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NanoRacks, Altec and Thales Alenia Space announce International Business Development Partnership

Press releases

NanoRacks, Altec and Thales Alenia Space announce International Business Development Partnership

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    Turin, April 19, 2018 – NanoRacks is pleased to announce that the Company will be pursuing International Space Station opportunities in cooperation with Altec and Thales Alenia Space, a Joint Venture between Thales 67% and Leonardo 33%. To pursue these opportunities, NanoRacks will be staffing its first formal European-based office at Altec’s facilities in Turin, Italy.

    The office will serve as a business development hub for European and Asian customers. International customers will enjoy NanoRacks end-to-end turnkey services and technical advice, now in a more accommodating time zone.

    The Companies will build together a directory of end-to-end solutions to lower the barriers for European and Asian customers to access low-Earth orbit. This directory will include a combination of hardware, software, and on-the-ground services. Bishop, NanoRacks commercial airlock module will also be considered a part of Altec and Thales Alenia Space’s space product portfolio. The office will also house NanoRacks technical personnel as required for successful completion of Bishop.

    “There is an important market in Europe and Asia,” says NanoRacks CEO Jeffrey Manber. “We’re setting up with our friends at Altec and Thales Alenia Space to grow the relationship of our Companies and to remain the leader in commercial space station utilization globally. NanoRacks looks forward to leveraging the expertise of Altec and Thales Alenia Space to continue the exponential growth of the commercial ecosystem in low-Earth orbit.”

    “We are very proud to cooperate with NanoRacks concerning the opportunities linked to the International Space Station” said Walter Cugno, Vice President, Exploration and Science at Thales Alenia Space. “Thales Alenia Space will bring to this program over 40 years of experience in the design and production of high-technology solutions and will continue with NanoRacks to provide these capabilities for future business opportunities in new markets”.

    "ALTEC is very proud to support NanoRacks in the scientific and commercial utilization of the Space Station and low-Earth orbit technologies through its long experience in payload integration, logistics, training, operation and ground segment”, says Altec CEO Vincenzo Giorgio. “ALTEC is therefore strongly encouraged by the Italian Space Agency to improve the involvement of Italian research centers and industries."

    The first effort will be a joint workshop in Turin to highlight the new team and specifically, market opportunities to be made available via the Bishop airlock. This workshop is expected in 4th quarter 2018.

    For additional updates, be sure to follow @NanoRacks on Twitter.

    NanoRacks Media Inquiries: Abby Dickes, adickes@nanoracks.com

    About NanoRacks

    NanoRacks is the world’s first commercial space station company with an existing customer base. The company offers low-cost, high-quality solutions to the most pressing needs for satellite deployment, basic and educational research and both at home and in 30 nations world-wide for those new to the industry and aerospace veterans. Since 2009, Texas-based NanoRacks has truly created new markets, and ushered in a new era of in space-services.

    In July 2015, NanoRacks signed a teaming agreement with Blue Origin to offer integration services on their New Shepard space vehicle. NanoRacks, along with partners at ULA and Space Systems Loral was also selected by NASA to participate in the NextSTEP Phase II program to develop commercial habitation systems in low-Earth orbit and beyond.

    As of February 2018, over 600 payloads have been launched to the International Space Station via NanoRacks services, and our customer base includes the European Space Agency (ESA) the German Space Agency (DLR,) the American space agency (NASA,) US Government Agencies, Spire, Millennium Space Systems, Space Florida, NCESSE, Virgin Galactic, pharmaceutical companies, and organizations in Vietnam, UK, Romania and Israel.

    About Altec

    ALTEC - Aerospace Logistics Technology Engineering Company- is a public-private company owned by Thales Alenia Space Italy and the Italian Space Agency (ASI). In seventeen years of activity (March 2001) ALTEC has established itself internationally as the Italian center of excellence for the provision of engineering and logistics services to support operations and utilization of the International Space Station and the development and implementation of planetary exploration missions.

    Today, taking into account the evolution of the international space framework and the shareholder strategies, ALTEC has a strengthening and broadening of the tasks in the aerospace industry, with a stronger focus to the commercial activities and the emerging Space Economy.

    With its 80 employees, all highly skilled and qualified technicians, ALTEC is a key part of the space sector and in particular a focal point of attraction for the local economy.

    Altec Media Inquiries: Daniela Souberan, daniela.souberan@altecspace.it

    About Thales Alenia Space

    Combining 40 years of experience and a unique diversity of expertise, talents and cultures, Thales Alenia Space architects design and deliver high technology solutions for telecommunications, navigation, Earth observation, environmental management, exploration, science and orbital infrastructures. Governments, institutions and companies rely on Thales Alenia Space to design, operate and deliver satellite-based systems that help them position and connect anyone or anything, everywhere, help observe our planet, help optimize the use of our planet's – and our solar system’s – resources. Thales Alenia Space believes in space as humankind’s new horizon, which will enable to build a better, more sustainable life on Earth. A joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), Thales Alenia Space also teams up with Telespazio to form the parent companies’ Space Alliance, which offers a complete range of services and solutions. Thales Alenia Space posted consolidated revenues of about 2.6 billion euros in 2017 and has 7,980 employees in nine countries. www.thalesaleniaspace.com

    Thales Alenia Space – Press Contacts:

    Sandrine Bielecki Phone: +33 (0)4 92 92 70 94 sandrine.bielecki@thalesaleniaspace.com

    Chrystelle Dugimont Phone: +33 (0)4 92 92 74 06 chrystelle.dugimont@thalesaleniaspace.com

    Cinzia Marcanio Phone:+ 39 06 41512685 cinzia.marcanio@thalesaleniaspace.com