We are proud to have been on board Space X

On Monday, 3rd of March, Falcon 9 launched Transporter-10, SpaceX’s 10th dedicated smallsat rideshare program mission, from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. On board this flight were 53 spacecraft, including cubesats, microsats and other hosted payloads. Four of these spacecraft were designed, built and operated by a company from the aerospace sector – a customer that has been part of the Connova Group for around three years now. Watching the launch in the video stream, it was possible to observe the successful launch of these four satellites into orbit and the achievement of nominal mode for all four satellites after just 4 hours.

The Connova Group’s space project team was therefore full of anticipation and excitement as the launch approached. We not only supplied the aluminium plates for the primary structure of the satellites; for one of the satellites we developed and built the telescope structure from carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP), which consists of ultra-high modulus (UHM) carbon fibres. The telescopic structure consists of two main assemblies, the baffle and the bench, an ultra-rigid sandwich panel to which the baffle is attached.

Drawing on our long space heritage and engineering expertise in the design of composite spacecraft structures, we have been able to help our customers realise their ambitious plans. As the launch date was set many months in advance, we had to deliver two units of the telescope structure in a record-breakingly short delivery time of just nine months – including detailed design, production engineering, material procurement, production, 3D measurement and final delivery. The close collaboration with the customer from the aerospace sector began in the early days of satellite production with the ground test model, the so-called STM.

*Image source cover picture: Screenshot from the video ‘Blastoff! SpaceX Falcon 9 launches Transporter-10 rideshare mission – Full Broadcast]’ von [VideoFromSpace] auf YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk9wiPpQcR4).”