ARAMIS flexible payload
Lausanne, March 18th 2022 – SWISSto12, a leading provider of Radio-Frequency (RF) products and payload systems for telecommunication satellites based on novel 3D printing technologies, announces the kick-off of the ARAMIS project (Active Reconfigurable telecommunication pAyload for MIcrogeo Satellites) to develop a next generation Ka band active antenna in support of fully-reconfigurable digital payloads.
With co-funding support through the European Space Agency’s (ESA) ARTES C&G program, the Centre national d'études spatiales (CNES) and the Swiss Space Office (SSO), the ARAMIS program is a multi-million Euro initiative that will develop a next generation Ka-band active antenna sub-system for Geostationary (GEO) satellite missions. This essential building block of flexible satellite payloads is compatible for operation both with analog and digital beamforming networks, and redefines the realm of possibilities for modern flexible satellite payloads. With this initiative SWISSto12 becomes the first independent supplier in Europe to develop a GEO capable active antenna product, which is expected to reach readiness for a GEO demonstration flight as early as 2025. The active antenna will be developed for accommodation either on SWISSto12’s microGEO telecommunication satellite class or on larger GEO satellite platforms of industry leading satellite integrators.
For more information on SWISSto12’s microGEO satellite product line which is under development in partnership with ESA, and offers the market with a small satellite class for MEO / GEO telecom missions, please consult this LINK[1].
The ARAMIS active antenna can support the reconfigurability of a payload’s main operating parameters (beam size/shape/position, number of beams, frequency plan and power allocation) allowing the most efficient match of service coverage area with the user’s traffic request. The capabilities offered by this technology are key to address the requirements of satellite operators who face a rapidly evolving market demand and need flexible solutions to adapt their service offering to market demand over time.
For the execution of this ARAMIS program, SWISSto12 has teamed up with Thales, a world leader for RF amplification systems with its Imaging and Microwave Subsystems activities. Thales will develop and provide SWISSto12 with state-of-the-art Solid State Power Amplifiers (SSPAs) in Ka-band, based on GaN technology, and capable of providing up to 40 W at high DC-to-RF efficiency.
said Dr. Emile de Rijk, CEO of SWISSto12.
About SWISSto12 :
SWISSto12 is a leading developer of advanced satellite payload systems and microGEO satellites. These systems benefit from the company’s patented 3D printing technologies and associated product designs that are unique to deliver lightweight, compact, highly performing, and competitive RF functionality. Besides its space portfolio, the company is also active in telecommunications, surveillance and radar applications for the aerospace industry. SWISSto12 has developed commercially with success in Europe and Israel with prominent partners and customers such as Thales group, Elbit, IAI and the European Space Agency. SWISSto12 is the fastest growing Swiss aerospace company, spun off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), is privately owned and backed by prominent Swiss and European Investors.
https://swissto12.com/swissto12s-micro-geostationary-satellite-wins-esa-support/
About Thales:
Thales, through its Imaging and Microwave Subsystems activities, is the world’s biggest manufacturer of amplifiers for space communication. Most of the data or pictures over the world are transmitted by satellites embedding Thales’s amplification solutions. Thanks to 35 years of heritage, Thales makes the difference by providing both state of the art TWT and SSPA technologies for space amplification.
