[Satellite TODAY 05-10-10] Telespazio and Thales Alenia Space have signed a deal with the Italian Ministry of Defense and the French Defense Procurement Agency (DGA) for the development of the Sicral 2 satellite and ground segment for military communications, the two companies announced May 7.
    The contract is worth about 295 million euros ($375.6 million), of which 193 million euros ($245.8 million) was awarded to Thales Alenia Space and 102 million euros ($129.9 million) to Telespazio.
The companies said the contract likely will begin in early June, shortly after a framework loan agreement is signed.
    The Sicral 2 Program aims to support European military satellite communications and is designed to meet the needs expected to develop in the near future. The planned satellite and ground segment provides strategic and tactical communications links for both domestic operations and foreign deployments. It supports all military, terrestrial, naval and aerial platforms, operating in a single integrated network. 
The satellite will also ensure additional backup for current SHF-band capacity provided by Syracuse 3 and Sicral 1B intended for NATO communications.

Thales Alenia Space Sends EGP Prototype to ESA   Satellite Today   May 3, 2010
[Satellite TODAY 05-03-10] Thales Alenia Space has delivered the Eurobot Ground Prototype (EGP) to the European Space Agency (ESA) to support the International Space Station’s extra vehicular activities as well as future manned space missions…

Thales Alenia Space to Build Apstar 7B for $148.7 Million   Satellite Today   May 3, 2010
[Satellite TODAY 05-03-10] Hong Kong-based operator APT Satellite Holdings purchased an Apstar 7B satellite and satellite control ground center from Thales Alenia Space for 112.3 million euros ($148.7 million), APT announced.  Apstar 7B will…

CryoSat-2 Arrives at Baikonur   Satellite Today   April 5, 2010
[Satellite TODAY 04-05-10] The European Space Agency’s (ESA) CryoSat-2 ice satellite has arrived at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and has been integrated with the Dnepr rocket in preparation for its April 8 launch, the ESA announced April…