ESSAIM, micro-satellites in formation
Le Bourget, 13 June 2005
The ESSAIM micro-satellites, launched at the end of 2004, have been operational since May, 2005. The French defence procurement agency DGA chose EADS Astrium as a joint prime contractor for the development of the ESSAIM system. This demonstrator, based on 4 micro-satellites flying in formation through space, will analyze the electromagnetic environment on the ground in a number of frequency bands used exclusively for military communications.
The ESSAIM program is a “turnkey” system, comprising the space segment, ground segment, satellite launch facilities and operations. The other partner in this program, Thales Airborne Systems, is contributing its electromagnetic systems expertise.
Space segment
The space segment comprises four satellites, flying in controlled formation in two out-of-phase orbits. The four 120-kg micro-satellites are based on the Myriade platform, developed by French space agency CNES in partnership with EADS Astrium.
This program features the very latest space technologies to meet the payload weight and size restrictions imposed by micro-satellites. These technologies include triple junction gallium arsenide solar cells, lithium-ion batteries, highly-integrated electronic components and fiber-optic gyros.
Ground segment
Co-located X-band terminals at the mission centre at the DGA’s weapons electronics centre (CELAR) in Bruz, near Rennes in western France will receive the data stored on the satellites, as they become visible.
The dedicated ESSAIM satellite control centre is located at the CNES facility in Toulouse, near CNES’s other Myriade micro-satellite control centers.
EADS Astrium is Europe’s leading satellite system specialist. Its activities cover complete civil and military telecommunications and Earth observation systems, science and navigation programmes, and all spacecraft avionics and equipment. EADS Astrium, wholly owned subsidiary of EADS SPACE, which is dedicated to providing civil and defense space systems. In 2004 EADS SPACE had a turnover of €2.6 billion and 11,000 employees in France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Spain.
EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defense and related services. In 2004, EADS generated revenues of € 31.8 billion and employed a workforce of more than 110,000.
Contacts for the Media
| Rémi ROLAND | EADS SPACE (FR) |
Tel.: +33 (0) 1 42 24 27 34 |
| Jeremy CLOSE | EADS SPACE (UK) |
Tel.: +44 (0) 1 438 77 3872 |
| Mathias PIKELJ | EADS SPACE (GER) |
Tel.: +49 (0) 7545 8 91 23 www.space.eads.net |
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