Eutelsat Communications, the ESA, and Airbus Defence and Space have signed a public-private partnership to design and develop software-driven Quantum telecommunications satellite.
Said to be the first-of-its-kind universal satellite, the Quantum will be designed to be reconfigurable in orbit using phased array antennas as per business requirements, to serve any world region.
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
With a new and generic payload design, the spacecraft will cater to all user requirements, including coverage, bandwidth, power and frequency.
Eutelsat chairman and CEO Michel de Rosen said: "Eutelsat Quantum is the first of a new generation of satellite that has agility, adaptability, responsiveness and performance at its core."
According to ESA, the Quantum-class of satellites will require low costs to build thereby facilitating larger-scale production.
Quantum’s capability to replace or complement another satellite in geostationary orbit will help transform fleet management, and support efficient use of resources.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataEutelsat has signed a contract with Airbus Defence and Space in the UK for the first satellite.
Planned to be built using Surrey Satellite Technology’s (SSTL) new small geo-satellite platform, the Quantum is expected to be delivered in 2018.
The satellite will offer software defined ‘receive’ and ‘transmit’ coverages in Ku-band, including on-board jamming detection and mitigation. It will have a design life of 15 years.
Airbus Defence and Space space systems head François Auque said: "With this satellite, Airbus Defence and Space will deliver yet another innovation for Eutelsat, marking a breakthrough in telecommunications satellites and following electric propulsion with Eutelsat 172B and broadband access with Ka-Sat."
Eutelsat unveiled the Quantum satellite concept in December last year.
Image: An artist’s impression of the Eutelsat Quantum class satellite. Photo: courtesy of Airbus Defence and Space.
