Thales propels Northern Ireland into space

Air October 19, 2016

Major Peake officially opened Thales’s space propulsion facilities in Belfast, Northern Ireland, as part of a UK wide programme organised by the UK Space Agency and ESA.

A new investment facility in Northern Ireland’s space industry has been opened by UK astronaut Major Tim Peake.

Major Peake officially opened Thales’s space propulsion facilities in Belfast as part of a UK wide programme organised by the UK Space Agency and ESA designed to promote space manufacturing and STEM subjects. The First Minister Arlene Foster and Economy Minister Simon Hamilton also attended the event.

The facility has been developed following a £6M investment by Thales, Thales Alenia Space and Invest Northern Ireland.

Pictured left to right: Magali Vaissiere, Director of Telecommunications and Integrated Applications, European Space Agency, First Minister Arlene Foster, Philip McBride, General Manager, Thales Belfast, Principia Mission Astronaut Tim Peake and Economy Minister Simon Hamilton.

Manufacturing state-of-the-art electric propulsion systems for satellites, the facility is the first of its kind in the UK. 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. Electric propulsion allows the satellite 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 development of the facility marks a major milestone in manufacturing capability for Thales in the UK. Established in 2014, the Thales Alenia Space JV investment has grown rapidly from ten 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.

Belfast was chosen as the site for the centre due to its history of manufacturing precision for the defence industry, represented by the iconic Short Brothers, while the commitment by the UK Government to fund space activities and foster new growth opportunities, made it an ideal choice.

Moves to expand the space sector in the UK have been bolstered by the formation of the UK Space Agency, an increased contribution to the European Space Agency (ESA), the investment in the UK Space Gateway at Harwell and securing a significant share of the Neosat programme for the UK.

The Belfast facility has also received support and investment from Invest Northern Ireland in the form of a training and industrial research grant.

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.

Belfast will play an important step towards the qualification and production of the Thales Alenia Space’s Spacebus NEO satellite platform offering under the ESA Neosat programme.

Paul Everitt, CEO of ADS Group says: “Congratulations to Thales on the opening of this electric Space Propulsion Integration Centre; this is a very exciting development for the UK’s space industry and will do much to further Northern Ireland’s reputation as a hub for high-skill, high-value manufacturing.

“The UK continues to assert its position as a global leader in developing the high-tech innovations required in space exploration. By 2030, it is estimated that the UK will have a ten per cent share of the global space economy, worth £40bn annually.”

Arlene Foster said: “The Space Sector is an important emerging market with exciting commercial opportunities. We must ensure local businesses maximise their capabilities and expertise to position Northern Ireland as a globally recognised region for space sector innovation and expertise.

“Tim Peake’s historic six-month stay on the International Space Station did so much to educate and inspire all of us. Like Tim, we also have a mission. We must open engagement between industry, academia and government to develop Northern Ireland as a globally recognised region for space sector innovation.”
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ADS Group ESA European Space Agency Neosat Northern Ireland Space Thales Tim Peake UK Space Agency