Thales Alenia Space won European Space Agency’s one of two LEO-PNT Orbit Demonstrators

A new satnav layer to complement the European Galileo constellation for added resilience and novel services

• A Low Earth Orbit constellation dedicated to Positioning Navigation and Timing
• A game changer for increased precision, resilience and signal penetration enabling new applications and economic growth

Toulouse, March 19, 2024 –Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), signed a contract with European Space Agency to deliver an end to end solution for the LEO-PNT (Low Earth Orbit  Positioning Navigation and Timing) orbit demonstrator. This contract includes the space (5 satellites to be launched), ground and users segments, the in orbit operations (including deorbiting), the launch, the test user segment, experimentation and service demonstration in different industries representative user environments.

This constellation will work in combination with Galileo and other satellite navigation systems to provide guaranteed centimeter location accuracy, robustness, resistance against jamming and spoofing as well as low latency (very fast acquisition). LEO-PNT will thus allow to serve emerging applications as high level autonomy cars including persistent coverage in dense urban areas, unmanned aerial & maritime vehicles or 5G/6G ground telecommunication network synchronization.

© Thales Alenia Space

“Adding a LEO-PNT constellation layer to the Galileo GNSS, combined with improved user receivers, will unlock new applications and economic growth while bringing essential environment benefits reducing CO₂ emissions through fuel saving and a more efficient energy network. By launching the first European LEO-PNT demonstrator, ESA is demonstrating the leading position of European agencies & industry in the development of future operational space programs that will revolutionize tomorrow’s world. The strong support from CNES French Space Agency completed by Italian Space Agency contribution are demonstrating the key innovative and strategic character of this project for the future. Thales Alenia Space will re-enforce its capabilities in new space navigation solutions and small satellites systems with this demonstrator, and support the design of the next evolution of satellite navigation”, declared Hervé Derrey, Chief Executive Officer of Thales Alenia Space.

Thales Alenia Space in France and in Italy is leading the program, supported by nanosat industries in Europe, mainly based in Spain and in Germany. Telespazio, a joint venture between Leonardo (67 %) and Thales (33 %), will be involved providing its expertise to support the operations and the performance analysis of the system.

LEO-PNT will benefit from Thales Alenia Space strong expertise as leader in the navigation domain from EGNOS to Galileo Second Generation as well as from its heritage acquired through Native Positioning System or IOT programs such as ARGOS, Angels, Kineis or Omnispace. Thales Alenia Space will also capitalize on its strong partnership experience with Newspace actors, leveraged to introduce new entrants into this field.

Thales Alenia Space’s solution will also capitalize on Europe’s dynamism in micro-launch vehicles, helping to secure Europe’s strategic access to space.

ABOUT THALES ALENIA SPACE

Drawing on over 40 years of experience and a unique combination of skills, expertise and cultures, Thales Alenia Space delivers cost-effective solutions for telecommunications, navigation, Earth observation, environmental management, exploration, science and orbital infrastructures. Governments and private industry alike count on Thales Alenia Space to design satellite-based systems that provide anytime, anywhere connections and positioning, monitor our planet, enhance management of its resources and explore our Solar System and beyond. Thales Alenia Space sees space as a new horizon, helping build a better, more sustainable life on Earth. A joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), Thales Alenia Space also teams up with Telespazio to form the parent companies’ Space Alliance, which offers a complete range of services. Thales Alenia Space posted consolidated revenues of approximately €2.2 billion in 2023 and has around 8,600 employees in 10 countries with 17 sites in Europe and a plant in the US.

THALES ALENIA SPACE – PRESS CONTACTS

Sandrine Bielecki

Tel. : +33 (0)4 92 92 70 94

sandrine.bielecki@thalesaleniaspace.com

Catherine des Arcis
Tel. : +33 (0)6 78 64 63 97
catherine.des-arcis@thalesaleniaspace.com

Cinzia Marcanio

Tel. : +39 (0)6 41512685

Cinzia.macanio@thalesaleniaspace.com