Consortium

Four European partners with intimate knowledge in space technology bring their expertise to the INTERSTELLAR project in order to develop the next generation of high-speed analogue-to-digital and digital-to-analogue data converters (ADC and DAC).

Teledyne e2v

Project Coordinator

On March 28th 2017, e2v semiconductors became “Teledyne e2v semiconductors SAS”. Teledyne e2v semiconductors SAS is coordinator of the Interstellar project and in charge of data converters design, manufacturing and test activities. Teledyne e2v Semiconductors delivers continuity of supply, obsolescence and counterfeit avoidance for various solutions. The “Signal Processing Solutions” Business Unit working in the Interstellar project leads the world in Analogue to Digital and Digital to Analogue Broadband data converters with the potential to enable new advanced solutions in Space microwave frequency communication systems. This Business Unit will bring its world-class renowned design expertise in Broadband Data Converters, which, for instance, lead to put on the market the EV12DS130 Digital to Analogue Converter and EV10AS180 Analogue to Digital converter (ADC). These 2 products are both widely used in Space applications and are part of the extended Teledyne e2v semiconductors offer in data converters. Other state of the art data converters are the Quad Family used in high-end Test & Measure applications and the newly announced Dual channel ADC is very promising. The expertise of e2v Semiconductors goes beyond design of electronic data converters and lies also in package design, assembly, extended device characterization and industrial testing. All these activities are performed in Teledyne e2v site at Saint Egrève, near Grenoble (France).

Moreover, Teledyne e2v can rely on a company called Signal Processing (SP) Devices AB, a leader in the design and development of high performance analogue-to-digital processing technology, based in Sweden. Being a part of the Teledyne corporation, Teledyne SP Devices is an asset for Teledyne e2v semiconductors regarding broadband data converter business.

Teledyne e2v competencies & expertise are brought to the H2020 “Interstellar” project as key assets towards successful results. Their highly skilled staff will use such technical competencies but also bring its experience of European collaborative projects in the space field to successfully lead and coordinate the project.

Fraunhofer IIS

The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is the leading organization for applied research in Europe. Its research activities are conducted by 69 institutes and research units at locations throughout Germany. The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft employs a staff of 24,500, who work with an annual research budget totaling more than 2.1 billion euros. The Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS is one of the world’s leading application-oriented research institutions for microelectronic and IT system solutions and services.

Fraunhofer IIS contributes to INTERSTELLAR with its academic expertise and scientific knowledge and its key competencies in satellite system design, waveform design, wideband and high-speed signal processing design, hardware, firmware and software design. This enables the research on new devices capable of providing high-speed and large bandwidths and their integration in test circuits, evaluation platforms and even future product designs. Fraunhofer IIS contributes by supporting and reviewing the specification of the different devices. The major part of the work concentrates on the demonstration board design, manufacturing and validation of these boards. These will serve as a basis for the other partners to investigate the feasibility of the developed components to work in new products of the partners.

Airbus Defence and Space

Airbus is a global leader in aeronautics, space and related services. In 2016, it generated revenues of € 67 billion and employed a workforce of around 134,000. Airbus offers the most comprehensive range of passenger airliners from 100 to more than 600 seats. Airbus is also a European leader providing tanker, combat, transport and mission aircraft, as well as Europe’s number one space enterprise and the world’s second largest space business. In helicopters, Airbus provides the most efficient civil and military rotorcraft solutions worldwide.

Airbus Defence & Space Ltd is the largest space manufacturing and services company in the UK, employing over 3,500 people working on space-related projects with a space turnover of more than £1billion per annum. Areas of expertise and operations include Earth observation, telecommunications, navigation and scientific satellite design and manufacture, related ground systems, payload RF electronics, instruments and radar. The Communications Processors department expertise consists in delivering design and applications requirements and test and evaluation criteria, as well as by conducting a measure of its own practical testing in order to gain familiarity with all engineering aspects of the components, thereby pre-positioning itself favourably for future deployment.

Airbus Italia S.p.A. is a frontrunner Italian space company with 30 years experience in space technologies, with special focus on satellite communications, Earth observation and navigation. It participated namely to specification and breadboarding of high throughput processors which makes Airbus Defence & Space Roma an ideal partner in processing units definition and development. The Engineering department has a wide heritage in the design, integration and test of digital and RF subsystems for telecommunications: RF down- and up-converters, mod- and de-modulators, transceivers, switching systems, etc… The department has also a significant heritage in FW/SW design, development and qualification for ground and space applications.

Thales Alenia Space

Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), is a key European player in space telecommunications, navigation, Earth observation, exploration and orbital infrastructures. Thales Alenia Space and Telespazio form the two parent companies’ “Space Alliance”, which offers a complete range of services and solutions. Because of its unrivaled expertise in dual (civil/military) missions, constellations, flexible payloads, altimetry, meteorology and high-resolution optical and radar instruments, Thales Alenia Space is the natural partner to countries that want to expand their space program. The company posted consolidated revenues in excess of 2 billion euros in 2014, and has 7,500 employees in eight countries.

Thales Alenia Space will lead the Mechanical and Thermal evaluation activities of ADC and DAC developed in the frame of the H2020 “Interstellar” project.

Thanks to the company’s expertise in space systems and units, Thales Alenia Space will contribute to specifications of “Interstellar” state-of-the-art ADC and DAC components as well as their qualification, electrical evaluation on demo board and evaluation in Telecom & Earth Observation product environment.

Kapitech

Kapitech is an SME Polish engineering company, founded in 2014, has the headquarters in Warsaw, specialized in innovation management in the space business and consulting. Kapitech is based on the knowledge and experience of its sister company and its founders, who have been operating in France for over 25 years. Kapitech operates a strong European network of major space stakeholders and space organization in Europe. Kapitech is also an official Copernicus Relays in Poland and Climate-KIC member. Kapitech experts will provide support to the definition of the exploitation plans within the different targeted space markets and in particular in Europe, so that to maximize the commercialization phase as soon as possible after the project end.