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Thales Alenia Space strengthens its European leadership in space systems with the provision of 7 telecommunication and observation satellites in 2007, and entering new markets (United Arab Emirates, Norway and Indonesia) in telecom domain. The company has also signed a strategic industrial cooperation agreement with the Russian company NPO-PM, enabling both companies to reinforce their leading position in Russia. Last year, Thales Alenia Space participated in 13 missions using all types of launchers.

European leader for satellite systems and at the forefront of orbital infrastructures, Thales Alenia Space is a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Finmeccanica (33%) and forms with Telespazio a Space Alliance. Thales Alenia Space is a worldwide reference in telecoms, radar and optical Earth observation, defense and security, navigation and science. Thales Alenia Space has 11 industrial sites in 4 European countries (France, Italy, Spain and Belgium) with over 7,200 employees worldwide.

Thales Alenia Space is at the heart of the most high-performance satellite technologies in both civil and defense sectors.

The company is deeply involved in:

• Environmental projects based on Earth observation such as the Global Monitoring for Environment and Safety (GMES) program with Sentinel-1, Meteorology such as MSG (Thales Alenia Space provided all the Meteosat satellites for Eumetsat), Climatology as satellite prime contractor for SMOS (Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity) mission;
• Defense, as prime contractor for the French Syracuse (I, II and III) and the Italian (Sicral) telecommunication systems as well as for the Italian Earth Observation system COSMO-SkyMed; and main partner of the German telecom program (Satcom BW) and of the Earth observation programs Helios (France) and SAR-Lupe (Germany);
• Navigation with Galileo and prime contractor of EGNOS - the precursor of Galileo;
• Science and Exploration, as prime contractor for the ExoMars mission - one of the most ambitious exploration missions in the near future, and for the GOCE satellite (Gravity Field and Steady-State Ocean Circulation Explorer);
• Space Infrastructure and Transportation as provider of 50% of the ISS pressurized volume.

Today, Thales Alenia Space is the leading European supplier of satellite-based solutions for Defense and Security, with strong positions in both space and ground segments. In addition, the company is the European benchmark supplier of facility operational services for the European Space Agency (ESA), the French space agency CNES, the Italian Space Agency (ASI) as well as for the French, Italian and German Ministries of Defense, the Defense procurement agency DGA and other major customers. Thales Alenia Space is also active in the civil-military satellite export market, through Koreasat 5 in South Korea, Star One in Brazil and Yahsat in United Arab Emirates.

Thales Alenia Space has signed an industrial cooperation agreement with the Russian company NPO-PM to jointly develop a high-power multi-mission satellite platform (Express 4000) and buy from Russian suppliers common equipments for the Spacebus 4000 and Express-4000 series.

See Thales Alenia Space's video - English version [WMV format] 

1. TELECOMMUNICATION SATELLITES: A STRONG POSITION ACROSS THE BOARD, FROM COMPONENTS TO SYSTEMS
Thales Alenia Space is one of the world's leading space telecom players, with orders from the United States, Russia, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East, and growing business with Asian customers, especially from China.

Thales Alenia Space was ranked #1 in the world in 2006 in terms of satellites ordered: Turksat 3A, Ciel-2 and AMC-21 for SES, W2A and W7 for Eutelsat, 2 Satcom BW for the German Defense Ministry and Sicral 1B for the Italian Defense Ministry) and has signed a Euro 661 million contract with Globalstar to provide their full second-generation constellation.

In 2007, the company has signed contracts to provide 6 satellites (Arabsat 4A and BADR-5 for Arabsat, THOR6 for Telenor, Palapa-D for Indosat and Yahsat 1A and 1B for Al Yah Satellite Communications Company, a subsidiary of Mubadala Development Company), providing the company a 26% market share.

Thales Alenia Space offers an extended platform range, from small to powerful satellites - up to 6,000 kg, with 16 kW end-of-life power - featuring greater operational flexibility, proven reliability and extended life. Our current line of Spacebus geostationary telecom satellite platforms is the culmination of over twenty years of continuous development and now features in-flight proven new generation avionics.

Thales Alenia Space is also the worldwide leader in telecommunication payloads with over 200 payloads ordered (i.e. 30% of market share). In addition, we are among the world leaders in space borne microwave equipment, with products integrated in 50% of all satellites built worldwide.

See the video about Infomobility - English version [WMV format]

2. EARTH OBSERVATION: A FULL RANGE OF APPLICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGIES FOR BOTH CIVIL AND MILITARY REQUIREMENTS
Thales Alenia Space is not only the world leader in geostationary weather satellites (as prime for first and second-generation Meteosat satellites - MSG), but has also developed strong expertise in low-orbit climatology missions (such as Calipso for CNES/NASA) and in the construction of Earth observation ground segments.

Thales Alenia Space is the European leader in high precision optical and radar imaging instruments and also the world leader in space altimetry.

After its important participation in Cryosat and Envisat environmental monitoring satellite for the European Space Agency (ESA), in Earth observation satellites SPOT and in ocean observation satellites Jason 1 & 2 for CNES/NASA and SMOS (Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity) program for ESA, Thales Alenia Space is also playing a major role in GMES (Global Monitoring for Environment and Safety), a key European program that aims to set up a global monitoring system, with the provision of the first satellite of the Sentinel family, Sentinel-1. GMES enables Thales Alenia Space to provide its competencies in meteorology, environment monitoring and earth observation.

Offering dual civil-military technologies, Thales Alenia Space is strongly involved in ORFEO (Optical and Radar Federated Earth Observation), the French-Italian dual-use system. In the scope of this program, the company has provided the dual COSMO-SkyMed radar satellites and its associated ground segment and the Pleïades optical satellites. Thales Alenia Space has also provided the high-resolution instruments for Helios 1 & 2 French Defense and Security observation satellites.

See the video about Environment - English version  [WMV format]
 
See the video about Defense - English version / French version
See the video about Defense & Security - English version

3. SCIENCE: THE EUROPEAN REFERENCE
Thales Alenia Space is the clear European reference in space-based science programs. Major successes include the exceptional results of the ISO (Infrared Space Observatory) spacecraft - designed to discover water traces around the planets in our solar system, followed by those of Integral - which is the most sensitive, accurate and advanced gamma-ray observatory ever launched.

In addition, Thales Alenia Space is involved in the ESA exploration challenges such as Huygens, Rosetta, Mars Express, Venus Express, Herschel/Planck.and ExoMars.

The ExoMars program, worth 600 million euros, is one of the most important exploration missions in the near future. It aims at sending a lander rover to Mars in order to find traces of past or present life. Thales Alenia Space is in charge of the mission, including the definition of the main system elements of the mission.

Thales Alenia Space was at the heart of the most ambitious and technological success of the Cassini-Huygens mission to Titan. Early in 2005, after a journey of seven years through our solar system, the Huygens space probe landed on the Saturn moon Titan. The probe, built by prime contractor Thales Alenia Space, has successfully executed all its scientific missions, which represents a world premier in space science. It was the first time that a man made object landed on the moon of such a distant planet in our solar system.

Thales Alenia Space is the first European company to have met the challenge of integrating a spacecraft designed to resist such harsh conditions. In addition, the company is also strongly involved in the Cassini orbiter that carried the Huygens probe to Saturn and that is continuing its exploration mission of this planet.

This position has been achieved thanks to a number of complementary skills, including the ability to coordinate international alliances in long-term endeavors, to assemble, integrate and test scientific probes, and through its proven expertise in the technologies needed for space astronomy and interplanetary missions with landings as well as in outer space telecommunications.

See the video - English version [WMV format]
See the video about Corot - English version / French version

4. NAVIGATION SOLUTIONS, PRIME CONTRACTOR FOR EGNOS AND FULL-FLEDGED PLAYER IN GALILEO
Thales Alenia Space is prime contractor for EGNOS (European Geostationary Navigation Overlay System), which was delivered to ESA mid-2005 and is now operational. Thales Alenia Space led a consortium of 50 companies in 11 countries and provided key parts of the space and ground segments. In particular, it supplied the Performance Assessment Tools (PAT), the Central Control Facility (CCF), the Reference Integrity Monitoring Station (RIMS) and the Artemis satellite navigation transponder. Using both the GPS and Glonass constellations of satellites, EGNOS will provide users with high-precision positioning services, in the field of air navigation, land and maritime transport for example. It is an integral part of the services to be offered by Galileo, Europe's future satellite navigation system and one of the biggest and most ambitious projects undertaken by the European space industry.

Thales Alenia Space defined the overall architecture of the Galileo system on behalf of the European Union and the satellite architecture for ESA. Thales Alenia Space has been a driving partner in Galileo since the outset, in charge of the ground segment as well as the satellite integration and providing critical equipment and subsystems (IOV phase). Giove-B satellite, which will be used for in-orbit testing of the new technologies and that will be launched in 2008, has been integrated and tested within Thales Alenia Space in Rome.

Building on its experience in EGNOS, Galileo and Enhanced Assisted-GPS solutions, Thales Alenia Space offers value added Location-Based Solutions (LBS). As part of the EU's 6th R&D program, Score integrates reliable positioning data in emergency services (E112) while Liaison supports the development of professional solutions for isolated workers, police and civil security forces, taxis...

See the video - English version [WMV format]

5. A MAJOR CONTRIBUTION TO THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION (ISS)
Thales Alenia Space has designed and built 50% of the Station's pressurized volume, that is the living space. The company also contributed to the related launch, transportation and re-entry systems.

Thales Alenia Space is prime contractor for the three inhabitable Multipurpose Pressurized Logistics Modules (MPLM) - Leonardo/ Rafaello/ Donatello, Nodes 2 and 3 (the interconnecting elements between the various pressurized modules on the ISS), and the Cupola observation module; and is a main contributor to the Columbus scientific laboratory for research in a microgravity environment and to the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV), that will give vital logistic support to the ISS by transporting fuel, air and drinking water.

In 2007, the Node 2 successfully docked to the ISS and will enable to connect the Columbus laboratory in February 2008. This fly will be followed by the ATV Jules Verne launch during the first half 2008 and the MPLM that will carry more than two tons of equipment and supplies end of 2008.

6. TURNKEY SOLUTIONS FOR ALL TYPES OF APPLICATIONS
Land and space technologies are complementary, and today's satellite broadcasting capabilities mean effective and profitable solutions for all types of customers, whether governments, operators, businesses, trade associations, etc. Thales Alenia Space has established a strong position in the market for new applications, including solutions for Mobile TV, High Definition TV (HDTV), direct audio broadcasting (DAB), or high-precision positioning for wireless telephony (LBS).

Thales Alenia Space is making significant investments to meet current challenges, such as reducing the digital divide, and expanding broadband access. The company plays a major role in enabling operators to provide low-cost universal rural telephony services in remotely populated areas, where traditional fixed or mobile phone operators have difficulty offering services at acceptable price levels. As prime contractor, Thales Alenia Space will deliver in orbit to RASCOM - the Regional African Satellite Communication Organization representing the interests of 44 African telecommunications operators, a satellite and its associated ground infrastructure that will enable them to provide voice, data telecommunications and Internet access as well as broadcasting satellite services to the whole African continent.

7. AN UNPRECEDENTED INDUSTRIAL CAPABILITY
Thales Alenia Space is present in 4 European countries with 11 industrial sites and has an extensive expertise in optical engineering, visible and infrared detection, mechanical and thermal architectures, cryogenics, and assembly, integration and test.

• More than 15000 sq. meters of clean room
• To manage the entire chain of integration responsibility, the company hosts clean rooms dedicated to electronical, mechanical, digital or microwave equipment.
• Satellite's assembly and integration
• The only integrated manufacturing and test center in Europe: a single class 100,000 facility, spanning 8,700 sq. meters
• Highly sophisticated analysis and testing tools and facilities, including a 600-cubic-metre optical vacuum chamber, the only one of its kind in Europe.
• All environmental tests: thermal, structural, mechanical, radio
• Transport to launch pad in safety conditions - using special procedures including the data acquisition system - between Cannes and the launch sites.

In 2007, Thales Alenia Space has obtained 3 major certifications, ISO9001, EN9100 and AQAP2110, representing an international performance and maturity recognition of Thales Alenia Space's process excellence.