The SICRAL 1B satellite,
on behalf of the Italian Ministry of Defense,
has been successfully launched today at
10.16 am (CET) by a Zenit-3SL rocket operating
from the Sea Launch platform, positioned
at the equator in the Pacific Ocean.
The SICRAL 1B program is under the joint
responsibility of Thales Alenia Space
and Telespazio, partners in the Space
Alliance for their parent companies Finmeccanica
and Thales.
“
As the company responsible for the
satellite design and construction” –
states Luigi Pasquali, President and CEO
for Thales Alenia Space Italia –
“We
are extremely proud to learn of SICRAL
1B’s perfect launch into orbit. This is
a programme to which Thales Alenia Space
has contributed with architectural, engineering
and technological solutions of undisputed
strategic and competitive value. SICRAL
1B is well able to meet the ever increasing
challenges posed by the changing global
scenarios. The Space Alliance can now
proceed with programme completion, and
the development and realisation of the
SICRAL 2 satellite, in collaboration partnership
with France., of the SICRAL 2 satellite.
Such a cooperation will be an international
synergie for military telecommunication
systems "
“Telespazio has played a key role
in the successful launch and early orbit
phase of the SICRAL 1B defence satellite”,
– said Giuseppe Veredice, CEO of
Telespazio.
– “This confirms the long tradition
of excellence, professionalism and experience
that makes Telespazio one of the world’s
leading space operations companies. The
satellite testing phase will be carried
out over the next few weeks by the Fucino
space centre in Abruzzo, which will manage
the satellite until operations are transferred
to the defence ministry’s Vigna di Valle
centre. Having invested directly in the
SICRAL 1B programme, Telespazio can now
be defined as a satellite operator, since
it benefits from some of the satellite’s
capacity, allowing it to offer communication
services to the European defence market
and NATO countries”
Engineering and technological solutions
will enable SICRAL 1B to meet the ever
increasing challenges posed by the changing
global scenarios. Once it is in geostationary
orbit at about 36,000 km, SICRAL 1B will
provide strategic and tactical communications
services for the Italian armed forces,
in Italy and abroad, as well as ensuring
mobile communications with land, naval
and air platforms. It will also provide
NATO forces with UHF and SHF satcom capabilities,
based on agreements by the Italian, French
and British ministries of defence and
the Atlantic Alliance.
SICRAL 1B is the second satellite in the
SICRAL program, following the launch of
SICRAL 1 in 2001. It will expand in-orbit
communications capacity to meet the evolving
military satellite communications requirements
of both Italy and NATO. The new satellite
has a design life of 13 years.
For the SICRAL 1B programme, Thales Alenia Space, a Thales/Finmeccanica company, designed the system and built the satellite and Telecommunications Control Centre in Vigna di Valle.
Telespazio, a Finmeccanica/Thales company, is responsible for the launch services, positioning (LEOP - Launch and Early Orbit Phase) and the in-orbit testing of SICRAL 1B. It also managed the building of the system’s Ground Segment at the Satellite Control Centre at Vigna di Valle and the Fucino Space Centre.
The SICRAL 1B program is a public-private
partnership between the Italian Ministry
of Defence and Finmeccanica. Based on
this agreement, Telespazio contributed
a significant part of the direct costs
of the SICRAL 1B program, giving it part
of the satellite’s capacity. Telespazio
can therefore take on the role of satellite
operator in selling capacity and services
to NATO and to the European and US defence
markets.
Press release
Comunicato stampa
Photo 1
Photo 2
15/04/2009
Launch
of SICRAL 1B satellite postponed to 20
April 2009
The launch of the Italian defence ministry’s
satellite SICRAL 1B has been postponed
by 24 hours. The satellite will be launched
on Monday 20 April 2009 at 10:16 (Central
Europe Time)
09/04/2009
SICRAL
1B ready for launch
The SICRAL 1B satellite is scheduled for
launch on April 19, on behalf of the Italian
Ministry of Defense. It will be launched
at 10.16 am (Europe time) by a Zenit-3SL
rocket operating from the Sea Launch platform,
positioned at the equator in the Pacific
Ocean.
07/04/2009
Final
tests on SICRAL 1B carried out in California
After the final tests carried out in California
on 30 March, the SICRAL 1B satellite of
the Italian MoD left Sea Launch Home Port
in Long Beach (California), on 2 April,
on board the launch platform Odissey
