Cannes, December 1, 2016 – Raul Jungmann, Brazil’s Minister of Defense, is visiting Thales Alenia Space’s plant in Cannes today, at the head of a delegation including senior civil servants from the country, along with the Chief Executives of the companies Telebras, Embraer Defense and Visiona.

The focal point of this visit is of course the dual use (civil and military) SGDC Geostationary Defense and Strategic Communications Satellite, now being integrated in Thales Alenia Space’s clean rooms. The launch is planned for March 2017 from the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana.

Thales Alenia Space signed the SGDC contract with Visiona (a joint venture between Embraer and Telebras) at the end of 2013. This program plays a key role in the Brazilian Space Agency’s space development plan, while also addressing the Ministry of Defense’s strategic requirements. It is designed to meet two main objectives: the implementation of a secure satellite communications system for the Brazilian armed forces and government; and support for the deployment of the National Broadband Plan (PNBL), coordinated by Telebras as operator, which aims to reduce the digital divide in the country. The SGDC program is an integral part of Brazil’s strategy to reinforce its independence and sovereignty.

The Brazilian Space Agency and Thales Alenia Space had also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) concerning an ambitious technology transfer plan, designed to support the development of Brazil’s own space program.

The Brazilian Minister of Defense is getting a close-up look at this win-win partnership today.

• The SGDC satellite is now in final integration configuration. It passed the Pre-Shipment Review in October, and the satellite will be shipped from this plant to the launch site in February.
• Thales Alenia Space has established a unit at the San José dos Campos technology park in Brazil, to work more closely with its local customers and partners.
• It has met its skills transfer commitment, since over 30 Brazilians engineers have been trained in all space engineering techniques, supervised by the Thales Alenia Space program team.
• An aluminum battery support panel made by the Brazilian company CENIC is already integrated on the SGDC satellite.

©Thales Alenia Space/Alban Pichon

About Thales Alenia Space

Thales Alenia Space brings over 40 years of experience to the design, integration, testing and operation of innovative space systems for telecommunications, navigation, Earth observation, environmental management, exploration, science and orbital infrastructures. A joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo-Finmeccanica (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 has built up unrivaled expertise in dual (civil-military) missions, constellations, flexible high-throughput payloads, altimetry, meteorology, and high-resolution radar and optical observation, as well as space exploration. The company capitalizes on its strong legacy, while also making innovation a key to its strategy. By offering a continuous stream of new products and expanding its global footprint, Thales Alenia Space has established its leadership in today’s fast-evolving space sector. Thales Alenia Space posted consolidated revenues exceeding 2.1 billion euros in 2015 and has 7,500 employees in nine countries. www.thalesaleniaspace.com


Thales Alenia Space Press Contacts:

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

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