Small Geostationary Satellite (SGEO)

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Happy third birthday to the SmallGEO satellite!

The telecommunications satellite developed under ESA’s SmallGEO Partnership Project has just passed three years of service in orbit. ESA initiated the SmallGEO Partnership Project in response to the market demand for smaller, lighter and more versatile geostationary telecommunications satellites.

First SmallGEO mission now operational

After four months of exhaustive testing in space, the flagship SmallGEO mission Hispasat 36W-1 has passed all trials with flying colours, which means control has been handed to the operator.

SmallGEO media briefing

18 January 2017 – A special media briefing on SmallGEO and its first flight took place on Wednesday 18 January, at ESA HQ in Paris. Hispasat 36W-1 will be the first satellite to use the SmallGEO platform, marking the first partnership between ESA and the Spanish operator.

Hispasat 36W-1 now ready to fly

1 December 2016 – The first telecom satellite built using the SmallGEO platform, Hispasat 36W-1, arrived in Kourou today after completing its final tests at IABG in Germany. Preparations are now being undertaken for the January launch on a Soyuz rocket. 

An embedded GNSS receiver for GEO

7 March 2016 – Using GNSS for autonomous station-keeping is a significant breakthrough that should reduce operational costs and improve pointing performance of telecoms satellites. With the support of ESA, Thales Alenia Space Italia has developed a GNSS receiver module that can be hosted on a spacecraft's on-board computer.

SmallGEO successfully passes mechanical tests

13 January 2016 — The Hispasat AG1 satellite, based on the new SmallGEO platform, has successfully completed the first step of the environmental test campaign. The team will continue the ground test programme to complete the design and performance verifications prior to shipping the satellite to Kourou, French Guiana, for launch later this year.

SmallGEO AG1 undergoes environmental testing

20 February 2015 – The Hispasat AG1 communications satellite completes the integration phase in the OHB System's cleanroom in Bremen (DE) and is now undergoing environmental impact testing.