Photo: Swissto12

Swissto12 has signed a new ka-band solid-state power amplifiers (SSPAs) deal with Thales, the company announced Jan. 31. These amplifiers will be a key component of the antenna link between Earth and Swissto12’s HummingSat range of next generation, small-sized Geostationary telecommunications satellites.

The SSPA amplifiers from Thales will be part of the array antenna of the HummingSat payload. More compact, less expensive, optimised for size and weight and with highly integrated electronics, these amplifiers aim to be perfectly tailored to the needs of new small-sized GEO satellites like HummingSat. The agreement further consolidates Thales’s position as a full-range supplier of amplification solutions, from conventional travelling wave tubes (TWTs) to compact, lightweight dual-TWT and SSPA products.

“Technical innovation is part of the DNA of Thales’s Microwave and Imaging Subsystems business, and we’re delighted to be collaborating with such a dynamic and agile company for the development of a state-of-the-art Ka-band SSPA product for Swissto12’s HummingSat platform.” Cécile Assié, VP Strategy and Marketing, Microwave and Imaging Subsystems, Thales, said in a statement.