Mobile Communications Satellite Work Awarded to Kongsberg
Signal processing equipment to be integrated into a new mobile communications satellite being built by Airbus has been awarded to Norwegian-based Kongsberg. The equipment will provide improved mobile coverage in areas with an insufficient ground network.
"This contract secures our leading position within the mobile GEO-satellite market."
Ellen Dahler Tuset, Director of Marketing in Space and Surveillance at Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace.
The agreement includes manufacture and testing of electronics from Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace, division Space & Surveillance in Horten, Norway.
The mobile communications satellite will deliver higher capabilities and flexibility while increasing capacity and coverage across Europe, Africa, Central Asia and the Middle East. The new generation of modular digital processors from Airbus Defense and Space offers full flexibility for more than 3200 channels and dynamic allocation over a large number of spot beams.
Kongsberg will deliver integrated L-band pre- and post-processors. These enable the satellites to meet the communication needs at all times, both when new requirements appear and/or when the local capacity is too poor. The L-band processors are "SAW"-based (Surface Acoustic Wave filters) and the development is supported by European Space Agency and the Norwegian Space Agency.
Kongsberg has a strong design & manufacturing capability for satellite onboard electronics, per date with hardware on more than 200 satellites. The company has a global footprint with all major primes.
"We are proud to be a trusted partner to Airbus Defense and Space. They have been an important customer for many years, and this contract secures our leading position within the mobile GEO-satellite market. It gives us a solid foundation for further growth and development," said Ellen Dahler Tuset, Director of Marketing in Space and Surveillance at Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace.
Kongsberg develops new technology from the bottom of the sea, to outer space. The company says it translates innovations from one business area to the others.
(Image provided with Kongsberg news release)