Europe's orbital workshop

The Thales Alenia Space facility in Cannes is the headquarters of the company and Europe's largest satellite manufacturing plant. Its history began with aircraft manufacturing in 1929, gradually shifting to aerospace after World War II. Today, this site is a major site for building complex orbital systems, from telecommunications satellites to modules for human spaceflight.

A significant portion of the International Space Station (ISS) was constructed within these clean rooms. Thales Alenia Space produced numerous pressurized modules, making it the second-largest industrial provider to the ISS after Boeing. Important contributions include Node 2 (Harmony) and Node 3 (Tranquility), which connect other station elements, and the seven-windowed Cupola, which provides astronauts their panoramic view of Earth. The company also built the primary structures for the European Columbus laboratory module. The facility also, the Cannes facility manufactures the Pressurized Cargo Modules (PCMs) for Northrop Grumman's Cygnus spacecraft, which has completed dozens of resupply missions to the station. This work continues, with contracts to build the primary structures for the first two modules of Axiom, the world's first commercial space station.

Satellites for science and communication

The Cannes Mandelieu Space Center produces many satellites for a wide range of applications. It is a major producer of geostationary communications satellites, having produced the popular Spacebus series of platforms and entire constellations like the second generation of Globalstar satellites. The facility has also built military communications satellites, such as the Syracuse 4A for the French armed forces.

In the field of science and Earth observation, the plant assembles some of Europe's most important environmental monitoring spacecraft. It is the prime contractor for several Sentinel satellites for the Copernicus program, which record data on Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere. The facility also helps with deep space exploration. It built the Huygens probe that successfully landed on Saturn's moon Titan and has contributed to the EUCLID telescope, studies dark energy and matter. To ensure these complex instruments work perfectly in space, the facility houses 15,000 square meters of clean rooms and extensive testing equipment, including large anechoic chambers to test antennas and thermal-vacuum chambers that simulate the harsh conditions of orbit.

Building Space Stations on the Riviera

Europe's orbital workshop

Satellites for science and communication

💡Fun Facts

References

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Practical Information

Building Space Stations on the Riviera

Europe's orbital workshop

Satellites for science and communication

💡Fun Facts

References

There's more in the app

Practical Information

Nearby curiosities

Nearby curiosities