Europe's 'chameleon' telecom satellite signed

The signature for Quantum is signed at the flag-raising ceremony of ESA's European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications (ECSAT) in the UK on 9 July 2015. The contracts were signed by Magali Vaissiere, ESA Director of Telecom, Nick Daly, MD of Eutelsat UK and Colin Paynter, MD of Airbus Defence and Space UK. Speeches by Magali Vaissiere, Eutelsat CEO Michel de Rosen and Colin Paynter.

Quantum is a public–private partnership (PPP) between ESA, leading satellite operator Eutelsat and Airbus Defence & Space (UK). The Quantum programme is a departure from the traditional, custom, one-off approach to building satellites by offering a new and generic payload design. For the first time, it will enable users to request the performance and flexibility they need in terms of coverage, bandwidth, power and frequency.

ECSAT is the youngest of ESA's centres across Europe, and has a special focus on telecom and partnerships with industry. One hundred ECSAT staff and contractors will be housed in the brand new "Roy Gibson" building on Harwell Campus, the UK Space Gateway, by the end of 2015.