Telespazio

Telespazio Spa
Private joint venture
(Società per Azioni)
Industry Aerospace
Founded 1961
Headquarters Rome, Italy
Services Satellite services
Owner Finmeccanica (67%)
Thales Group (33%)
Number of employees
 Approx. 2,500
Subsidiaries Telespazio VEGA
Website www.telespazio.com

Telespazio Spa is a European spaceflight services company. It is a joint venture owned by Finmeccanica (67%) and Thales Group (33%) headquartered in Rome.

Telespazio covers the whole space market value chain, offering services and solutions to public institutions, business operators and consumers. Its activities range from the design and development of space systems to the management of launch services and in-orbit satellite control, from Earth observation services, integrated communications, satellite navigation and localization, to scientific programmes.

The company has a highest level experience, thanks to a technological expertise acquired over 50 years of activity. The company manages important space infrastructure - including the Fucino Space Centre, the world’s largest civilian teleport - and is involved in major space programmes, including Galileo (satellite navigation) , EGNOS, Copernicus , COSMO-SkyMed, SICRAL and Göktürk .

Telespazio operates in France with Telespazio France; in Germany with Telespazio VEGA Deutschland , GAF and Spaceopal ; in the United Kingdom with Telespazio VEGA United Kingdom; in Spain with Telespazio Ibérica; in Hungary with Telespazio Hungary and in Romania with Rartel. Telespazio has consolidated its presence in South America through Telespazio Brasil and Telespazio Argentina. It operates in the USA through Telespazio North America. In Italy, the company is also present through e-GEOS .

History

View of Telespazio Fucino Space Centre

Telespazio was founded in 1961. The company became a Franco-Italian joint venture on 1 July 2005, through a merger between Telespazio and the space services division of Alcatel.[1] Creation of the joint venture was concurrent with the creation of Alcatel Alenia Space (now Thales Alenia Space), formed by the merger of two other Alcatel and Finmeccanica space businesses (Alcatel Space and Alenia Spazio respectively).[2]

In 2007, the European Commission approves the transfer to Thales of Alcatel’s interests in joint ventures Alcatel Alenia Space (Thales: 67%; Finmeccanica: 33%) and Telespazio (Finmeccanica: 67%; Thales: 33%). This creates the new Space Alliance between Thales and Finmeccanica.[3]

In January 2011, Telespazio acquired the space activities of two Finmeccanica subsidiares, the Italy-based Elsag Datamat Space and the UK-based VEGA, for an undisclosed price.[4][5] VEGA was subsequently renamed Telespazio VEGA.

On 20 September 2011, a strike at the company led to a delay in the launch of Ariane 5.

See also

References

  1. ↑ McGraw-Hill (2006). "Telespazio". Aviation Week & Space Technology 164 (1-10): 315.
  2. ↑ International Astronautical Federation; United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs; International Institute of Space Law (1992). Highlights in space 2005: Progress in space science, technology and applications, international cooperation and space law. United Nations. p. 32. ISBN 9789211009897.
  3. ↑
  4. ↑ "Telespazio Acquires Vega, Elsag Datamat Space Businesses from Finmeccanica". Satellite Today. 17 January 2011. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  5. ↑ "Telespazio has acquired the space activities of two Finmeccanica Group companies: VEGA, based in the UK, and Elsag Datamat, based in Genoa.". Sat News. 17 January 2011. Retrieved 29 August 2012.

External links

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