SWISSto12 partners with Thales for HummingSat power amplifiers

January 31, 2023

SWISSto12 has signed its first contract with Thales (Courtesy SWISSto12)
SWISSto12 has signed its first contract with Thales (Courtesy SWISSto12)

SWISSto12, a provider of additively manufactured antenna and radio frequency (RF) system products headquartered in Renens, Switzerland, has signed its first contract with global technology provider Thales. Through this partnership, Thales will develop and supply the Ka-band Solid State Power Amplifiers (SSPAs) that will be a key component of the antenna link between earth and the HummingSat telecommunications satellites.

The SSPA amplifiers from Thales will be part of the array antenna of the HummingSat payload. Intended to be more compact, less expensive, optimised for size & weight, and with highly integrated electronics, these amplifiers are said to be well suited to the needs of new small-sized geostationary (GEO) satellites like HummingSat.

THE WORLD OF METAL AM TO YOUR INBOX
Subscribe to our twice-weekly newsletter
Sign up

These technologies are the result of successful collaboration within the Thales organisation, wherein a dedicated team developed SSPA products that intended to meet the time-to-market and design-to-cost requirements of customers. Thales expects to achieve qualification of its SSPA product line in 2024.

“We are delighted to be pursuing this collaboration with Thales, a world leader in satellite power amplification,” stated Dr Emile de Rijk, founder and CEO of SWISSto12. “The cutting-edge technology from Thales has been developed in close connection with our antenna solutions and is a strong match for the telecommunications infrastructure offered by the HummingSat product line. Our platform is a showcase for the disruptive technologies emerging in Europe’s space landscape and offers the capacity, performance and flexibility that satellite operators need to address previously under-served markets.”

Cécile Assié, VP Strategy and Marketing, Microwave and Imaging Subsystems, Thales, concluded, “ Technical innovation is part of the DNA of Thales’s Microwave and Imaging Subsystems business, and we’re delighted to be collaborating with such a dynamic and agile company for the development of a state-of-the-art Ka-band SSPA product for Swissto12’s HummingSat platform.”

www.swissto12.com

Download Metal AM magazine
SWISSto12 has signed its first contract with Thales (Courtesy SWISSto12)

In the latest issue of Metal AM magazine

Download PDF
 

Extensive AM industry news coverage, as well as the following exclusive deep-dive articles:

  • What happens when you take the powder out of AM? Charting the rise of wire-based DED with WAAM3D
  • Smart sensor-integrated parts by AM: A look at a novel possibility with industrial applications
  • Tailored materials for AM: How a 'powder kit' can achieve greater material diversity with fewer resources in PBF-LB
  • QuesTek's ICMD: Faster, cheaper, and better alloy development for Additive Manufacturing
  • NanoAL: Alloy development on an open parameter PBF-LB machine, from installation through to Rapid Alloy Screening
  • Using the Six Sigma method to optimise metal powder spreading in PBF-LB
  • Insights from R&D to part production: How CT analysis can advance metal Binder Jetting
  • Corrosion and wear resistence of materials processed by beam-based AM technologies

The world of metal AM to your inbox

Don't miss any new issue of Metal AM magazine, and get the latest industry news. Sign up to our twice weekly newsletter.

Sign up

News from the industry…

    News from the industry…

    Discover our magazine archive…

    The free to access Metal Additive Manufacturing magazine archive offers unparalleled insight into the world of metal Additive Manufacturing from a commercial and technological perspective through:

    • Reports on visits to leading metal AM part manufacturers and industry suppliers
    • Articles on technology and application trends
    • Information on materials developments
    • Reviews of key technical presentations from the international conference circuit
    • International industry news

    All past issues are available to download as free PDFs or view in your browser.

    Browse the archive

    Looking for AM machines, metal powders or part manufacturing services?

    Discover suppliers of these and more in our comprehensive advertisers’ index and buyer’s guide, available in the back of Metal AM magazine.

    • AM machines
    • Process monitoring & calibration
    • Heat treatment & sintering
    • HIP systems & services
    • Pre- & post-processing technology
    • Powders, powder production and analysis
    • Part manufacturers
    • Consulting, training & market data
    Download PDF
    Share via
    Copy link
    Powered by Social Snap