VIDEO: Brazilian engineers trained at Thales Alenia Space

Over the past 18 months, Thales Alenia Space welcomed some 40 Brazilian engineers to its facilities. After an initial intensive training, these selected engineers then joined the SGDC program run by Thales Alenia Space. In 2013, the company had won a contract to build the SGDC dual (civil/military) telecommunications satellite, for Visiona.

At the same time, the French-Italian company had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Brazilian Space Agency (AEB) concerning technology transfer, a major first step in the ambitious partnership plan signed by Thales Alenia Space, the Brazilian Space Agency and the domestic space industry.

The Brazilian engineers, along with an SGDC project manager from Visiona, therefore joined Thales Alenia Space teams throughout the length of the program.
 

 

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After several months of training, then working alongside Thales Alenia Space staff, the Brazilian engineers shared their impressions of this experience, which all found to be an exceptionally fruitful time for sharing and learning.

By welcoming these 40 engineers for training, Thales Alenia Space clearly illustrates its approach to supporting the development of the Brazilian space industry.
Looking further ahead, this approach is a key part of Thales Alenia Space's "opening" strategy, designed to help other countries develop their own space sectors, especially newly industrialized nations, with an ultimate goal of gradually achieving independence.
 

Brazil and Thales Alenia Space, a win-win relationship

© SGDC

Thales Alenia Space's win-win relationship with Brazil is built on very solid foundations.

- Tripartite contracts signed by Thales Alenia Space, the AEB and Brazilian companies to apply technology transfers.
- A commitment to transfer knowledge, in the form of the Instituto Espacial Thales Alenia Space (‘space institute’), which will develop at least the following actions.

  • The training of these 40 Brazilian engineers at Thales Alenia Space.
  • Support for Brazilian universities to create a Master's program in space systems engineering.
  • The creation of a university chair in "small satellite platforms" at the ITA (Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica), to accelerate the country's ability to access space.
  • Funding of a doctoral theses.
  • Joint study projects between Thales Alenia Space and Brazilian labs.
  • Organization of conferences for decision-makers focusing on the challenges of space.

Another major part of this approach was the inauguration by Thales Alenia Space and Omnisys of the Centro Tecnológico Espacial Thales Alenia Space/Omnisys space technology center in March 2015.
 

 

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