Altum RF announced a two-year contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) to design and develop GaN Ka-Band high-power amplifiers for very small aperture terminals (VSAT), two-way ground stations that transmit and receive data from satellites.
Starting in January 2021, the ARTES Advanced Technology project will design Ka-Band high efficiency power amplifiers using a cost-effective package solution, well suited for the VSAT application.
Elodie Viau, director of Telecommunication and Integrated Applications, ESA said, “The ARTES Advanced Technology programme is dedicated to the innovative technological development of the satcom industry and its applications. We are delighted to be able to assist Altum RF in developing this ground equipment — which represents a very promising new technology for future and evolving space-based telecommunication services.”
“We are excited to announce this strategically-aligned project with ESA that will further strengthen our product growth and development plans over the next two years,” said Greg Baker, Altum RF CEO. “This contract award also establishes the confidence ESA shows in our innovative design and solid execution capabilities, and we look forward to collaborating with them.”
Niels Kramer, Altum RF managing director Europe and vice president of marketing, said, “From a highly-respected organization, the ESA contract recognizes the GaN design capabilities Altum RF has demonstrated and allows us to continue expanding our design and development activities in the Eindhoven office.”
Altum RF's headquarters are in Eindhoven, the Netherlands.