Thales Alenia Space wins 2017 better Satellite world awards

The MEOLUT Next solution awarded by Space & Satellite Professionals International
in the category “Humanitarian”

Thales Alenia Space was honored today by winning a 2017 Better Satellite World Awards for its MEOLUT Next solution. This award was given by Space & Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) at London’s prestigious One Whitehall Place, which aim is to reward established companies and disruptive innovators for making our world a more prosperous, healthier, better-educated, more sustainable and inclusive home for all humankind.
 
According to SSPI, recipients for the Better Satellite World Awards were evaluated in three categories. These were global or regional impact; distribution of knowledge for the improvement of living standards; and governance and commerce. 
 
The selection of the recipients for the Better Satellite World Awards was made by an international jury consisting of a broad cross-section of industry thought leaders and distinguished professionals.
 
MEOLUT Next is Thales Alenia Space’s newest contribution to satellite search and rescue efforts to save more lives. After being commissioned in August 2016, MEOLUT Next started operation on December 13 of that year, as the world’s first spaceborne Search & Rescue system of this type and is now fully operational and integrated in the Cospas-Sarsat system.
 
Conventional MEOLUT systems, each fitted with six large parabolic antennas in an area about the size of a football field, are capable of receiving signals from six satellites (one per antenna). Thales Alenia Space's MEOLUT Next solution, with its small antennas located in less than 6 square meters, tracks up to 30 satellites, thus significantly enhancing the distress beacon detection rate, while also expanding the coverage zone. Furthermore, since there are no mechanical components in these antennas, hardware maintenance costs are the lowest on the market.

These 2-meter compact phased array antennas comprising 64 patches and fitted with a high-performance RF (radio frequency) unit, may be deployed on a rooftop without the need for additional heavy infrastructure. The MEOLUT Next is stationary and requires no electric motors to run, allowing it to operate with minimal maintenance. It is capable of tracking signals from all MEO satellites within view of it, allowing it to detect distress signals from up to 5,000 km away.

“Thales Alenia Space believes in space as humankind’s new horizon, which will enable to build a better, more sustainable life on Earth. Saving lives is totally integrated in our company’s aspiration and demonstrated by our participation in the Search and Rescue services offered by Cospas-Sarsat”. We are honored to have received this award for MEOLUT Next which has already proved its operational efficiency and the wonderful story of technology’s contribution to life on Earth“ declared Philippe Larhantec, MEOLUT Next product line manager.

In July of 2017, a MEOLUT Next antenna picked up the distress beacon of a small sailing boat off the coast of Sardinia, well outside of VHF radio and other communication ranges. Within a stunning 5 minutes, the MEOLUT Next’s signal bursts had pinpointed the boat’s location well enough for rescue crews to save its three passengers over the next few hours.

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