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Our vision: making space a universe of possibilities for everyone
At Airbus, our purpose is to improve life on Earth and beyond through our cutting-edge space technologies. With every technological breakthrough, we bring people closer together, we navigate new frontiers and we discover new and unexplored destinations. And we don't just take innovations to space – our space solutions and projects help solve global challenges on Earth.
But we don’t stop there: we envisage a future where our human economy expands beyond Earth’s orbit and everyone benefits from the value of space. Explore, discover, connect: together, we can make tomorrow more than just another day.
Whether mapping every star in our galaxy or looking back at planet Earth, Airbus has been helping to answer big questions from space and advance space exploration for more than 50 years. Supplying reliable systems that range from electronic components to full telecommunications relay platforms, scientific satellites and crewed spacecraft, developing the technology to send spaceships to planets – Airbus provides solutions for customers and their programmes around the globe.
ArianeGroup, a joint venture with Safran, is the prime contractor for Europe’s record-breaking Ariane launcher. Applying the expertise of two leading contributors to modern launch vehicles, ArianeGroup develops innovative and competitive space solutions. Airbus Defence and Space has accumulated over 30 years of in-orbit operation, launching its first Earth observation satellite in 1986.
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With launch planned in 2027, CRISTAL will carry an advanced multi-frequency altimeter that will measure sea ice thickness and ice sheet elevations. These data will support maritime operations in polar oceans and contribute to a better understanding of climate processes. CRISTAL will also support applications related to coastal and inland waters and the observation of ocean topography.
Based on the state-of-the-art all-electric Airbus Eurostar Neo Platform, Thuraya 4-NGS will incorporate a large 12-metre L-band antenna and a payload with on-board processing providing advanced routing flexibility of up to 3200 channels with dynamic power allocation over a large number of spot beams. It is scheduled for operation in 2024.
Based on the state-of-the-art all-electric Airbus Eurostar Neo Platform, Thuraya 4-NGS will incorporate a large 12-metre L-band antenna and a payload with on-board processing providing advanced routing flexibility of up to 3200 channels with dynamic power allocation over a large number of spot beams. It is scheduled for operation in 2024.
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Optus 11 will deliver a combination of broadcast and broadband VHTS missions in Ku band over Australia and New Zealand, to improve Direct to Home broadcasting over the Australasia region, increase reach in the Antarctic and Pacific zones and support growth into mobile markets, helping eliminate connectivity black spots through the Australian Government’s Mobile Black Spot programme.
Airbus Defence and Space has won a contract for a fully reconfigurable telecomunications satellite from Australia’s second largest telecommunications company and leading satellite operator Optus. The satellite will be based on Airbus’ new standard OneSat product line and is Airbus’ first contract from the Australian operator.
Great Barrier Reef: The Copernicus Sentinel-2A satellite image over part of the Great Barrier Reef off Australia’s northeast coast. Extending more than 2000 km and covering an area of some 350 000 sq km, it is the planet's biggest single structure made by living organisms, called coral polyps. The reef is home to over 1500 tropical fish species, 400 types of coral, more than 200 species of bird, 5000 species of mollusc, 500 species of seaweed and six species of sea turtle. It is also a breeding area for humpback whales.
Copernicus Sentinel-2A image over central-eastern Brazil. It shows a large, flat plateau blanked with fields benefiting from rich soils and an apparent abundance of water, before falling off into a green, hilly valley (left). The straight lines in the image are roads, such as the highway running in a nearly straight line from the centre-top to bottom of the image. A distinctive feature in this image is the circles – mainly at the centre. These shapes were created by a central-pivot irrigation system, where a long water pipe rotates around a well at the centre of each plot. The varying colours show different types of crop, or different stages of growth.
EarthCARE will advance our understanding of the role that clouds and aerosols play in reflecting incident solar radiation back into space and trapping infrared radiation emitted from Earth's surface. In the foreground: The ATLID instrument (ATmospheric LIDa)r detects the vertical profile of aerosols physical parameters. Airbus is prime contractor to ESA.
EarthCARE will advance our understanding of the role that clouds and aerosols play in reflecting incident solar radiation back into space and trapping infrared radiation emitted from Earth's surface. In the foreground: The ATLID instrument (ATmospheric LIDa)r detects the vertical profile of aerosols physical parameters. Airbus is prime contractor to ESA.
EarthCARE will advance our understanding of the role that clouds and aerosols play in reflecting incident solar radiation back into space and trapping infrared radiation emitted from Earth's surface. In the foreground: The ATLID instrument (ATmospheric LIDa)r detects the vertical profile of aerosols physical parameters. Airbus is prime contractor to ESA.
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