Thales UK has opened its Electric Propulsion Integration Centre in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and will expand Europe’s all-electric satellite capability as part of ESA’s Neosat programme.
UK astronaut, Tim Peake, officially opened Thales' new electric Space Propulsion Integration Centre manufacturing facility in the city of Belfast on 18 October.
The facility will manufacture around four satellite electric propulsion systems per year, including those for the European Space Agency’s Neosat satellite programme. Neosat is part of the Agency’s aim of developing in orbit next-generation satellite platforms for the core satellite communications market.
First Minister of Northern Ireland, Arlene Foster said: 'The new cleanroom facilities at Thales are an important investment in the development of Northern Ireland’s space cluster and demonstrate the Group’s confidence in the world-class engineering capabilities of its workforce in Northern Ireland.'
Electric propulsion is when electrical energy collected from the Sun is converted into thrust by the acceleration of inert Xenon gas ions from an electric thruster.
It allows satellites to carry larger payloads for longer periods, driving down the cost of operating the platform in space and requiring one fifth of the propellant to deliver the same mission compared to chemical-based engines.
'The opening of this propulsion centre represents a major milestone in our commitment to invest in the future of space manufacturing and game changing technology in Belfast and the UK. It also opens an exciting new chapter for a site which already enjoys a deserved reputation for world class precision engineering skills,' said Victor Chavez, Chief Executive, Thales UK.
The Thales Alenia Space Joint Venture investment has grown the business from 10 employees at its foundation to 150 today, and will more than double to 350 in the next two years.
The investment will also see the expansion of Space engineering centres of excellence in Bristol and Harwell, Oxfordshire.