Sicral 2

Spacecraft nº:

Italian spacecraft nº: 36

Launch data: Designation  40614 / 15022B Launch date  26 Apr 2015 - 20:00 UT Launch site  Ko, ELA-3 Launch vehicle  Ariane-5ECA Mission  Military communication Geostationary orbit: Perigee / Apogee  35780? x 35800? km Eccentricity   Inclination  0.0? ° Period   min

Spacecraft data:

Description:

• Sicral 2 is a joint Italian-French programme based on a geostationary satellite operating in the UHF and SHF bands. It will enhance the “milsatcom” capabilities already offered by Italy’s Sicral 1 and Sicral 1B satellites, and France’s Syracuse-3 System.
• The Sicral 2 Programme will primarily support satellite communications for the two countries’ armed forces, and is designed to meet the needs expected to develop in the near future. Like its predecessors, the new satellite and ground segment will provide 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, it being the system designed for seamless integration with today’s national and allied countries’ infrastructures.
• To develop the Sicral 2 Programme, the two companies, Thales Alenia Space Italia (the Space Alliance between Finmeccanica and Thales) and Telespazio, have created a Temporary Group of Companies (TGC) headed by Thales Alenia Space Italia.
• Thales Alenia Space Italia is responsible for the design of the end-to-end communications system, the space segment, the design and assembly of the satellite, the design, development and assembly of the UHF and SHF payload for the Italian mission, and the architecture of the ground segment. Thales Alenia Space France will design and develop the platform, the SHF payload for the French mission (Syracuse 3C), and the Mission Control Centre in France.
• Telespazio is responsible for satellite launch and early orbit services (LEOP – Launch and Early Orbit Phase) and for satellite first In-Orbit Tests (IOT). The company will also manage the building of the system’s ground segment.

Mission details:

• Ariane 5 launched two communication satellites on Apr 26, 2015. Thor 7, a Loral 1300 satellite, will provide broadcast services for Norway's Telenor, including a Ka-band payload dedicated to maritime and Antarctic communications.
  Sicral 2 provides secure communications for the Italian and French armed forces. Both satellites have raised their orbits to GEO; there is no tracking data for Sicral available. Sicral is a Thales/Telespazio Spacebus 4000 satellite.