11-Feb-2015
Nanyang
Technological
University is
collaborating with
Thales Alenia Space,
Europe’s largest
satellite
manufacturer and
Thales teams in
Singapore, the only
Thales corporate
research centre in
Asia, to develop
innovative concepts
and technologies for
small satellites.
The partnership aims
to leverage the
rapidly growing
nanosatellite and
microsatellite
segments of the
global satellite
industry which
usually refers to
satellites less than
100 kg.
The partners will
set up a joint
research laboratory
in NTU named S4TIN,
short for Smart
Small Satellite
Systems - Thales in
NTU.
The lab brings
together the
world-renowned
heritage of Thales
Alenia Space in
satellite systems,
NTU’s pioneering
research in small
satellite platforms
and technologies,
and the local
research and
technology
capabilities of
Thales in Singapore.
Several joint
projects have been
identified. The
first is to develop
small and robust
infrared cameras
that are able to
detect changes in
the climate from
space. Another
proposed joint
research programme
is to study the use
of satellite
technology for
maritime security.
The S4TIN joint lab
was launched today
by Mr Yeoh Keat
Chuan, Managing
Director of
Singapore Economic
Development Board
(EDB), NTU Provost
Prof Freddy Boey,
Thales Alenia
Space’s Chief
Technical Officer
(CTO) Mr Patrick
Maute and Thales in
Singapore’s Chief
Executive Officer Mr
Jean-Noel Stock.
Prof Freddy Boey
said this landmark
collaboration is an
international
recognition of NTU’s
strengths in
satellite research
and development.
“NTU is home to some
of the brightest
minds in engineering
in Singapore today.
We have successfully
built, launched and
operated four
satellites in space
for the last five
years. Satellite
research and
development is
extremely demanding
and highly
multidisciplinary
and to put even one
in space is no small
task,” Prof Boey
said.
“Using the expertise
we gained, we are
now tackling an even
bigger challenge.
Together with
Thales, we now aim
to develop more
advanced satellite
technology to bring
the world better
telecommunications
and more accurate
climate sensing and
observation data.
This is also the
more sustainable
route, as smaller
satellites require
less resources and
time to build,
launch and operate.”
Mr Patrick Maute
affirmed NTU’s
impressive
achievements, adding
that the creation of
S4TIN demonstrated
the mutual
commitment to push
the frontiers of
nano/micro-satellite
technologies.
“We are impressed
with NTU’s ability
to build, launch and
operate four
satellites in such a
short period of
time. The talents
trained by NTU had
proven themselves to
be fully capable of
developing
nano/micro-satellites
at a rapid pace. We
are excited to work
with NTU to explore
innovative
applications of such
satellites in remote
sensing, environment
monitoring, or
navigation /
automatic
identification
system (AIS) among
others,” Mr Maute
said.
“Thales had years of
successful
collaboration with
NTU through Thales
Research &
Technology
Singapore. With the
opening of S4TIN
joint lab and the
setting up of Space
CoE, we are
confident that the
Thales team in
Singapore will play
an active role for
future joint
projects with NTU
and strengthen the
connections between
Thales Alenia Space
and the Singapore
space community.”
Managing Director
of EDB, Yeoh Keat
Chuan, added that
SaRC-II and S4TIN
would support the
growth of
Singapore’s
satellite sector.
“We are pleased that
Thales is deepening
its partnership with
Singapore through
establishing S4TIN
with NTU and setting
up its first Space
CoE in Asia. NTU’s
Satellite Research
Centre and Thales’
efforts to build
expertise and talent
in small satellite
technologies aligns
well with EDB’s goal
of building
Singapore to become
a regional leader in
this sector.”
Management of
S4TIN
S4TIN will be
co-directed by Assoc
Prof Low Kay Soon,
centre director of
NTU’s Satellite
Research Centre; Mr
Jose-Maria Gonzalez
Asenjo from Thales
Alenia Space, who is
assisted by Dr Erick
Lansard, CTO & Vice
President Space
Development from
Thales in Singapore.
Mr Landsard is also
the Director of
Thales Research &
Technology
Singapore’s Space
Centre of
Excellence, whose
engineers will be
working at the new
joint lab.
These Thales
engineers will
contribute their
expertise in RF
transceivers,
photonics, sensor
signal processing
and complex system
simulation. The
Space Centre of
Excellence aims to
further develop
competency in
mission analysis and
simulation, and
satellite
engineering, as well
as facilitate the
translation of
research outcomes
into future
products.
The new joint lab
will leverage the
NTU Satellite
Research Centre
which has more than
40 researchers,
staff and students.
It is also expected
to benefit from the
interaction and
synergy offered by
NTU’s faculty,
researchers and
engineering schools.
As a demonstration
of its commitment
for world-class
satellite research
facilities, NTU also
today officially
launched its
Satellite Research
Centre II (SaRC-II),
which houses
state-of-the-art
satellite
communications and
research equipment.
NTU is now building
VELOX-CI,
Singapore’s first
climate satellite
and VELOX-II, an
experimental
communication
satellite, both of
which are in their
advanced stage of
development.
This will bring the
total number of
NTU-made satellites
in space to six, in
addition to the four
already orbiting
Earth.
