Eutelsat’s Ku band satellite, dubbed Quantum – which was launched on 30 July 2021 by an Ariane 5 from Europe’s spaceport in French Guiana – has begun its commercial operation (located at 48° East, covering EMEA to Asia).
Specifically, the satellite operator has sold six of the eight beams available, which are used for data and mobile communications, to third-party organisations. It is expected that the two remaining beams will be sold in the coming months, states the European Space Agency (ESA).
The software-defined functionality means the satellite offers mission reconfiguration capacity. Its electronically splittable, steerable and shapeable beams can be redirected to provide information to people on moving planes, trucks and cars in close to real time, for example.
UK Space Agency
There is also a UK involvement with the Quantum satellite – the ESA acknowledged significant support from the UK Space Agency.
It was a collaboration under an ESA Partnership Project between Eutelsat and satellite manufacturer Airbus Defence and Space, being developed and manufactured in the UK and in Spain, with additional contributions from companies based in Canada, Italy, Norway and the Netherlands.
Commercialisation
ESA’s Director of Telecommunications and Integrated Applications at ESA, Elodie Via (who is also Head of the European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications at Harwell) hailed the promise of such satellite commercialisation:
“ESA’s Partnership Projects help to federate industry around large-scale programmes that have a demonstrable economic impact. This represents a major milestone for this successful ESA Partnership Project, creating jobs and prosperity across ESA’s Member States.”
You can read more about the satellite here.
See also: BEHOP paves way for beam hopping in satellite systems
