Thales

The European Space Agency (ESA) has awarded a €402m contract to Thales Alenia Space to build Copernicus Sentinel-1C and 1D environmental monitoring satellites.

The satellites are being launched as part of Europe’s Copernicus environmental programme, co-ordinated by the European Commission and ESA.

With the programme, European countries expect to collect and manage data on the Earth and support Europe’s public environmental policies.

Under the deal, Thales Alenia Space will design, develop and integrate the Sentinel-1C and 1D satellites, which will be equipped with a C-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR).

Both satellites will also feature advanced data management and transmission systems, as well as an onboard computer.

A consortium of 60 European companies led by Thales Alenia Space will build various components of the satellites.

Airbus Defence and Space, which is part of the consortium, will build the core of the C-band SAR antenna. Thales will provide the transmission/reception (T/R) modules and the front-end electronics for the satellites.

The two satellites weigh 2,300kg each and are scheduled to be launched from 2021. Following the launch, they will be placed at an altitude of 700km.

Thales Alenia Space deputy CEO Donato Amoroso said: "We are very proud to have won this major contract since it confirms Thales Alenia Space Italy’s long-standing expertise in the construction of Earth observation satellites based on radar technology.

"Our selection also shows that we have the capabilities needed to meet this programme’s technological challenges, while contributing to Europe’s environmental strategy now and in the future."

Sentinel-1 mission’s major goals include mapping urban areas and environmental impacts, monitoring risks caused by movements of the Earth’s surface, surveillance of the marine environment, maritime security, monitoring of sea ice, forests and climate change, as well as a fast response to emergency services.

ESA earth observation programmes director Volker Liebig said: "The radar satellites Sentinel-1 C and 1D will extend the operational monitoring component of Copernicus at least until the end of 2020.

"This is crucial for many operational and governmental applications but also for growing private sector applications.

"Nowadays, radar satellites are covering such a wide spectrum of applications that they are indispensable for environmental monitoring and oceanography, as well as for disaster management and security issues, including growing information needs, to feed more and more people."

ESA’s Sentinel programme has six families of satellites for conducting different remote sensing missions.

Sentinel-1A was launched in 2014 and is now fully operational. Its twin Sentinel-1B, currently under development by Thales Alenia Space, is scheduled to be launched next year.

Image: The signing of the new Sentinel-1 contract. Photo: courtesy of ESA.