Thales Alenia Space to sign C/D phase of NEOSAT with European Space Agency     September 15, 2015   The preliminary design phase of the NEOSAT development program, initiated with support of ESA and CNES the French Space Agency through PIA* being now completed, Thales Alenia Space has signed today with ESA the C/D phase contract for the full development and qualification of its new generation satellite platform product line, Spacebus Neo.   Neosat programme, managed jointly by ESA and France’s CNES space agency is supporting Thales Alenia Space to deliver commercially attractive 3–6 tons satellites to meet operators’ needs in the highly competitive worldwide satcom market.   Thales Alenia Space has set up  industrial consortia across Europe; including France, Italy, UK, Belgium, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Romania, the Netherlands, Austria, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Poland and Portugal, to develop and supply building blocks for the new product line.   Spacebus Neo will embark major innovative solutions such as: -       a full electrical solution highly reliable -       a very innovative thermal control subsystem, -       an optimized power subsystem, -       a flexible and highly modular design.   Bertrand Maureau, VP Telecommunication in Thales Alenia Space declared: “The Neosat programme is of the highest priority for our company to develop our new Spacebus Neo series which will combine innovation with heritage to achieve a highly competitive and fully modular satellite product line. We have started proposing Spacebus Neo to the market and the positive feedbacks of our commercial customers on this product are the proof that fruitful industry and Agencies teaming is key in a competitive world »   ““ESA’s Neosat programme is driving the development of the next generation of telecom platforms to maintain Europe’s lead in the worldwide satcom market. European satellite manufacturers demonstrate that innovation can flourish in a competitive market.””, said Magali Vaissiere, ESA Director of Telecommunications and Integrated Applications