UAE Air Force adopts Thales Alenia Space high-resolution optical payload for Falcon Eye
CANNES, France, 19 Dec. 2014. United Arab Emirates Air Force (UAEAF) officials sought an industry partner to develop a high-resolution payload for their Falcon Eye program, within the scope of a consortium led by Airbus Defense and Space. They found their solution at Thales Alenia Space.
UAEAF officials have selected Thales Alenia Space to build two satellites offering very-high-resolution optical capabilities and a ground system for monitoring, receiving, and processing images, as well as a training program for the engineers from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which will control and operate the satellites once in orbit.
As the co-contractor, Thales Alenia Space is in charge of the high-performance, high-resolution optical payload, the image data transmission subsystem, the ground image processing system, and co-engineering and validation of the overall system.
"This contract with the UAEAF culminates a long effort by our teams with a total support of the French Government -- the French Ministry of Defense, in particular. It underlines once again Thales Alenia Space's unique capabilities in high-resolution optical observation systems, whether for French defense applications or export markets. This partnership with Airbus Defense and Space combines the strong points of our two companies to stand up to the competition and bolster Europe's position in the global space industry," says Jean-Loïc Galle, president and CEO of 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, says a company representative.
Thales Alenia Space and Telespazio form “Space Alliance,” which offers a range of services and solutions for dual (civil/military) missions, including constellations, flexible payloads, altimetry, meteorology, and high-resolution optical and radar instruments.
Courtney E. Howard | Chief Editor, Intelligent Aerospace
Courtney enjoys writing about all things high-tech in PennWell’s burgeoning Aerospace and Defense Group, which encompasses Intelligent Aerospace and Military & Aerospace Electronics. She’s also a self-proclaimed social-media maven, mil-aero nerd, and avid avionics and space geek. Connect with Courtney at [email protected], @coho on Twitter, on LinkedIn, and on Google+.
