Thales
Alenia Space to supply
very-high-resolution optical payload
for
December 9, 2014
Thales Alenia
Space has been selected by the
United Arab Emirates Air Force
(UAEAF) to
develop the very-high-resolution
payload for their Falcon Eye
program, within the scope of a
consortium led by Airbus Defense and
Space.
This contract was officially signed
by the United Arab Emirates in
August 2014 and is now entering into
force.
The contract includes building two
satellites offering
very-high-resolution optical
capabilities and a ground system for
monitoring, receiving and processing
images, as well as a training
program for the engineers from the
United Arab Emirates who will
control and operate the satellites
once in orbit.
As the
co-contractor, Thales Alenia Space
is in charge of the
high-performance,
very-high-resolution optical
payload, the image data transmission
subsystem, the ground image
processing system, and
co-engineering and validation of the
overall system.
The Falcon Eye
contract confirms Thales Alenia
Space's excellence in
very-high-resolution optical
instruments and systems, following
the success of the Helios 1 and 2
and Pleiades programs. This
leadership will be further
reinforced through developments now
under way for the MUSIS CSO program.
"This contract
with the UAEAF culminates a long
effort by our teams with a total
support of the French Government,
the French Ministry of Defense in
particular. It underlines once again
Thales Alenia Space's unique
capabilities in high-resolution
optical observation systems, whether
for French defense applications or
export markets. This partnership
with Airbus Defense and Space
combines the strong points of our
two companies to stand up to the
competition and bolster Europe's
position in the global space
industry." said Jean-Loïc Galle,
President and CEO of Thales Alenia
Space
