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- ARAMIS flexible payload
Lausanne, March 21st 2022 – SWISSto12, a leading provider of Radio-Frequency (RF) products and payload systems for telecommunication satellites based on novel 3D printing technologies, announces the kick-off of the ARAMIS project (Active Reconfigurable telecommunication pAyload for Micro-geostationary Satellites) to develop a next generation Ka band active antenna in support of fully-reconfigurable digital payloads.
With co-funding support through the European Space Agency’s (ESA) ARTES C&G program, the Centre national d’études spatiales (CNES) and the Swiss Space Office (SSO), theARAMISprogram is a multi-million Euro initiative that will develop a next generation Ka-band active antenna sub-system for Geostationary (GEO) satellite missions. This essential building block of flexible satellite payloads is compatible for operation both with analog and digital beamforming networks, and redefines the realm of possibilities for modern flexible satellite payloads. With this initiative SWISSto12 becomes the first independent supplier in Europe to develop a GEO capable active antenna product, which is expected to reach readiness for a GEO demonstration flight as early as 2025. The active antenna will be developed for accommodation either on SWISSto12’s micro-Geostationary telecommunication satellite class (HummingSat) or on larger GEO satellite platforms of industry leading satellite integrators. For more information on SWISSto12’s micro-Geostationary satellite product line, called HummingSat which is under development in partnership with ESA, and offers the market with a small satellite class for MEO / GEO telecom missions, please consult this LINK.
The ARAMIS active antenna can support the reconfigurability of a payload’s main operating parameters (beam size/shape/position, number of beams, frequency plan and power allocation) allowing the most efficient match of service coverage area with the user’s traffic request. The capabilities offered by this technology are key to address the requirements of satellite operators who face a rapidly evolving market demand and need flexible solutions to adapt their service offering to market demand over time.
For the execution of this ARAMIS program, SWISSto12 has teamed up with Thales, a world leader for RF amplification systems with its Imaging and Microwave Subsystems activities. Thales will develop and provide SWISSto12 with state-of-the-art Solid State Power Amplifiers (SSPAs) in Ka-band, based on GaN technology, and capable of providing up to 40 W at high DC-to-RF efficiency.
Dr. Emile de Rijk, CEO of SWISSto12 said:
“We are thrilled to announce this important initiative that is key to the development of our product portfolio for advanced telecommunication satellites. The combination of our cutting edge and patented 3D printed antenna products with the uniquely power efficient and performing SSPAs from our partner Thales enables this new class of active antennas. This product will offer a highly competitive active antenna product to the MEO / GEO market as well as fuel the capabilities of SWISSto12’s HummingSat missions”
About Thales
Thales, through its Imaging and Microwave Subsystems activities, is the world’s biggest manufacturer of amplifiers for space communication. Most of the data or pictures over the world are transmitted by satellites embedding Thales’s amplification solutions. Thanks to 35 years of heritage, Thales makes the difference by providing both state of the art TWT and SSPA technologies for space amplification.
About SWISSto12
SWISSto12 is a leading manufacturer of advanced satellite RF products, payloads and systems, including the HummingSat: a small yet powerful geostationary telecommunications satellite developed in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA) through its public-private-partnership program. The company’s RF products benefit from unique and patented 3D-printing technologies and associated Radio Frequency (RF) product designs that deliver lightweight, compact, highly performing, and competitive RF functionality.
Besides its space portfolio, the company is also active in telecommunications and surveillance applications for the aeronautic industry. SWISSto12 has developed commercially with success in Europe and in the USA, and is amongst the fastest growing aerospace companies in Europe. SWISSto12 spun off in 2011 from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), is privately owned and backed by prominent Swiss and European Investors.
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