Aladin’s magic lamp ready for take off: After 16 years of preparation and tough technical difficulties, Aeolus is finally ready to go for its final destination in low earth orbit. Weighing 1.4 tons, Aeolus carries the payload “Aladin”(Atmospheric Laser Doppler Instrument), which is based on the concept of LIDAR (Light detection and ranging), a method related to RADAR, but with laser beams for distance measuring instead of radio waves.

Recently an editor of the VDI-Nachrichten paid us a visit for his research on laser communications and EDRS-C, having no fear bringing our experts to their limits and asking difficult and uncomfortable questions. The result is an exciting and extensive article with the headline „Lichtgestalt“ („Shining Light“).

The article describes our LCT135, which we developed and produced in cooperation with DLR IKN, and its role within Airbus’ SpaceDataHighway.

Many thanks to Iestyn Hartbrich for the well-written article.

Here is the article: https://www.vdi-nachrichten.com/Gesellschaft/Lichtgestalt

The final countdown for Tara, Samuel, Anna and Ellen begins: Only 1 hour and 30 minutes until the new Galileo satellites are launched into orbit onboard an Ariane 5 launcher.

In short: the European Galileo program is the counterpart to the US GPS system and is though an independent, global satellite navigation system. Tesat-Spacecom's part for the four new satellites was to deliver the essential TT&C transponders, which are being used to properly determine the position of an object in space and though are crucial for a satellite-based positioning serivce.

The launch can be found at this link, the launch is today at 13:00 CEST.

Picture © ESA

Tesat takes part in European Union’s research and innovation programme Hi-FLY to take RF data links to the next stage. But let’s first clarify: What is the Hi-FLY project? And why is it so important?

The LCT135 with its 135 mm narrow aperture is the smallest terminal in the geostationary orbit. Working in a daily routine it is the powerhouse within the European Data Relay System called SpaceDataHighway. Under the ESA ScyLight program Tesat-Spacecom has now spawned the next evolution step for our well known GEO Laser Communication Terminals LCT135, by further developing and implementing new additional features to make even more applications possible. Therefore the GEO LCT135 will get – beside other new features – a data rate upgrade to nearly 4 Gbps, and a flexible and switchable mode between LEO and GEO scenarios to enable laser links over distances of 80,000 km in space in just seconds.

Tomorrow, on the 25th January, at 23:20 CET (live stream starts at 22:05 CET) an Ariane 5 ECA will launch two satellites - the SES-14 and the Al Yah 3 - into a geostationary transfer orbit. A rocket launch per se is a event you don't want to miss, but - needless to say - for us it's always a very special moment when our equipment gets shot into space, such as a variety of Ku- and Ka-Band OMUXes, IMUXes, Switches, Filters and MPMs.

Today at 11:27 am CET the European Sentinel-5P satellite of the Copernicus program starts with a Rockot from Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia. In addition to the great fact that this launch is one of the few that takes place during the day and you do not have to stay up late or get up early, the mission of the Sentinel 5P is a remarkable one:

With its state-of-the-art Tropospheric Monitoring Instrument (Tropomi), it measures a variety of trace gases such as nitrogen dioxide, ozone, formaldehyde, sulfur dioxide, methane, carbon monoxide and aerosols. All of which affect our air in any way, influencing our health and our climate and making it so a very important mission for us and our planet.

The topic of counterfeit semiconductors and other faked high-tech components has become increasingly explosive in today's world and the latest technical developments. Just last week the European Anti-fraud Office (OLAF helps partners seize over one million counterfeit semiconductors in major Joint Customs Operation, 03.07.17) and international media reported about a century coup of European customs surveys and the securing of millions of counterfeit semiconductors.

For the second time in a row, the Tesat Parts Agency was awarded with the "Supplier of the Year" award in the category "Value-Add Supplier" by Rockwell Collins. The US aerospace company awards the prize – it could almost be called a trophy – in a total of ten categories, although not every category is awarded if there is no corresponding performance. We can therefore be particularly proud of the fact that we have been repeatedly selected from hundreds of suppliers worldwide.

Under the patronage of Britta Schade (Senior Head of Department at DLR for Quality and Product Assurance), DLR's 5th Conference on EEE Parts took place in Jena on 4th and 5th April 2017. With about 100 registered participants, the event was well booked and enjoyed its growing interest every year. Employees from our Parts Agency and the EEE Center attended the conference.