The TGO space probe was now on its way to the Red Planet for seven months, and is now on the finishing line of the ExoMars mission. Yesterday afternoon, the international team of ESA and Roskosmos researchers celebrated the first milestone: The separation of "Schiaparelli" from the research probe "TGO", which was not quite uninhibitive, was successfully mastered. Now it takes a few more days until Schiaparelli has braked to the right speed, before it lands on Mars on Wednesday.

Using an Atlas-V rocket and on board the spacecraft OSIRIS-REx amplifiers made by Tesat-Spacecom make themselves tomorrow on the way to the asteroid Bennu. After New Horizons and Juno, OSIRIS-REx is the third spacecraft of the New Frontiers Program of NASA. The aim of the OSIRIS-REx mission is to collect samples and return them to Earth. More precisely, the probe shall gather around 60 grams of regolith, "non-earthly loose material on the surface of asteroids", with its arm, store it safely and bring it back to Earth.

The optical observation satellite Sentinel-2B, which structurally identical twin-satellite Sentinel-2A has already been started on June 23, 2015, now comes into the hot phase. Yesterday the second "eye" of the European Earth monitoring program Copernicus was completed and is now ready for different space tests in the Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) of ESA in Noordwijk.

Tesat Parts Agency was honored with the this year’s “Supplier of the Year” award in the category “Value-Add Supplier” by Rockwell Collins. The US aerospace company awards this prize annually from hundreds of suppliers to only ten chosen companies.

Update 2: Start postponed a second time. For further info, please go with the livestream player.

Update: Due to bad weather conditions the launch is postponed. New launch Date: today, 23.04.16, 22:30h (CET). Stay tuned.

Tonight at 23:02 Central European Time a Soyuz rocket with a precious cargo launches from the European spaceport near Kourou in French Guiana: Not only the satellite Sentinel-1B, the fourth "guardian" of the European Earth observation program Copernicus is on board, but also a Laser Communication Terminal (LCT) from Tesat-Spacecom, to collect and send more precise data from earth to earth. Sentinel-1B joins his twin satellites 1A, which circulates already for two years to the Earth and the other Sentinels 2A and 3A.

March 2016 – As the first company worldwide, Tesat-Spacecom, one of the largest space technology companies in Germany, has pioneered the application of additive manufacturing techniques, also known as 3D printing, for the production of microwave components. The breakthrough took place within the framework of an activity supported by ESA through the Competitiveness & Growth Element of the ARTES programme.

On 14th March 2016 the communication module (CM) of the EDRS-C payload was delivered to OHB. On the 16th March the incoming inspection in Bremen could also be completed successfully. Thereby two of the three components of the payload – CM and antenna – as also the testing system for the following satellite testing phase at OHB in Bremen respectively at IABG in Ottobrunn are ready. The last essential component for the function of the hybrid payload, the LCT, is in the final acceptance test phase at Tesat-Spacecom.

Last Friday we awarded for the eleventh time now our coveted supplier award. From around 1,100 active suppliers are about 400 suppliers in a constant supplier evaluation. Five companies were honored this year for outstanding achievements in the field of quality and delivery.

Behind the award is also an entrepreneurial advantage: the continuous improvement. Mr. Collissy, department manager of purchasing, places emphasis on the internal instructions: "The supplier evaluation serves to measure the quality of the cooperation and to improve it. Through this continuous measurement it is possible to identify potential for improvement and to make changes visible."

Some of our products are made out of more than 7,500 individual parts and have to ensure their service in orbit over a period of 15 years, "the importance of reliable and high quality suppliers is obvious here," so Collissy added.

The engineering office for precision mechanics Wolf from Winnenden received the supplier award this year for the third time after 2011 and 2015. The cooperation exists since 2004, whereat the work focuses on the development and production of special devices for tools in manufacturing, assembly and quality control as well as the manufacturing and supply of precision parts in small series.

For the fourth time after 2009, 2012 and 2014 Schenz milling technology from Auenwald received the supplier award for top quality, punctuality and flexibility. Schenz manufactures high-precision mechanical components and is a specialist in their field. The company has been a supplier of us since 1968.

After 2008, 2012 and 2014 Mielenz CNC Technik from Loßburg received last Friday its fourth supplier award for outstanding achievement in high precision mechanics. Founded by Heinz Friedrich Mielenz in Köngen in 1980 Mielenz CNC Technik is a manufacturer of vacuum clamping units and contract manufacturer for the areas of automotive, aerospace and telecommunications.

Blinzinger electronics from Sindringen received their first supplier price this year. Established in 1986, they develop and manufacture electronic products for industrial purposes. The product range extends from technical ceramics such as soft magnetic ferrite cores and their processing, magnetic components such as transformers up to complete devices in the field of industrial power supplies.

The rich in tradition company Böhm & Wiedemann from Eching, founded in 1784, was awarded this year also for the first time with the supplier award. Founded as “bohemian glassware” it now focuses on optical precision machinery and is a certified supplier of the aerospace industry.

The certificate is handed out along with a statue called "Steps to Success". The artist and creator of the bronze sculpture, Louise Kött Gardener, describes it as follows: "A positive and life-affirming attitude helps to cope the steps to success lightly, nearly playfully".

On January 29, 2016 at 23:20h (CET) the first laser node oft the European Data Relay Satellite System (EDRS) was successfully sent to orbit aboard a Proton launcher. After about nine hours of flight the telecommunications satellite Eutelsat 9B reached its target altitude of 36,000 kilometers above the equator, where it is subjected to immediate in-orbit tests.

It was a tough job, but on September 1, 2015 it was to come: Our new exhibition foyer was opened in the presence of the two parliamentary secretaries Brigitte Zypries and Christian Lange. Even the mayor of Backnang, Dr. Frank Nopper, and Andreas Hammer, the successor of Peter Schlote were on site. And around 500 colleagues who wanted to throw a first look at our new boss.