Harwell, UK, June 9 2014 –Thales Alenia Space announced today the completion of the acquisition of the space activities of Systems Engineering & Assessment Limited (SEA), part of Cohort plc. This acquisition will reinforce the perimeter of its new subsidiary Thales Alenia Space UK and will boost its growth in systems engineering and research & technology (R&T).

The acquisition will provide to Thales Alenia Space UK expertise in electronics and space mission subsystems and a customer base that already includes ESA.

Thales Alenia Space UK has recently opened their new offices in Harwell, Oxfordshire, which in addition to space propulsion activities in Belfast, and now the acquisition of SEA’s space business has established Thales Alenia Space as a national contributor to the UK space industry.

Martin Gee, CEO of Thales Alenia Space UK. said “Our decision to come to the UK, motivated by the UK Government’s work has been supported by concrete actions to bolster the development of our activities in the short term. Our acquisition of the space business of SEA gives a kickstart to our ambitions in the UK, and aligns well with the global business of Thales Alenia Space, and in particular regarding a number of technologies that have been developed here in the UK by the SEA engineers, and their use in future space missions, in addition to a number of exciting ongoing international programs.”

Thales Alenia Space President and CEO Jean Loïc Galle emphasized that, “Through this acquisition, Thales Alenia Space UK is in working order to support the UK Space Agency and aspire to reinforce its development in the advanced space technologies. This approach is a natural fit with the company’s “Ambition 10” growth plan for the coming years.”

About Thales Alenia Space:

Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Finmeccanica (33%), is a key European player in space telecommunications, navigation, Earth observation, exploration and orbital infrastructures. Thales Alenia Space and Telespazio form the two parent companies’ “Space Alliance”, which offers a complete range of services and solutions. Because of its unrivaled expertise in dual (civil/military) missions, constellations, flexible payloads, altimetry, meteorology and high-resolution optical and radar instruments, Thales Alenia Space is the natural partner to countries that want to expand their space program. The company posted consolidated revenues in excess of 2 billion euros in 2013, and has 7,500 employees in six countries. www.thalesaleniaspace.com

Thales Alenia Space Press Contacts:

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

Tarik Lahlou
Tel: +33 (0)4 92 92 68 45
tarik.lahlou@thalesaleniaspace.com

John Warehand
Tel: +44 (0)7817 455409
john.warehand@thalesgroup.com