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• Leveraging its longstanding experience in radar-based Earth observation satellites, Thales Alenia Space will lead a wide European industrial consortium;
• Together with data from Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission, for which Thales Alenia Space is prime contractor, the two-satellite Harmony constellation will provide a wealth of new information about our oceans, ice, earthquakes and volcanoes which will make significant contributions to climate research and risk monitoring.
Thales Alenia Space, a Joint Venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), has signed a contract with OHB (ohb.de) to develop the two Earth observation Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) instruments to be embarked on the two-satellite Harmony constellation ESA’s 10th Earth Explorer mission expected to be launched aboard a Vega-C launch vehicle by 2029.
Thales Alenia Space will lead a diverse European industrial consortium to design, develop and validate the C-Band SAR instruments and will also be responsible of the C-Band digital electronic and antenna tiles to be embarked on both Harmony satellites.
“This contract confirms Thales Alenia Space’s longstanding and recognized experience in manufacturing Earth observation satellites based on radar technology,” said Giampiero Di Paolo, Senior Vice President Observation, Exploration, and Navigation at Thales Alenia Space. “The development of the two radar instruments will allow Thales Alenia Space to make a significant technological and architectural step forward improving the competitiveness of SAR products both in the institutional and commercial Earth observation markets”.
Thales Alenia Space has played a key role as industry during the Harmony preparatory phase, supporting ESA in the definition of a high-performing solution capable of fully meeting the mission scientific objectives, developing in parallel all the relevant SAR enabling technologies.
About the 10th Earth Explorer Harmony mission
Earth Explorer missions form the science and research element of ESA’s Earth Observation FutureEO Programme. By returning critical data to understand the planet and predict what lies in store, the Earth Explorers are fundamental to advance science and, subsequently, to restore environmental balance for a sustainable future. Each of these extraordinary missions carries innovative space technology, demonstrating how new techniques can return an astonishing wealth of scientific findings about our planet.
Together with Sentinel-1, Harmony promises to provide a wealth of unique data on ocean ice atmosphere interactions at unprecedented resolution for more insight into upper-ocean heat exchanges, drivers of extreme weather and the long-term impacts of climate change.
The mission will also shed new light on deformation and flow dynamics at the rapidly changing edges of ice sheets for a better understanding of sea-level rise. In addition, Harmony will measure small shifts in the shape of the land caused by earthquakes and volcanic activity, thereby contributing to risk monitoring.
The Harmony mission consists of two bistatic passive Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) receive-only satellites, enhanced by a Thermal Infrared (TIR) optical payload, flying in a loose formation with Sentinel-1. Using Sentinel-1 as an illuminator of opportunity and augmenting its observations with a multi-static configuration for direct measurements of surface velocities will make a highly innovative contribution to Earth Observation capabilities.
About Thales Alenia Space
Drawing on over 40 years of experience and a unique combination of skills, expertise and cultures, Thales Alenia Space (thalesaleniaspace.com) 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 to 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. Thales Alenia Space has around 8,600 employees in 9 countries, with 16 sites in Europe and a plant in the US.
Thales Alenia Space Press Contacts
Catherine des Arcis; T: +33(0)6 78 64 63 97 - E: catherine.des-arcis[.]thalesaleniaspace.com.
Cinzia Marcanio; T: +39(0)6 415 126 85 - E: cinzia.marcanio[.]thalesaleniaspace.com.
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tarik.lahlou[.]thalesaleniaspace.com 
