Thales Alenia Space @ the 2016 Toulouse Space Show
Through its Space Alliance with Telespazio, Thales Alenia Space is a Gold Sponsor this year. The company is spotlighting its many achievements in space exploration (ExoMars), Innovation (StratobusTM) and reducing the digital divide.
Very-high-speed satellite internet
Did you know that more than 4 billion people are not connected to the internet today, or have only sporadic connections? In the 42 least-connected countries [representing 2.5 billion people], it is still very difficult to access the internet via conventional land-based networks. Furthermore, access to broadband internet in many Western countries, including France, is also very limited in certain areas.
A very economically attractive alternative to reduce the digital divide worldwide is offered by very-high-throughput satellites – and that happens to be one of Thales Alenia Space’s areas of expertise. The advantage of satellite-based solutions is that they are able to offer internet access across an entire territory, independently of the quality of terrestrial infrastructure, at very similar network connection costs. The new generation of satellites also offers unprecedented operational flexibility, because they are faster, more agile and more cost-effective than previous models. This means they can offer solutions addressing a wide range of user needs, including data transmissions for both individuals and businesses.
A fair wind for Stratobus!
Innovation is in the spotlight at the Toulouse Space Show, as exemplified by StratobusTM. A perfect complement to satellite systems, Stratobus™ is an autonomous multi-mission stratospheric airship. It stretches 100 meters long, 33 meters in diameter at its widest and weighs less than 5 metric tons. Stratobus™ is designed to operate at an altitude of 20 kilometers, above air traffic and the jet stream. It can carry a payload up to 250 kg, and provides 5 kW of power. You don’t need a rocket launcher to place StratobusTM in “orbit”. It takes just four hours to climb to the stratosphere, and the same to come back to Earth. Because it doesn’t need a launcher, this is an extremely cost-competitive platform for a wide range of civil and/or military regional applications telecommunications, navigation, observation (in particular surveillance), etc.
Stratobus™ has become the latest avatar of geeks in love with innovation and new technologies, enjoying broad media coverage since 2014. The program officially got off the ground in April 2016, with 17 million euros in funding from France’s Investment in the Future plan. For further information about StratobusTM, click here
Space exploration: headed for the Red Planet
Only 250 million kilometers to go… That’s the distance that Europe’s ExoMars 2016 spacecraft still has to fly to reach Mars. Comprising a Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) and an Entry, Descent and Landing demonstrator Module (EDM), dubbed Schiaparelli, the ExoMars spacecraft was launched on March 14, 2016. Since then, the orbiter has been keeping us up to date. In May, it passed its verification review for all onboard functions, ensuring that all systems are “go”. The probe took its first picture of the Red Planet on June 16, circulating it worldwide. On June 23, the EDM’s instruments underwent a mid-course check: everything was nominal! But it still has another 250 million kilometers to go... The world is holding its breath while awaiting the spacecraft’s arrival… scheduled for October 19, 2016, when the Schiaparelli lander should set down on Mars. In the meantime, we’ll keep you up to date on the latest milestones in this unprecedented interplanetary mission. For everything you want to know about the two ExoMars missions (2016 and 2020), click here
Photos: © Thales Alenia Space - © Thales Alenia Space/Master Image Programmes - © ESA/ATG medialab
Videos: © Thales Alenia Space/Master Image Programmes