Alphasat

Europe’s powerful new communications satellite, Alphasat, is due for launch this month of July on top of an Ariane 5 from Europe' Saceport in Kourou, French Guiana.

The mission – a partnership between the European Space Agency and commercial operator Inmarsat – will be the first test of Alphabus, the large Platform developed by ESA and CNES with Astrium and Thales Alenia.

 Alphasat is considered as the most sophisticated commercial communications satellite ever flown with several technological innovations

In addition to its major payload for Inmarsat's global mobile communications, the spacecraft also hosts four Technology Demonstration Payloads developed through ESA’s Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES) programme.