Alphabus is Europe’s response to the worldwide market demand for larger telecommunication payloads aimed at direct-to-home TV broadcasting, digital audio broadcasting, broadband access and mobile services. The platform was jointly designed and built by Astrium and Thales Alenia Space, teamed with established industrial partners in Europe. 
With Alphabus, European industry has significantly extended its telecom satellite range beyond the capabilities of previous platforms. It is available on the commercial market to accommodate missions with up to 22 kW of payload power and payload mass of up to 2 tonnes. It is currently the platform for Alphasat, the largest European-built telecommunications satellite. 

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