50 Years Space Activities in Antwerp
The Early days of Space in Europe
1960 to mid 70 ties
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How it all started
The company now known as Antwerp Space N.V. roots’ went back to 1962, when the first
space activities were started at the Bell Telephone Manufacturing Company (BTMC), an
Antwerp based company associated with the American ITT.
At that time, space activities started being organised at European level with the ESRO
and ELDO organisation, its funding members Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Italy
end the Netherlands.
Britain with Blue Streak became the first stage of the European launch vehicle with
France providing the Coralie second stage and Germany the third. Italy worked on the
satellite project, the Netherlands and Belgium concentrated on tracking and telemetry
systems and Australia supplied the launch site at Woomera.
Bell contributed to the ESRO1 and ESRO 2 satellite, providing the solar panels power
conditioning equipment and also a trailer based control and tracking station. Also
specific equipment was developed as part of this project.
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1962 : ELDO : the Down Range Guidance and Tracking Station
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Bell Telephone Manufacturing Labs
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1962 : ELDO : the Down Range Guidance and Tracking Station
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Photo’s : Courtesy of Miel Naveau
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The Golden Age
The Industrial evolution
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Creation of ESA in the Conference of Plenipotentiaries held in Paris on 30 May 1975.
The purpose of the Agency shall be to provide for and to promote, for exclusively
peaceful purposes, cooperation among European States in space research and
technology and their space applications, with a view to their being used for scientific
purposes and for operational space applications systems
Belgium again a pioneering country
Belgium 4th biggest contributor
Science as a fixed part of the ESA programs : GIOTTO mission , ..
European Independence for Launchers : Ariane
Fully exploit the Satellite telecom Era : Olympus , ARTEMIS
Start of the Remote Sensing Era : ERS-1 , Meteo
Enter the Manned Space arena : Spacelab : 1st Belgian Astronaut
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From subcontractor to Prime contractor
e.g.:
Spacelab Electrical Ground Support Equipment
Reseau Bande – S (Tracking , Telemetry and Command) for CNES
Image Receiving stations
From Institutional to the commercial market for Satellite telecommunications
Private and Institutional Enterprise
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The TT&C stations for CNES
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CNES Reseau groundstations
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Spacelab EGSE
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Spacelab EGSE
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Space SLED
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Tele-X Groundstation
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Olympus Flight Equipment & Payload EGSE
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Olympus Flight Equipment & Payload EGSE
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Olympus Flight Equipment & Payload EGSE
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ERS-1 TTCDAF Groundstation
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The credo of a company
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Giotto : the High Performance Demodulator
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The Himalsat Experiment
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Finally an Independent company
Originally a division of Bell Telephone Manufacturing Company, later known as
Alcatel Bell, it became an autonomous subsidiary of the Alcatel Space group in 1998.
At that time, the company still included defence related activities and was called
"Alcatel Bell Space and Defence".
Only a year later, in 1999, the defence related activities were sold and the company
became "Alcatel Bell Space".
With the alliance between Alcatel Space and Finmeccanica, the company became part
of Alcatel Alenia Space in 2005 and was renamed to "Alcatel Alenia Space Antwerp".
In 2007, Thales acquired the overall space related activities from Alcatel. As a
consequence, the company got the name "Thales Alenia Space Antwerp".
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A company on the MOVE
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The locations
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How it evolved
At the start, the space related activities were concentrated as the Space Department with the Radio
Space and Defence Division of the Bell Telephone Manufacturing Company (BTMC).
Initially located in the City centre, people were moved out to the BP Building, with some offices
located in the Antwerp Expo building.
When the Spacelab project started, also premises in the Terbekehofdreef were used. For the
Defense and Aero actvities
In the mid 70’s, a relocation to the ‘new’ “A” building at the Francis Wellesplein main site was
effectuated, with some lab and production facilities in the BTMC location in the Haantjeslei.
During this period, the Space department used the environmental test facilities available at the
BTMC main site.
While growing in the mid 80’s, not only the 3rd floor of the “A” building was occupied, also the 8th
floor became gradually more occupied.
When the initiative was taken to move into flight equipment hybrid design, gradually the whole
department moved out to Hoboken given the available area, so that there the clean rooms and
production areas were gradually built up.
During that period, the department belonging to the Antwerp Alcatel company became Alcatel Bell
Space.
Later on, the ownership changed several times : Alcatel Alenia Space, Thales Alenia Space Antwerp
and now Antwerp Space, part of the OHB Technology group.
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The application ERA
The GEO Political Context
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The application ERA
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Space Technology has reached Operational Maturity .
Satellite Telecommunications is already a commodity : TV broadcasting
with SES , Satellites as a through complement to terrestrial
communications , Intercontinental …
Satellite Remote Sensing
- Meteorological : Meteosat Second Generation , METOP
- Earth Observation : Envisat
Navigation : GPS and Local augmentation systems : EGNOS in Europe
Manned Space and Space Exploration
European contribution to the International Space Station with Columbus
and ATV ( Automated Transfer Vehicle )
Mars Express
Venus Express
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The GEO Political Context
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ESA being a Intergovernmental organization , Space in Europe
strengthens its political impact through the mandate of the European
Union .
Application a mandate of the European Commission ( Research
Framework program ) and Regional Bodies ( eg Flanders )
European Flagship programs :
GMES - Observing our planet for a safer world
Services : Marine , Atmosphere , Emergency Management ,
Security , Climate Change
GALILEO - the one and only European global navigation Satellite
system
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Polar Platform Ka Band Subsystem
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Polar Platform Ka Band Subsystem
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Flight Equipment Hybrids
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Envisat Groundstation
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Columbus Lab Check Out System
Key supplier of EGSE for the ESA Manned Space Program
Major achievements are for:
- Data management system (DMS-R)
- Ground Software Reference Facility GSRF
- European Robotic Arm (ERA)
- Columbus Orbital Facility (COF)
- Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV)
- Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle
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ATV (Automated Transfer Vehicle)
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ATV (Automated Transfer Vehicle) Communication links
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Galileo GTSB-V2 (GIOVE-B) Test Equipment
Service Module Simulator & Payload Test System
Initial constellation
GSTB-V2 Satellite
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Galileo GTSB-V2 (GIOVE-B) Test Equipment
Service Module Simulator & Payload Test System
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Ground Station Equipment :
Earth Observation Demodulators
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Ground Station Equipment :
Earth Observation Demodulators
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What made the Story come through ?
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A strong Belgian Space Policy governed by their Ministries and the
Administrations
A strong European Space Agency with its consecutive successes .
Excellent Customers
Excellent Industrial Partners
BUT
Most Importantly : The people behind it
THANKS TO ALL OF YOU
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THE NEW “ ANTWERP SPACE “
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Since the company has mainly ground related activities and since Thales
Alenia Space's mission changed to become more and more an on-board
player, the company's shares have been sold to OHB AG in July 2010, after
which its name has been changed to "Antwerp Space
Space has become a commodity to the citizen : eg weather forecast ,
disaster management , navigation , …
Driven by market pull and technological innovation
We are sure that OHB Gmbh and the people of “ Antwerp Space “ do have
all the assets to make the next decades a success story
GOOD LUCK
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