Airbus signs
multi-satellite contract with Intelsat for
OneSat flexible satellites
8 January 2021
Airbus has signed a
contract with Intelsat to build two OneSat
satellites operating in multiple frequency bands
for Intelsat’s next-generation software-defined
network. The contract was signed on 31 December
2020.
The satellites will be
based on Airbus’ OneSat product line, the latest
generation of fully flexible, in orbit
reconfigurable, Software Defined Satellites
(SDS). OneSat is designed to deliver the optimal
balance between performance, flexibility and
competitive cost per bit, while maintaining
Airbus’ unrivalled product reliability.
Airbus will deliver an
end-to-end fully integrated solution, including
design and manufacture of the satellites. The
highly capable ground segment software
components, when fully integrated into
Intelsat’s next-generation software defined
network ecosystem and advanced digital suite
will allow dynamic operation of end-to-end
satellite resources. The two next generation SD
satellites will be delivered in 2023.
Jean-Marc Nasr, Head of
Airbus Space Systems said, “This important
contract with our long-standing and valued
partner Intelsat, has a special significance for
Airbus. With six satellites now in production -
plus options - for three major operators, OneSat
has proven that when it comes to fully
reconfigurable satellites, Airbus is the winning
choice. Our new industrial capabilities put in
place at our sites across Europe, together with
our solid experience in Eurostar geostationary
satellites and mega-constellation manufacturing,
will enable production of our truly disruptive
OneSats at an unrivalled pace.”
The Airbus Software Defined
satellites will deliver powerful performance and
a ground-breaking experience for Intelsat
customers across multiple geographic regions.
This agreement also marks the beginning of a
radical evolution of Intelsat’s network;
Intelsat is pursuing an aggressive, multi-year
network transformation plan with investments in
new assets that are designed for extremely high
speeds, enhanced capacity flexibility,
redundancy and backwards compatibility.