Irish company Arralis today announced a €2 million-euro contract with the European Space Agency (ESA ) for a new electronically steerable Ka band antenna.
Arralis is designing and developing the antenna for use in future ESA science missions, with potential applications in observatories at the Earth-Sun Lagrange points and ESA’s Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) mission, designed to detect and accurately measure gravitational waves, and due to launch in 2034.
The contract was secured with the support of Enterprise Ireland and the development work will be carried out in the Arralis HQ in Limerick supporting the company’s continued growth in Ireland.
The communication technology being developed for use in space missions will also have commercial applications back on Earth. There is growing demand for low-power, lightweight steerable Ka band RF front-ends for the delivery of high speed, low latency internet bandwidth anywhere on Earth. This technology can be deployed in LEO, MEO and GEO communication satellites to greatly improve access to broadband.
Bryan Rodgers from Enterprise Ireland welcomed the announcement which he said highlights the continued growth in Irish companies developing highly innovative technologies for the rapidly evolving global commercial satellite communications market.
Speaking about the announcement, Arralis VP of Business Development, Gary Soul, said, "We are delighted to continue working with the European Space Agency to deliver the world’s leading Ka band satellite communications products to the global space industry."
Source: www.businessworld.ie