Space: Finmeccanica signs deals for photovoltaic generators

(AGI) Rome, June 17 - The Italian defence contractor Leonardo-Finmeccanica has signed two contracts with Germany's SpaceTech to integrate the photovoltaic assemblies destined for two new, important space missions. Leonardo will assemble the solar panel for the European Space Agency's (ESA) Euclid mission, for which the prime contractor is the Leonardo-Thales joint venture, Thales Alenia Space. Beginning in 2020, the Euclid mission will investigate the origins of the universe and peer into the depths of the cosmos at a distance of 1.5 million kilometres from Earth. Powered by the photovoltaic assemblies integrated by Leonardo, Euclid will observe galaxies up to 10 billion light years away for six years, studying the celestial bodies as they appeared when the universe was three times smaller than it is today. The second contract entails assembling eight solar panels on the Sentinel-6 satellites of the European Commission and ESA's Copernicus programme, which aims to monitor the environment and mitigate the effects of climate change, contributing to the handling of humanitarian emergencies, natural disasters, and the population's safety. The photovoltaic generators implemented by Leonardo will guarantee that the satellites, for which the prime contractor is Airbus Defence and Space, will function for over 5 years. Their launch is scheduled to take place as of 2020; orbiting Earth at an altitude of 1,300 km, they will provide information that will be useful for the study of earthquakes, landslides, and oceanic motion, among other things. "These latest achievements, including the supply of panels for missions such as ExoMars and Rosetta - at 64 square metres, the largest produced to date for a Solar System exploration mission - confirm once again Leonardo's prominent role in the market of space photovoltaic generators," the Italian company said in a statement. "With a wide range of skills, ranging from the development of hi-tech space equipment and sensors and the supply of satellite services to the production of satellites and orbiting structures, Leonardo takes a leading role in all the most significant international space missions." (AGI). .