The Italian arm of the satellite constructor, Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), and Telespazio, Joint Venture between Leonardo (67%) and Thales (33%), forming the Space Alliance, have signed the contracts with the Italian Ministry of Defence and with the Italian Space Agency (ASI), for the construction of two additional satellites as part of the COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation constellation (CSG), along with an upgrade of ground, logistic support and operational segments.
Artist’s impression of COSMO-Skymed Second Generation satelite. Courtesy: Thales Alenia Space
Thales Alenia Space is responsible for the construction of the satellies and for the overall COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation programme. Telespazio is responsible for designing and developing the CSG Ground Segment, including the security aspects, as well as the Integrated Logistics and Operations (ILS&OPS) services. Leonardo will provide items for the spacecraft including star trackers (A-STR) and the power producing Photovoltaic Assembly (PVA). The order adds to the two spacecraft already ordered for the COSMOS-Skymed Second Generation constellation: the Proto-Flight Model (PFM) Launched in 2019 and the Flight Model 2 (FM2) currently under test and due to be launched in 2021.
