HITEC, SES TechCom team up for EDRS ground station project

HITEC Luxembourg S.A. will be joining the European Data Relay Satellite System (EDRS) satellite network project led by SES TechCom.

HITEC's role will be to provide four antenna systems for the satellite ground stations that will control and keep an eye on the EDRS satellites. It will design, manufacture, and installation those satellite antennas at key sites in Germany, the United Kingdom, and Belgium.

HITEC earlier delivered a 13m full-motion Ka-band antenna to SES TechCom for use in the DLR's EDRS project.

The DLR (German Aerospace Center) subcontracted the EDRS project to SES TechCom. In addition, DLR recently contracted Astrium to provide major parts of the ground segment.

EDRS's fleet of geostationary satellites link together terrestrial stations and Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites. The LEO satellites can pass broadband-quality data to the EDRS platforms, which will then pass it to a ground station, obviating the need for direct line-of-sight between the LEO satellite and the ground station.

In addition, EDRS will offer new opportunities in data acquisition and delivery following disasters. It will also bring about new applications in the fields of environmental protection, security, and weather forecasting.

Each EDRS ground station has two ‘feeder link’ ground stations (FLGS) and two data ground stations. Both feeder link and ground data stations will tap Ka-band frequencies and use 6.8 meter limited motion HITEC antennas of an innovative design. The ground stations will be delivered from 2013 to 2014.

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Spacecom: AMOS-4 ready for launch, AMOS-5 covers Paralympics

Spacecom's AMOS-4 multi-band satellite will be launched during the second quarter of 2013, according to an announcement made by the satellite operator.

AMOS-4 will support satellite broadcast and satellite broadband needs within the Russian, Indian, and Middle Eastern markets. The satellite is equipped with Ku-band and high-power Ka-band transponders with steerable beams, allowing it  to support plenty pf connectivity for cross-region, cross-band, and cross-beam options.

AMOS-4 will provide DTH, video distribution, VSAT communications, and broadband Internet to the eastern side of the planet. Under construction at an Israel Aerospace Industry, the multi-band Ku-/Ka-band satellite is expected to operate for 15 years.

In addition, Spacecom also announced that they will provide complementary satellite services in Africa for Globecast's coverage of the Paralympic Games broadcasts. The satellite operator is cooperating with SatLink Communications to implement a complementary satellite solution tailored specifically for the Globecast and Paralympics.

From its position in 17 degrees East, AMOS-5 can cover the entire continent of Africa with high-power pan-Africa C-band and Ku-band beams. In addition to serving as the prime carrier for African satellite communications traffic, AMOS-5 also provides satellite broadband connectivity to Europe and the Middle East.