Leonardo’s joint ventures with Thales – Telespazio (67% Leonardo, 33% Thales) and Thales Alenia Space (67% Thales, 33% Leonardo) – participate in all the most important space programmes for Earth Observation, Navigation and Exploration pioneered by international space agencies and institutions.
Earth Observation
Aeolus
An experimental European Space Agency mission for the study of winds on Earth to support weather forecasting and knowledge of climate phenomena. With the support of the Italian Space Agency, Leonardo has developed and built the world’s most powerful laser transmitter operating in the ultraviolet (UV) range.
With an all-new approach to measuring wind from space, this laser technology identifies global winds by generating UV light pulses emitted into the atmosphere. Aeolus can analyse areas not yet reachable by traditional means (balloon probes or aircraft) and will make an important contribution to the study of climate change, global warming and atmospheric pollution.
Copernicus
The Copernicus programme is coordinated by the European Commission in collaboration with the European Space Agency, and the contribution of the Italian Space Agency (ASI) in the field of environmental monitoring. It contributes to the management of humanitarian emergencies, natural disasters and population security.
Leonardo is an industrial partner in the programme. The company produces satellites (with Thales Alenia Space, prime contractor for the Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-3 constellations and for the new CHIME, CIMR and ROSE-L missions), and is responsible for data acquisition, services and applications (with Telespazio and e-GEOS), and sensor development.
Sentinel-1 satellites are equipped with star trackers and power units, while Sentinel-3 satellites feature SLSTR radiometers (capable of measuring land and ocean temperatures with a precision of one-tenth of a degree from an altitude of 800 km) and Leonardo photovoltaic arrays, which are also mounted onboard the Sentinel-5-P and Sentinel-6.
Telespazio contributes to development of the ground segment and operations of the Copernicus project and – through e-GEOS, GAF and Telespazio UK – manages emergency response and security of land and sea resources, monitoring climate change and supplying the programme with Earth observation data from the COSMO-SkyMed and IRS missions.
e-GEOS (Telespazio 80%, ASI 20%) supplies the European Commission with geospatial information and satellite maps of areas affected by emergencies, providing disaster response information to civil protection bodies, the competent authorities of the Union’s member states and international humanitarian organisations.
COSMO-SkyMed
COSMO-SKyMed, a dual-purpose programme funded by the Italian Space Agency and the country’s Ministries of Defence and Education, Universities and Research, monitors Earth 24/7 to support response to natural disasters and emergencies and to study the effects of climate change.
Through Thales Alenia Space, prime contractor of the entire system, Leonardo has developed the Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), a key element in the system; while through Telespazio, it manages the ground segment and operates the constellation’s command and control centre in Fucino (Abruzzo).
Through e-GEOS (Telespazio 80%, ASI 20%), Leonardo commercialises data generated by the satellites in the constellation, which take up to 450 shots of Earth’s surface every day, producing a total of 1,800 radar images.
Development of the second generation of COSMO-SkyMed will involve construction of two satellites, for which Leonardo will supply carbon fibre photovoltaic panels (eight per satellite), equipment for the regulation and distribution of electrical power on the satellite; manoeuvring instruments and star trackers (two per satellite). From the Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP) room at the Space Centre in Fucino, Leonardo will, through Telespazio, also manage the launch of the satellites into orbit.
Flex
The European Space Agency’s FLEX mission is a part of the ‘Earth Explorer’ programme aimed at studying the health of plant life. Leonardo leads a consortium of European industries including prime contractor OHB System AG, and supplies a spectrometer capable of detecting light given off by plants and breaking it down into different colours from an altitude of approximately 800 km.
FLEX will orbit and work in tandem with the Sentinel-3 satellite of the European Copernicus Programme, which has on board another instrument made by Leonardo – the SLSTR radiometer – that will measure the surface temperature of the oceans and land. The data collected will be useful for sustainable development of the environment and above all for the farming sector.
Meteosat Third Generation (MTG)
This is a European Space Agency programme conducted in partnership with EUMETSAT to create ever more reliable meteorological and weather forecasting models. A third generation of satellites, equipped with a Leonardo Lightning Imager, an instrument capable of ‘capturing’ lightning in Earth’s atmosphere at a distance of more than 36,000 km, will supply images of superior quality.
Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) will include six satellites, four ‘imaging’ MTG-1s and two ‘sounding’ MTG-S satellites, due to be launched from the autumn of 2022. Leonardo is also participating in the MTG programme by supplying its A-STR star tracker sensors and photovoltaic panels for the six new generation satellites.
Thales Alenia Space, which has been building Meteosat satellites for more than 30 years, is responsible for this project. Telespazio is involved in the ground segment, including data acquisition and satellite command and control operations, and will supply EUMETSAT with services for the launch into orbit of two satellites (with an option for a third) in the new MTG constellation.
MetOp Second Generation
MetOp (Meteorological Operational Satellites) is a programme in which the European Space Agency and EUMETSAT are collaborating on use of polar satellites for meteorological purposes.
The system, comprising three satellites and ground control facilities, will supply data on a long-term basis to support weather and environmental forecasting. The payload of the three second-generation MetOp optical satellites, due to be launched starting in 2022, will include a 3MI (Multi-viewing, Multi-channel, Multi-polarisation Imager), a multi-spectrum polarisation imager for the study of air quality built by Leonardo.
3MI will improve knowledge of air quality indicators and the mass of pollution particles in the aerosol layer, and help improve knowledge of clouds. Leonardo produced the infrared sensors of the IASI-NG scientific instrument in Southampton (UK). Thales Alenia Space is supplying key items for the ground element of the mission.
PLATiNO
PLATiNO (which in Italian stands for mini Piattaforma spaziaLe ad Alta TecNOlogia) or ‘mini high-tech space platform’ is an Earth Observation programme financed by the Italian Space Agency and the Italian government, divided into two missions due to depart in 2022 and 2023.
The PLATiNO 1 satellite, produced by Leonardo through Thales Alenia Space, is equipped with Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) operating in the X band, solar panels providing the energy to operate the mini-satellite, and SpaceStar star trackers to ensure correct positioning in orbit. Work is under way in Thales Alenia Space’s clean rooms to produce several avionic subsystems for the platform, including the communication system.
For the PLATiNO 2 satellite, equipped with an infrared observation instrument, Leonardo will be working with prime contractor SITAEL to develop an advanced Thermal InfraRed (TIR) camera capturing temperature maps of Earth to monitor its health and changes in climate.
PRISMA
PRISMA (which in Italian stands for PRecursore IperSpettrale della Missione Applicativa, ‘Hyperspectral Precursor of the Application Mission’) is an Italian Space Agency mission to observe Earth, its natural resources and key environmental processes.
It is produced by a temporary group of companies led by OHB Italia, which is responsible for the mission and for management of three main segments (ground, flight and launch), and Leonardo, which produced the hyperspectral electro-optical payload and various items of on-board equipment, including star trackers and the solar panel.
Telespazio produced the ground segment, including the mission control centre in Fucino (L’Aquila) and the e-GEOS data acquisition, processing and distribution centre in Matera. Telespazio also managed the satellite’s separation from its carrier rocket through to reaching its final position in orbit, as well as test activities in orbit. Thales Alenia Space produced the satellite’s onboard data transmission system.
Navigation and Telecommunications
ATHENA-FIDUS
The French/Italian programme ATHENA-FIDUS (Access on THeatres and European Nations for Allied forces - French Italian Dual Use Satellite) is a dual-use telecommunications system developed by the Italian Space Agency with CNES (Centre National d’Ėtudes Spatiales) under a partnership between the Italian and French space agencies and Ministries of Defence.
The system can replace and supplement ground networks, when damaged or unavailable, to provide essential institutional services. The prime contractor on the programme is Thales Alenia Space, responsible for the satellite’s development, construction, verification and delivery into orbit, as well as construction and testing of the control centre and of satellite support and maintenance services.
Telespazio managed launch services – the Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP) and the In-Orbit Test (IOT) phase, participated in production of the ground segment at the Vigna di Valle centre, and produced a military ground segment for the Italian Ministry of Defence. For this programme, Leonardo supplied a star tracker sensor with a medium field of view, integrated into a single assembly designed to withstand radiation.
EGNOS
EGNOS (European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service) is a European satellite navigation system developed by the European Space Agency, the European Commission and Eurocontrol for highly accurate geopositioning (within 3m), improving on existing Global Positioning System (GPS) technology.
EGNOS, a forerunner of the Galileo positioning system, consists of three geostationary satellites and a network of ground stations offering services in the fields of aeronautical security (support during the aircraft landing phase), agriculture (high-precision crop spraying with fertilisers) and transportation (automatic road toll charging).
EGNOS can operate in all European nations and could be extended to nearby regions, such as North Africa. Through prime contractor Thales Alenia Space, Leonardo is responsible for production of the entire EGNOS navigation system, the Central Control Facility and the Ranging and Integrity Monitoring Stations (RIMS) used to collect data from GPS L1/L2, GLONASS L1 and GEO L1 signals.
Telespazio performs system maintenance, telecommunications and logistics services, developing new public and private services for a variety of sectors such as road, rail and maritime.
Galileo
Galileo is a satellite navigation and localisation system created through a partnership between the European Space Agency, the European Union, the European Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) and the Italian Space Agency, to ensure European autonomy.
The system is interoperable with the American GPS and Russian Glonass systems. Galileo data can be used by individual users and for services in air, sea and rail transportation, banking, energy, insurance, telecommunications, tourism and agriculture. Galileo will have available two encrypted signals with controlled access for government institutions and security operators.
Leonardo produced the Infrared Earth Sensor (IRES-N2), used to control the satellites’ position, and Passive Hydrogen Maser (PHM) atomic hydrogen clocks, providing the highest accuracy for satellite navigation applications, for all satellites in the programme.
Leonardo will supply two PHMs for each new second-generation satellite. ESA has selected Thales Alenia Space to supply six of the 12 second-generation Galileo satellites. Meanwhile, Telespazio has built one of the two mission control centres at its Fucino centre, which is responsible for security operations for the entire Galileo system.
SICRAL
SICRAL (Sistema Italiano per Comunicazioni Riservate e ALlarmi - Italian System for Secure Communications and Alerts) is Italy’s satellite system for military communications, guaranteeing the interoperability of defence, public security and civil emergency networks, plus management and control of strategic infrastructure.
The programme is divided into several missions: SICRAL 1 (launched in 2001), SICRAL 1B (launched in 2009), SICRAL 2 (launched in 2015 in cooperation with France) and SICRAL 3 (which will consist of two satellites, SICRAL 3A and SICRAL 3B).
Leonardo supplied the Power Protection and Distribution Unit (PPDU) and the IRES-D horizon sensor for the SICRAL 1 and 1B missions, and the AA-STR star sensor for SICRAL 2. The company will also be supplying Space Star sensors for orientation and maintenance of correct attitude in orbit for SICRAL 3.
Thales Alenia Space, continuing in the role it held for previous SICRAL missions, designed the entire SICRAL 2 system and performed satellite design, integration and testing, as well as development, integration and testing of the ground segment at operating sites of the Italian and French defence forces. Thales Alenia Space will be responsible for the telecommunications system and space segment of SICRAL 3.
For all SICRAL missions, Telespazio carried out the design, construction, integration and testing of the ground segment at the Vigna di Valle centre (Rome) and the Fucino centre, and managed the Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP) and In-Orbit Tests (IOT).
Telespazio will be responsible for the ground segment of SICRAL 3, characterised by several highly innovative elements, and services involved in the launch into orbit (LEOP) and testing (IOT) of the satellites.
Exploration and Science
Artemis
The Artemis programme is led by NASA in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA), the Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), to land the first female astronaut on the Moon in 2024 and to establish a human community there.
Leonardo is participating in the programme with production of photovoltaic panels and electronic units for power distribution aboard the European Service Module (EMS), which will transport the Orion capsule to the Moon.
Through Thales Alenia Space, Leonardo plays a leading role in the development and construction of thermomechanical systems for the module and for several pressurised modules for the Lunar Gateway, the future space station on the Moon, where astronauts will be able to live and work. This includes HALO, the first living module, due to be launched in 2024; I-HAB, the international living module; and ESPRIT, the communications and refuelling module.
Axiom Space Station
The Axiom Space Station is the first commercial international space station, which will be built in the coming years by the US company Axiom Space, and is destined to replace the International Space Station (ISS) from 2030.
Through Thales Alenia Space, which built five modules of the ISS, Leonardo will be producing the first two pressurised modules equipping the new station, initially connected to the ISS. Thales Alenia Space will design, assemble and test the primary structure and the system that will protect the two modules against micro-meteorites and space debris. The modules, due to be launched in 2024 and 2025, will also contain laboratories for scientific experiments.
BepiColombo
Launched in 2018, BepiColombo is a mission born from a partnership between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) to explore Mercury with two probes (ESA’s MPO and JAXA’s MMO), which will conduct complementary campaigns surveying the planet and its environment.
Leonardo supplied the mission with the AA-STR star tracker to ensure correct orientation in space and SIMBIO-Sys (Spectrometers and Imagers for MPO BepiColombo Integrated Observatory System), responsible for 50% of the entire archive of data to be collected during the mission.
Thales Alenia Space is responsible for the telecommunication system, temperature control, distribution of electric power, and integration and testing of the complete satellite, and has developed the X and Ka band transponder, on-board computer, mass memory, high-gain antenna, Ka-band transponder for the MORE experiment, and ISA accelerometer.
Telespazio is developing numerous systems for the ground segment of the mission – including the planning system, operational simulator, and information and communication infrastructure. Telespazio is also involved in the launch preparation phase, real-time probe operation and routine operations during the voyage and orbit around Mercury.
Cassini
The Cassini-Huygens mission is being conducted by a partnership that involves NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Italian Space Agency (ASI) to study Saturn, its satellites and rings, and particularly its largest moon, Titan.
This is a key element in decoding numerous primary processes in the evolution of a planetary system and to obtain a better understanding of the most complex of the gas planets.
The mission concluded in 2017 after making several important discoveries. Leonardo supplied the navigation payload, on-board radar technologies, and important observation and measurement instruments on the orbiter and the lander.
The company produced the Stellar Reference Unit (SRU) used to keep Cassini orientated during its interplanetary trajectory and orbit around Saturn, and developed a video camera in the visible range for the Visible and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) and the Huygens Atmospheric Structure Instrument (HASI) that landed on Titan.
Leonardo contributed to production of the radar system for Cassini, designing and building the signal converter and signal power amplifier, key elements in observing the surface of satellites through clouds.
Thales Alenia Space, prime contractor for the construction of the Huygens lander, designed and built important electronic systems in the orbiter for ASI: the high-gain antenna (HGA/LGA), the most complex ever designed for an interplanetary mission, guaranteeing all the connections to and from Earth; the multi-mode radar that improved understanding of the morphological traits of Titan; and key devices to conduct radioscience experiments, such as the Ka-translator.
CHEOPS
CHEOPS (CHaracterising ExOPlanet Satellite) is a European Space Agency (ESA) mission to study extrasolar planets: those orbiting stars other than the Sun. On-board the satellite is a telescope designed and built by Leonardo for the Italian Space Agency capable of taking extremely high precision photometric measurements providing important information on the size, internal structure and composition of as-yet unknown planets.
DART
DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) is the first space mission aimed at demonstrating the possibility of protecting Earth against the potential threat from asteroids. NASA launched a probe in 2021 directed toward a system of two asteroids – Didymos, the larger of the two, with the smaller Dimorphos revolving around it – the smaller of which will be struck to alter its orbit. Leonardo contributed an Autonomous Star Tracker sensor to the mission to supply the on-board computer with the information required to maintain its established trajectory.
Dawn
NASA’s Dawn mission probe, launched in 2007 to analyse the processes that led to the formation of the Solar System, orbited around two separate celestial bodies in deep space: the asteroid Vesta and the dwarf planet Ceres, the two biggest protoplanets that have remained intact since they were formed.
Leonardo supplied an imaging spectrometer operating within the visible and near infrared spectrum at a very high spatial and spectral resolution, the Visible and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIR), for hyperspectral mapping of the two bodies.
Produced with the coordination and funding of the Italian Space Agency (ASI) under the scientific supervision of Italy’s National Astrophysics Institute (INAF), it is derived from the Visible InfraRed and Thermal Imaging Spectrometer (VIRTIS) used on the Rosetta mission and the Venus Express space probe.
Euclid
Euclid is a European Space Agency (ESA) project conducted in cooperation with a consortium of laboratories from 14 European nations, including Italy, with contributions from NASA and numerous US institutes. It will study the origins of the expansion of the Universe through high-precision mapping of the sky in the visible and infrared bands to add to humankind’s knowledge of dark matter and dark energy.
Leonardo is supplying photovoltaic panels to provide power to all the systems on the probe, which is due to be launched in 2022, and a sophisticated Fine Guidance Sensor (FGS), a very high-precision star sensor necessary to measure the line of sight of the telescope aboard the satellite. Thales Alenia Space, which is prime contractor and leads the consortium building the satellite, will integrate an innovative, agile, precise positioning system and new generation telecommunications systems.
ExoMars
Developed by a European consortium of about 134 companies led by Thales Alenia Space, ExoMars is the fruit of international cooperation between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Russian Space Agency (Roscosmos), with the support of the Italian Space Agency (ASI).
The ExoMars mission is divided into two stages included in the ESA’s Aurora exploration programme. Its principal goals are to search for traces of past or present life on Mars, geochemical characterisation of the planet to add to knowledge its environment and geophysical aspects, as well as identifying potential risks to future manned missions.
During the first mission in 2016, a Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) made by Thales Alenia Space was launched to study gases in the atmosphere of Mars and any biological or geological processes that might be under way, and to provide a data connection between Earth and the Mars rovers for use in subsequent missions.
Leonardo supplied photovoltaic generators and units for the transformation and distribution of electrical power for the satellite, electrical power distribution boards for a unit assembled on the Entry Descent Module (EDM), made by Thales Alenia Space, A-STR star trackers for orientation in space, and the CASSIS optronic observation system.
Telespazio developed several systems for the ground segment of the mission, including the Mission Control System (MCS) to monitor and control the TGO and the operational simulator that supports testing of the ExoMars ground infrastructure, including mission and flight control systems.
The second mission, scheduled for 2022, will launch an autonomous European rover capable of taking soil samples at a depth of two metres and analysing their chemical, physical and biological properties.
Leonardo will supply A-STR star trackers and photovoltaic panels to supply power to the space vehicle and the rover. It will also supply a drill developed to collect soil samples from Mars with the on-board Ma_Miss (Mars Multispectral Imager for Subsurface Studies), produced with funding from ASI, to analyse the geological and biological evolution of the subsoil on Mars.
Thales Alenia Space is developing control, navigation and guidance systems for the Carrier Module and Descent Module, the rover system and the analytic laboratory (ALD), including the specialised drill.
Telespazio will design, develop and maintain the ROCC Ground Communication Infrastructure (RGCI), supplying the Rover Operation Control Centre (ROCC) with the communications required to conduct the rover’s operations, send commands and receive telemetry data. Telespazio VEGA Deutschland has been selected by the European Space Operation Centre (ESOC) to develop the operational simulator for the second space vehicle in the ExoMars programme.
James Webb Telescope
The James Webb Telescope (JWST), the largest ever astronomical space observatory, is an international programme led by NASA in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) with the assistance of Leonardo.
The telescope studies the formation and evolution of the first galaxies and the atmosphere of the exoplanets. Leonardo supplied key elements of the Near InfraRed Spectrograph (NIRSpec), capable of ‘seeing’ more than 100 objects simultaneously, under the responsibility of ESA.
Leonardo also provided elements of the space telescope platform, under the responsibility of project lead Northrop Grumman, and the Refocusing Mechanism Assembly (RMA), a high-precision cryogenic mechanism to focus the camera in orbit. Leonardo contributes to the correct orientation and maintenance of the telescope’s attitude and positioning instruments with three Autonomous Star Trackers and two Smart Sun Sensors.
JUICE
The JUICE (JUpiter ICy moons Explorer) mission is the first mission in the European Space Agency’s ‘Cosmic Vision’ programme for the study of Jupiter and its moon system (Ganymede, Callisto and Europa). The goal is to support scientists in establishing more precise theories on the conditions under which the planets were formed and the processes that led to the formation of life.
Leonardo built the largest ever photovoltaic panels (PVA) for an interplanetary mission (with a surface area of 85m sq), supplying the necessary electrical power at a distance of more than 750 milion km from the Sun, where temperatures drop to -230°C.
The company also built the JANUS optical camera, under the responsibility of the Italian Space Agency (ASI), with the contribution and scientific guidance of Parthenope University of Naples and the National Astrophysics Institute (INAF). JANUS studies the morphology of the geological processes of the moons and surface layers of the atmosphere of Jupiter, acquiring high-definition colour images of clouds, whirlwinds and waves.
Additionally, Leonardo constructed the MAJIS (Moons And Jupiter Imaging Spectrometer) optical head, visible in the infrared range, under the leadership of ASI and CNES (Centre National d'Études Spatiales) with the scientific supervision of INAF. MAJIS will observe and characterise clouds, ice and minerals on the surfaces of Jupiter’s moons and study the vertical distribution of water and ammonia, the greatest contributors of oxygen and nitrogen to the atmosphere’s chemistry.
Thales Alenia Space, with NASA contribution, is developing, building and testing RIME (Radar Sounder for Icy Moons Exploration) – an instrument to detect the internal structure of layers of ice. In addition, with Università di Roma La Sapienza Thales Alenia Space built KaT, a Ka-band translator for the 3GM (Gravity & Geophysics of Jupiter and Galilean Moons) instrument.
JUNO
JUNO (JUpiter Near-polar Orbiter), the second mission in NASA’s New Frontiers programme, analyses the features of Jupiter. Leonardo contributed to the mission by building the Jovian InfraRed Auroral Mapper (JIRAM) spectrometer, funded by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and operating under the scientific responsibility of the Institute of Astrophysics and Space Planetology (IAPS) at Italy’s National Astrophysics Institute (INAF).
JIRAM is capable of simultaneously acquiring images and information in the infrared spectrum using a double focal plane, enabling close-up observation of Jupiter to understand its formation, evolution and structure. Leonardo also provided the Autonomous Star Tracker that guided the probe for almost 3 billion kilometres to the orbit of Jupiter and will continue to supply important information to maintain the preset course.
Thales Alenia Space, with the support of a scientific team from ‘La Sapienza’ University in Rome and funding from ASI, built the Ka-Band Translator (KaT) to conduct radioscience experiments that will provide information on the internal composition and gravitational field of Jupiter.
Luna 27
Luna 27 is a Moon mission conceived through a partnership between the Russian Space Agency (Roscosmos) and the European Space Agency (ESA) with the support of the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and the UK Space Agency to send a lander to the south pole of the Moon.
The lander will have the task of operating a drill-laboratory called PROSPECT (Package for Resource Observation, in-Situ analysis and Prospecting for Exploration Commercial exploitation and Transportation), built by Leonardo, which will search for ice, and volatile and chemical substances, drilling into the surface at temperatures as low as -150°C and analysing elements using its on-board instrumentation.
Mars Sample Return
Mars Sample Return is a NASA programme in partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA) aimed at returning soil samples from Mars to Earth for the first time in history, allowing humankind to discover more about the ‘red planet’.
The Sample Retrieval Lander mission will be launched in 2026 to deliver NASA’s Sample Retrieval Lander to Mars, along with the ESA’s Sample Fetch Rover and the Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV), to recover containers filled with samples of Martian soil left behind by the Perseverance rover in the first mission to Mars in 2020 and to prepare them to be launched into orbit around Mars.
Leonardo is working on prototypes of two robotic arms for the mission. The first of these is smaller and more agile – it will have six degrees of freedom and be extensible up to about 110 cm – and will be assembled on the ESA’s Sample Fetch Rover to pick up containers off the ground with a ‘pincer’.
The second, more robust arm (with seven degrees of freedom and over two metres in extension), installed on NASA’s Sample Retrieval Lander, will move the containers from the rover to the capsule that will be launched into orbit.
Leonardo’s robotic arms will work autonomously – a communication delay of up to 20 minutes between Earth and Mars means the arms cannot be operated rapidly from Earth. The arms will identify the container housing the Martian soil sample, choose a trajectory to collect it and place it in the collector, while being ready to respond to any anomalies.
The third mission in the Mars Sample Return programme will launch an Earth Return Orbiter to ‘capture’ the capsule in orbit around Mars and return it to Earth. Thales Alenia Space will supply a communication system enabling data transmission between Earth, the Orbiter and Mars, and will be responsible for the design of the Orbit Insertion Module.
Moonlight
Moonlight is a European Space Agency (ESA) initiative to create communication and navigation services and related infrastructure on the Moon to support future commercial and institutional Moon exploration missions.
Through Telespazio, Leonardo leads an international consortium appointed by ESA to design an infrastructure that meets the requirements of future public and private Moon exploration ventures, providing services to the various platforms in the Moon’s orbit and on its surface, such as rovers, landers or Moon bases.
The requirements include making the system interoperable with LUNANET, the infrastructure NASA is developing in support of the Artemis programme. Moonlight will facilitate the missions by producing navigation signals to guide orbiters and landers/rovers, helping reduce the cost of the satellite navigation system.
New Horizons
New Horizons is a NASA mission which departed in 2006 to study Pluto. Leonardo contributed an A-STR Autonomous Star Tracker to the mission to guide the probe to Pluto, orientating it in space and sending data back to Earth.
The version used in the mission consisted of a double sensor, allowing the device to function during probe rotation (cruising) and when it was permanently pointed towards Pluto. The on-board software enabled the star tracker to communicate with the on-board computer to pinpoint the vehicle’s attitude, enabling proper targeting of its payload towards Pluto.
OSIRIS-Rex
OSIRIS-ReX (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security - Regolith Explorer) is a NASA space mission for exploration of asteroids under the New Frontiers Programme.
A sample, containing fragments of soil from the asteroid Bennu collected by the probe in 2020, will return to Earth in 2023, enabling characterisation of the nature, history and distribution of minerals and any organic matter. The study of Bennu will help explain the origins of the Solar System – because asteroids are remnants of the process that led to the formation of the planets – and the risks and resources represented by celestial bodies orbiting close to Earth.
Leonardo built the Autonomous Star Tracker that guides the probe, supplying the on-board computer with the information required to keep it on track. The star tracker supplies data on its position with the aid of a star map memorised in its software, including more than 3,000 stars.
Rosetta
Rosetta is a European Space Agency (ESA) mission to explore small bodies in the Solar System, and the first to reach the surface of a comet (67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko).
Leonardo supplied hyperspectral and electro-optical instruments for the probe, the drill installed on the lander (S2D - Sample Drill & Distribution) to break the surface of the comet, and the photovoltaic panels on-board the probe and the lander.
Through Thales Alenia Space and Telespazio, Leonardo assembled, integrated and tested the satellite, and built the orbiter simulator which supported control tasks at various stages of the mission, as well as the mission planning and control systems.
Space Rider
The Space Rider programme, started in 2020 by the European Space Agency (ESA) and funded largely by Italy, will build an automated, unmanned and reusable miniature space transportation shuttle for routine access and return from Earth’s lower orbit.
The Space Rider will be completed in 2023, and will conduct experiments in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), satellite inspections, as well as Earth Observation missions. It will transport a series of payloads to different altitudes and inclinations in Earth’s lower orbit. The mini-shuttle will have an overall mass of 2.4 tons and the ability to carry a payload of 800 kg, with a maximum volume of 1,200 litres.
Leonardo will construct the electrical system, starting with the solar panels contributing to the satellites’ power supply. Technology first tested in the IXV (Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle) programme will allow Thales Alenia Space, with the European Launch Vehicle (AVIO/ASI) consortium as co-contractor, to perform preliminary development of the automated reusable transportation system for the Space Rider. This will be used in Earth’s lower orbit by the new Vega C light launcher.
Thales Alenia Space and AVIO will be responsible for production and qualification of the flight segment. The space vehicle will comprise two main elements: the AVUM Orbital Module (AOM), under the responsibility of AVIO, and the Re-entry Module (RM), led by Thales Alenia Space. ALTEC and Telespazio will supply the ground control system, and Telespazio will manage in-orbit operations from its Fucino Space Centre.
International Space Station
The International Space Station (ISS) is an orbiting outpost for research and acquisition of new knowledge and opportunities in space – the product of a partnership between the United States, Russia, Canada, Japan and the space agencies of 11 European Union member states.
Through Thales Alenia Space, Leonardo built numerous modules for the ISS. High-profile projects include the three Multi-Purpose Logistic Modules (MPLM) for transporting cargo and people; the Columbus European Laboratory for research into microgravity; and Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) modules, which are automatic logistics systems capable of carrying a maximum load of 7,300 kilograms of supplies and materials for the astronauts.
Thales Alenia Space also developed NODI 2 and 3, elements connecting pressurised modules of the ‘orbiting house’; CUPOLA, a special observatory allowing astronauts on-board the station to remotely operate the robotic arm during assembly of modules; and pressurised cargo modules (PCM) for the Cygnus supply shuttle.
As prime contractor for the IXV return demonstrator and its successor Space Rider on behalf of the European Space Agency (ESA), Leonardo, through Thales Alenia Space, produced and tested the pressurised cladding for Bishop, the Airlock Module of NanoRacks (the first commercial airlock to operate on the ISS), which offers satellite deployment with five times more volume than the ISS.
Leonardo contributed numerous payloads and activities, including the Video Camera Assembly for Columbus Orbital Facility (VCA-COF), a video camera with zoom capability for surveillance and support of work aboard the ISS.
The company also contributed to FASTER (Facility for Absorption and Surface Tension Research), in orbit between March and September 2014, designed to study the physical/chemical bonds and properties on contact between different liquids. The aim was to acquire results for the food, pharmaceutical and chemical industries. FASTER was later replaced by LIFT (LIquid Film Tension), a more advanced device to analyse the same field – the physics of fluids.
Leonardo assembled and tested the ISSpresso, the first espresso coffee machine (in orbit since April 2015), designed by Argotec and Lavazza, which also enabled experiments concerning the behaviour of fluids and mixtures under microgravity conditions./p>
Telespazio has supported the performance of scientific experiments in microgravity conditions on-board space shuttles and the ISS since the early 2000s and was responsible for the Fluid Science Laboratory (FSL) in the European Columbus module on the ISS between 2008 and 2014.
During the Beyond mission (2019-2020) involving astronaut Luca Parmitano, Telespazio managed, jointly with the prime contractor Argotec, five of seven experiments in the fields of medicine, biology and physics carried out in orbit.