We Connect in space

Over the course of six decades, TESAT has developed in-depth expertise in manufacturing of payload equipment for communication satellites and has established itself as a clear European market leader. On its 60,000m² premises in Backnang, Germany, about 1,100 employees develop, assemble, integrate, and test systems and equipment for telecommunication via satellite. To date, more than 700 space projects have been completed.

Our product offerings encompass highly reliable equipment as for example the travelling wave tube amplifiers, multiplexers, waveguide switches, and modulators, which along with complete systems are delivered globally to all leading satellite manufacturers. Therefore, we offer the complete communication technology necessary, to for example emit television signals over the antenna of a satellite to each household. More than half of all communication satellites in orbit have Tesat equipment on board.

We are convinced that in future global communication will only be viable with the incorporation of space. Therefore, as the first organization in the world, we are developing and delivering equipment for optical broadband communication in space. Using laser, these terminals can transmit data and images between satellites and from satellites to earth. Advantages of laser communication are, for example, the high transfer rate of 5.5 Gbps (equivalent to 200,000 pages of information per second) and its stability.

Given our competitive position in the commercial satellite market and the quality standards required of us there, our products are now used more frequently in the various satellite-based systems of the security and defense sectors in Germany, Europe, and the United States.

In addition to our technical expertise, we cultivate our standing in Backnang through social engagement and by supporting public projects.

Thomas Reinartz

Thomas Reinartz

Chief Executive Officer


Since March 1st 2022, Thomas is member of the board in the position of CEO. He has already gained extensive experience at Airbus Group since 1996. Amongst others, he was responsible for several departments in a managerial capacity, lastly in the role of Head of Marketing in Airbus Defence and Space GmbH.

Kerstin Basche

Kerstin Basche

Chief Financial Officer


Kerstin Basche joined TESAT as Chief Financial Officer on September 1, 2019. She joined the Airbus Group in March 2004 in the IFRS department, which she led from October 2011 to June 2015 for Airbus Commercial and Airbus HQ.

Subsequently, she took over the management of central controlling including the cost accounting of Space Systems and was CFO of Airbus DS GmbH. Afterwards she took over the management of Planning and Performance Analysis of the Airbus Defense and Space Division from 2017 to 2019.

Ralph Schmid

Ralph Schmid

Chief Program Officer


Ralph Schmid is member of the board since March 2022 and Chief Programs Officer at TESAT since April 2022. Ralph Schmid has already gained extensive experience in managerial positions at TESAT since 2011. In his former role as Head of Operations he has wide-ranging experience and knowledge of TESAT’s fields of operations.

  • In space communication, we pioneer with passion and strive to be the number one partner for your success. Our solutions set standards that open borders, and connect people worldwide.

  • TESAT understand itself as Europe's largest equipment supplier in the field of satellite communications and serves the global market with a regional emphasis on Europe, North America, and the Far East.

    The market for satellite communications can be essentially divided into three segments:

    • commercial applications
    • civil applications e.g. earth observations for scientific purposes,
    • exploration of space and military communications, such as remote sensing


    The most important application for commercial satellite communication is the distribution of TV channels that are received in tens of millions of households via satellite system operators, either directly or through cable networks. They allow direct transfers of news and sports programs. But also the development of devices for data and video communications has changed the applications of communications satellites in different market segments significantly.

  • Conflict Minerals Policy The ongoing conflict and extreme violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is fueled in part by the trade of "conflict minerals", which are defined as tantalum, tin, tungsten and gold as well as any of their derivatives (3TG).

    Since Barack Obama signed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act in 2010, every company traded on American stock exchanges has been required to look into the origin of conflict minerals in their supply chains and report on the reasonable inquiry and due diligence in order to determine whether their purchases supported armed groups in the DRC and adjoining countries.

    Consequently the U.S. law mentioned above does not only impact U.S. companies but a much larger number of companies worldwide.

Mission

  • Pioneering with Passion

    we will endeavor to find innovative solutions by actively exploring and pursuing new ideas
  • To be the number one partner for your success,

    we will act as an independent supplier to ensure the success of our customers
    we will offer individual solutions for today's and future needs of space travel
    we understand quality, information security and reliability as our commitment
  • To set new standards,

    we are committed to strict adherence to all applicable legal and ethical standards and handle natural resources with the greatest of care and stewardship
    we will establish new standards in technology, series production and digitization for space industry
    we will improve efficiency by mastering our value chain and focusing on our core business
  • To open borders,

    we will master changes and seek new solutions that go beyond today's state of the art
  • Connecting people,

    we are in direct personal contact with our globally operating customers and suppliers and will work trustfully and performance-oriented with them together
    with our communications products, we will contribute to global understanding between people across the world
    we will continue to invest in the education and training of our workforce

Quality

  • Quality in a nutshell

    • EN 9100 certified management system
    • Direct reporting line to the CEO
    • Materials, components and production processes are based on ECSS-Standards
    • ESA qualified lines for PWB production and PCB assembly
    • ESA Capability approval for the microwave manufacturing Line,
    • Metrology and calibration lab accredited to ISO17025
  • Certification in accordance with EN 9100

    Since 1994, the TESAT's (quality) management system is certified to DIN EN ISO 9001. Since October 2006, we maintain a certification to the aerospace standard EN9100, which links global customers and suppliers in a continuous quality chain. This European Standard is equivalent to the American AS9100 and the Asian JISQ9100 standards.

    In the continuous development of quality standards at Tesat we see the tangible benefit to get products and processes even more efficient and effective.

    Certificate
  • Accredited according to DIN EN ISO / IEC 17025:2018

    TESAT's calibration laboratory is accredited to DIN EN ISO 17025:2018 for selected measurements since August 2003. Therefore the standard of our calibration department corresponds with national and international guidelines.

    Certificate
  • Certification in accordance with DIN EN ISO/IEC 27001:2017

    TESAT's information security is accredited to DIN EN ISO / IEC 27001:2017 .

    Certificate

History

1949
1955
1967
1982
1983
1995
2000
2001

Milestones

  • 1971 Intelsat

    1971

    Intelsat IV: The first space project

  • 1989 Kopernikus

    1989

    Main Contractor for Deutsche Telekom Kopernikus Satellites

  • 1997 TWTA

    1997

    First longterm agreement for TWTAs signed

  • 2006 SAR-Lupe

    2006

    SAR-Lupe: Major Supplier for first Bundeswehr Satellite

  • 2007 NFIRE

    2007

    NFIRE: First flight of Tesat‘s LCT (First ISL with TerraSAR-X in 2008)

  • 2013 Alphasat

    2013

    TESAT’s first Optical Relay Payload on Alphasat

  • 2013 EPC

    2013

    TESAT manufactures the 10,000th EPC

  • 2014 EDRS

    2014

    Alphasat: First GEO-/LEO-ISL over a distance of 40,000 km

  • 2017 SmallGEO

    2017

    TESAT flexible SmallGEO Payload on Hispasat 36W-1

  • 2018 10,000 Laser Links

    2018

    More than 10,000 established Laser links in space

  • 2019 CubeLCT

    2019

    First CubeLCT produced, tested and delivered to customer

    © Tesat-Spacecom GmbH & Co. KG, 2022
    Contact
    Tesat-Spacecom GmbH & Co. KG
    Gerberstr. 49
    71522 Backnang
    Germany