STENTOR TO BE LAUNCHED ON FLIGHT 157

Astrium is co-prime contractor for the French experimental communications satellite Stentor, which will be launched on November 28th on an Ariane 5 launcher.

Stentor is an experimental telecommunications satellite for the French Space Agency CNES which will be used for in-orbit validation of a range of new technologies for next-generation telecommunications satellites: around 85% of the satellite’s equipment is new technology.

Astrium is co-prime for the programme and proxy for the industrial contract. In particular, the company has provided the spacecraft’s avionics and flight software, which ensure attitude and orbit control, on-board management, and primary power and thermal system control. Astrium is also responsible for system consistency and spacecraft operations. Other platform elements and the communications payload are provided by the other co-prime contractor, Alcatel Space.

Within the framework of the Stentor programme, Astrium has developed a new generation of spacecraft avionics and flight software which is now integrated into the company’s Eurostar E3000 model, as well as technologies such as plasma propulsion and Lithium Ion cell technologies also demonstrated by Stentor. Thus, even before launch of the satellite, a significant part of the Stentor mission aim has been achieved, as the proven validation of these technologies has been a highly important factor in the selection of the E3000 by major satellite operators for their largest and most advanced satellites – a success for Astrium and for the European space industry.