Thales’s space business continues to gain momentum in the U.S. market. Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales and Finmeccanica, works extensively with NASA and is a major contributor to the International Space Station.
In 2001, as part of an effort to increase investment and bolster relationships with existing and potential customers in the United States, Thales Alenia Space put a small group in place in the U.S. to increase its involvement in the NASA programs (linked to both the now consolidated International Space Station, and to the Exploration-Constellation program aimed at going back to the Moon and beyond). Thales Alenia Space plans to expand its reach in the U.S. space industry by continuing its work with the major U.S. aerospace industries and with private space pioneers and by focusing on additional successes such as the development and deployment of the Cosmo constellation of satellites.
Most recently, Thales delivered Node 3, known as “Tranquility” by NASA, to the Kennedy Space Station in Florida for estimated launch in 2010. Node 3 is a European-built element which will be permanently attached to the International Space Station. Once the attachment is complete, Node 3 will provide the Space Station with critical life support functionalities.