Thales invests in UK space industry

New facility marks major milestone in the development of space design and manufacturing capability in the UK

Thales has opened an electric space propulsion integration centre in Belfast, the first of its kind in the UK.

The facility will manufacture electric propulsion systems – where electrical energy collected from the Sun is converted into thrust by the acceleration of inert Xenon gas ions from an electric thruster – for satellites. 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 facility will manufacture about four satellite electric propulsion systems per year, including those for the European Space Agency’s (ESA’s) Neosat satellite programme, which aims to help European satellite builders capture at least half of the world’s satcom market.

Victor Chavez, chief executive of Thales UK, said: “The opening of this propulsion centre represents a major milestone in our commitment to invest in the future of space manufacturing and game changing technology in Belfast and the UK. It also opens an exciting new chapter for a site which already enjoys a deserved reputation for world class precision engineering skills.”

The first 10 engineers from Belfast have completed their training in the propulsion technology at the Thales Alenia Space headquarters in Cannes, France.

The Thales Alenia Space Joint Venture investment has grown the business from 10 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, Oxfordshire.