ARTES 8 Alphabus/Alphasat

The programme line has the following objectives:

• Initiate ESA-funded pre-development contracts to secure enabling technology and to assist the emergence of "second-source" hardware suppliers able to match the market needs of the Large Platform.
• Develop and qualify, together with CNES (Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales) and industry, a generic product line for AlphaBus based on ground qualification of development and engineering models.
• Procure a flight-standard platform (proto-flight model) to facilitate early first flight opportunity (in frame of AlphaSat).
• Consolidate a Large Platform Mission combining ESA-funded payloads with institutional and/or commercial payloads, allowing the in-orbit demonstration of a protoflight large platform

System and Launch

The Alphasat Critical Design Review process has started with the successful conduction of the System and IP part 1 CDR reviews. The Alphasat CDR process is planned to be completed in 2010.

Launch of Alphasat on Ariane 5 is scheduled for 2012.

Service Module

Shipment of the Service Module (SM) from Thales Alenia Cannes (FR) to Astrium Toulouse (FR) took place 26 January 2010. The Service Module consists of the main structure, the central tube, internal deck and several other structural elements equipped with thermal hardware, the chemical propulsion system with the main apogee boost motor, pressure control assembly with three Helium tanks and the two large propellant tanks inside the central tube and part of the plasmic propulsion system with in particular the Xe tanks.

Beyond this shipment, some Alphabus items will be still in production in Cannes for integration on the satellite at a later stage: e.g. the Xenon propulsion system gas plate or the PPS 1350 thrusters mounted on their thruster orientation mechanisms (TOM).

Repeater Module

In parallel the Repeater Module activities are progressing well. The Delivery Review Board of the North Half Repeater Module structure took place end of December. Payload integration activities are scheduled to take place in Portsmouth (GB). The second half of the RM structure is progressing according to plan.

Payload

The Inmarsat extended L- band (XL) payload will support advanced geomobile communications and augment Inmarsat's Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) service with its coverage centred over Africa and providing additional coverage to Europe, the Middle-East and parts of Asia.

Development of the Inmarsat operational payload equipments is ongoing. For the vast majority of the equipments targeted for the Payload, Equipment qualification models (EQM) manufacturing is currently underway. The state-of-the-art integrated processor remains a priority in the programme due to its pivotal role in the payload performance, and the EQM is currently being built. The Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) required for the digital signal processing function has been successfully manufactured and passed successfully the initial tests.

The Payload flight hardware integration will begin, with initial testing of payload elements on the test bench commencing in February.

Technology Demonstration Payloads

The Technology Demonstration Payloads (TDPs) consist of:

TDP1: an Advanced Laser Communication Terminal to demonstrate GEO to LEO communication links at 1064nm (supplied as customer furnished item by DLR):
TDP5: a Q-V Band communications experiment to assess the feasibility of these bands for future commercial applications
TDP6: an Advanced Star Tracker with active pixel detector
TDP8: an Environment effects facility to monitor the GEO radiation environment and its effects on electronic components and sensors

The development of the TDPs is progressing well with the Critical Design Reviews nearing completion. The TDP’s are now entering the manufacturing phase of their development. Each TDP development offers unique challenges but all are progressing towards the successful embarkation on the Alphasat satellite. Satellite interfaces are now finalised and the operational concept for the TDP’s commissioning and routine operations has been kicked off.

Alphabus Extension

The Alphabus Extension will further extend the capability of the platform in terms of power, mass and thermal rejection capabilities. The workplan includes the development of key enabling technologies such as a deployable panel radiator for increased heat dissipation and an ultra stable antenna module for future complex Alphabus satellites. The industrial contract is planned to be placed in the first quarter of 2010.

Alphasat User and Application segment

The user segment and application programme will support the exploitation of the Alphasat satellite enhanced performances, developing new value added services to mobile institutional and public users on a pan-European scale. The work plan contains a set of activities defined together with Inmarsat based on their plans for new services and terminal classes to be incorporated into Inmarsat’s portfolio for Alphasat as well as for the complete Inmarsat satellite constellation. The first two activities began in October, 2009.

Funding
Activities are funded at 50%, 75% or 100% of their total cost by the Agency.

Who can participate?
Activities under ARTES 8 Alphabus/Alphasat are only open to the industry of the Member States participating in this element. Participating Member States are:
Austria, Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom

Authorisation from a participating Member State’s national delegation is NOT required.