Successfully
launched the
SICRAL 2
satellite
April 27, 2015
The SICRAL 2
military
telecommunications
satellite
was
successfully
launched on
April 26 at
05:00 pm
(local
time), 22:00
(CET), with
an
Arianespace
launch
vehicle from
Europe's
Spaceport in
Kourou,
French
Guiana.
SICRAL 2 is
a joint
programme
between the
Ministry of
Defense in
Italy and
DGA
(Direction
Générale de
l’Armement)
in France
for the
benefit of
Italian and
French armed
forces, with
respective
stakes of
62% and 38%.
It is
conducted by
Thales
Alenia Space
and
Telespazio,
the two
companies in
the Space
Alliance
created by
Finmeccanica
and Thales.
"The launch
of the
Sicral 2
satellite
marks
another
major step
forward in
the
successful
French-Italian
collaboration
on space
programs,"
said Jean
Loïc Galle,
President
and CEO of
Thales
Alenia
Space. "Our
teamwork,
the most
dynamic in
Europe,
enables the
two
countries to
jointly
develop
defense-oriented
satellite
capacity
that
supports
each
country's
independence.
Thales
Alenia Space
is proud of
its major
role in this
dynamic
performance,
with the
Cosmo-SkyMed,
Pleiades and
Helios 2
intelligence
programs,
and the
Athena-Fidus
and Sicral
telecom
programs."
"Telespazio
is pleased
to have
contributed
to the
success of
the SICRAL 2
mission of
the Italian
Ministry of
Defence and
the French
DGA",
said the CEO
of
Telespazio
Luigi
Pasquali.
"As with
previous
missions of
the SICRAL
programme,
the company
handled the
implementation
of the
ground
segment and
managed the
satellite's
delicate
phases of
launch and
putting into
orbit,
confirming a
long
tradition of
excellence
in the field
of space
operations.
For SICRAL 2
as well,
Telespazio
invested
directly in
the
programme,
and will
therefore
have access
to part of
this
satellite's
capacity, in
order to
provide
communications
services to
the armed
forces of
NATO
countries."
Positioned
at 37°E in
the
geostationary
orbit,
SICRAL 2
will have a
service life
exceeding 15
years. It
will enhance
the
satellite
communications
capabilities
already
provided for
Italy by
SICRAL 1 and
SICRAL 1B
(launched in
2001 and
2009) and
for France
by Syracuse
3A and 3B
(launched in
2005 and
2006). All
of these
satellites
were
designed and
developed by
Thales
Alenia Space
and
Telespazio.
SICRAL 2
offers
unprecedented
flexibility
and
versatility.
It will
ensure
interoperability
with
existing
satellite
systems,
NATO traffic
terminals
and current
national
telecommunications
networks.
The
satellite
will provide
strategic
and tactical
satellite
communications
services,
supporting
military
land, sea
and air
platforms
used by
Armed Forces
to guarantee
internal and
external
security.
