network in terms of both performance and economics. The EUTELSAT KONNECT VHTS system will offer some 500 Gbps of instantaneous throughput across Europe. It will really contribute to bridging the digital divide on this continent. It is built on Thales Alenia Space’s all-electric Spacebus NEO platform and will feature a state-of-the-art payload, using innovative technologies developed with the sustained support of the French government, including space agency CNES and France’s Investment in the Future program, plus the European Space Agency (ESA).

What do you like most about your job ?

It is a very complete and rewarding job, combining technical and relational skills and also providing lots of adrenaline when you have to deliver the satellite into orbit; all this bearing in mind the achievement of the mission and the satisfaction of our customer.

Illustrations: © Thales Alenia Space/Briot