In the Spotlight

Thales Alenia Space at LAAD Defence & Security International Exhibition

In the Spotlight

Thales Alenia Space at LAAD Defence & Security International Exhibition

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    Thales Alenia Space is participating in the LAAD Defence and Security International Exhibition in Rio de Janeiro from April 14 to 17, 2015. This well-known international trade show and exhibition brings together companies from Brazil and around the world specialized in products and services for armed forces, police and special forces, security services and government agencies. LAAD is an excellent opportunity for Thales Alenia Space to remind potential partners of its proven expertise in helping countries develop their own space programs, and Brazil is a perfect example.

    Thales stand spotlights space expertise

    Exhibiting on the Thales group stand, Thales Alenia Space is spotlighting its wide range of expertise in space telecommunications and observation. The French-Italian joint venture is showcasing its telecom skills in dual applications (civil-military), Ka-band technologies, and a wide range of products, from advanced components to turnkey systems. It will naturally be focusing on Brazil's SGDC program, a dual-use satellite built on behalf of Visiona, signed in 2013.

    In the Earth observation sector, Thales Alenia Space is presenting Italy's constellation of dual-use Cosmo-SkyMed radar observation satellites, and the new Earth Observer Optical. This is a new-generation turnkey system designed for applications including surveillance, agriculture, urban development, risk management and natural disaster monitoring.


    Brazil and Thales Alenia Space, a win-win relationship

    In 2013, Thales Alenia Space won the contract to build the SGDC dual satellite for Visiona. It also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Brazilian space agency AEB concerning technology transfers, a major first step in the planned ambitious partnership between Thales Alenia Space, AEB and the Brazilian space industry.

    SGDC

    Concrete actions:

    - A tripartite framework contract signed by Thales Alenia Space, AEB and local Brazilian companies, to quickly implement contracts based on technology transfers.
    - A "knowledge transfer" agreement, in the form of a "Space Academy", entailing the following actions:

    • Support for Brazilian universities to set up space system engineering master's programs.
    • The creation of a "Space Chair" at ITA (Institut Tecnologico Aeronautico).
    • Financing of doctoral theses in special cases.
    • Joint studies by Thales Alenia Space and Brazilian labs.
    • 40 Brazilian engineers trained at Thales Alenia Space, within the scope of the technology transfer plan that is part of the SGDC contract.


    In March 2015, Thales Alenia Space and Omnisys inaugurated the joint Centro Tecnológico Espacial (Space Technology Center) in the São Jose dos Campos technology park in Brazil. This center will initially support the development of technological partnerships with local space companies. It clearly reflects Thales Alenia Space's strategy of being the favored partner in the development of Brazil's space industry, and continuing actions implemented within the scope of the contract for the SGDC dual telecom satellite, won in 2013.

    At the inauguration of the Centro Tecnológico Espacial, Joël Chenet, Thales Alenia Space Senior Vice President, Brazil, said:

    "All of our actions are designed to help the Brazilian space industry independently produce its own low Earth orbit satellite within three to five years."