Space
The private sector’s enthusiasm for space continues to boost the sector and could democratise new applications (space travel, satellite imagery, internet via satellite, data processing, etc.).
The current geopolitical context favours a real militarisation of space.
After the success of the American New Space (Space X, Blue Origin, etc.), it is now Europe’s turn to encourage the development of the private sector. Partnerships are increasing between the ESA, large companies and start‑ups, such as Airbus D&S and Preligens.
At the same time, the space industry is accompanying states in the weaponization of the cosmos, in the form of anti‑satellite weapons for instance.
Space mechanics: meet ALTEN’s teams!
Our engineers invite you with passion to enter their world and discover:
- Their professions: architecture, design, detailed analyses, integration, tests…
- Their fields of application: satellites, orbital infrastructures, launchers, rovers…
They even make a stop at Phobos, an enigmatic Martian moon, to give you a glimpse behind the scenes of a flagship CNES project in which ALTEN is involved: the MMX rover!
Fasten your seatbelts, imminent departure for space!
Market Trends
New private actors and the miniaturisation of electronics have shaken up access to space. The market has switched quickly from “custom-built” satellites worth more than €100 million with an operational lifespan of 15 years to mass-produced satellites made each week, costing just tens of thousands of euros and lasting between 3 and 5 years.
Since 5 years, the launch of nano/micro satellites has increased: in some years, more than 1000 satellites are sent into orbit. These figures are still in progress, some companies are planning to send several tens of thousands of satellites into orbit. It’s the race for mega-constellations!
Challenges:
- Implement serial production of satellites
- Triple the frequency of launches
- Avoid the risk of collision in orbit
- Manage constellation replenishment
- Preserving the space environment and addressing the problem of space debris
Launching a satellite can account for nearly a third of the overall cost. In this context, reducing launch costs is a key factor of competitiveness in the space sector.
While Ariane 6 promises 40% lower costs compared to Ariane 5, Europe wants to go further by developing a reusable liquid oxygen engine demonstrator (Prometheus) to divide the cost of current engine production by 10. On the American side, SpaceX aims to reuse a launcher within 24 hours and to halve the cost of the mission.
Challenges:
- Speed up time to market of new launchers
- Set up a production system clocked and in series
- Study the solutions of reusable launchers / micro-launchers
As one of the largest collectors of environmental and climate data, the space sector wants to share and make accessible its data and above all monetise it by creating new services with added value (i.e. agricultural harvest predictions).
Challenges:
- Master new IT technologies (Cloud, Big Data, AI, etc.)
- Transform the industrial and economic model
- Rethinking the ground segment’s IT architecture
- Make data easily accessible to end users
ALTEN Value Proposition
Functional sectors
covered by ALTEN
Space launcher
Satellites
Ground segment
Our Success Stories
Modular, flexible and competitive, the new European launcher is intended to provide the best launch solution to businesses and institutions by 2023. As a historical partner of aerospace manufacturers, ALTEN actively participates in their development in various fields (structure, thermal, flight mechanical engineering, etc.).
ALTEN capitalises on more than 20 years of know-how in preparations for the assembly, validation tests and final integration (before launch) of various satellites for CNES and other industrial customers.
To provide very-high-speed internet to everyone, especially in areas difficult to reach for the terrestrial network, there is a project to launch a constellation of more than 600 mini-satellites in a low orbit whose commissioning started early 2022. ALTEN is working on the mechanical design and thermal calculations for these telecommunications mini-satellites.
There are many fields of application for Earth observation such as the environment, defence, geology, climatology, telecommunications, and IoT objects. ALTEN is involved in the study, development and maintenance of the complete image processing chains for the satellite observation systems of a major player in the space sector.
OUR CLIENTS
Space manufacturer & equipment supplier
Thales Alenia Space, Airbus D&S, CRISA, One Web, Hemeria
Launch industry
ArianeGroup, United Launch Aliance…
Space agency
CNES
Are you interested in the Space sector?
Join the ALTEN team and take part in the biggest technological challenges