Thales has delivered a complete set of dual Travelling Wave Tubes (TWTs) for the Optus-11 satellite, developed by Airbus Defence and Space.
The dual TWTs, which amplify radiofrequency signals in satellite systems, are designed to improve the satellite’s performance and operational efficiency. They operate in the Ku-band and will support Optus-11 with enhanced communications and data transmission capabilities.
Optus-11 is based on Airbus’s OneSat product line, a new generation of software-defined, reconfigurable telecommunications satellites. The satellite can be adapted while in orbit to changing demands and market conditions.
Thales’s dual TWTs are designed to be compact and lightweight while maintaining high performance. They are available for Ku and Ka-band frequencies and are used in active antenna amplification systems on flexible satellites.
The TWTs were developed and produced by Thales’s facilities in Ulm (Germany), Thonon-les-Bains, and Vélizy (France).
Charles-Antoine Goffin, Vice President of Microwave and Imaging Subsystems at Thales, stated:
“We are honored to make a significant contribution to the operation of the Optus-11 satellite by providing Airbus Defence and Space with our next-generation Dual Travelling Wave Tubes. Our successful delivery of this system for the first flight model showcases Thales’s ability to quickly provide cutting-edge technological solutions that will shape the future of space communications.”