Industry
Satellites: Concurrent Design Facility To Be Established in Poland
Polish Armaments Group and Thales Alenia Space Polska, have, together with the Warsaw University of Technology, signed a letter of intent, concerning an initiative, the goal of which would be to create a satellite design centre, also known under the name of Concurrent Design Facility. This is yet another stage of bringing the aforesaid entities closer, in the area of space and satellite technologies. Concurrent Design Facility would act as a platform which is to make it possible to carry out joint works, within the framework of the Polish space projects.
The letter of intent assumes that talks would be undertaken to consider the options for creating a Concurrent Design Facility, defined as a modern facility equipped with a computer and multimedia devices network, allowing the experts to undertake work on designing the satellite systems. Following the concept, the centre would, in an interactive manner, see the experts representing a variety of disciplines (satellite systems, orbiting trajectories) being involved in the work, in parallel, allowing them, to present simulations of projects, with the use of specialized software, and to jointly select the most optimal solutions. CDF is going to work on centralizing the project management, and on supporting the teamwork and project efficiency.
Polish Armaments Group would become a natural leader of the space sector in Poland. The signing of this letter of intent constitutes a result of a few months of intense, trilateral talks and conceptual works. This is an important step made by the Polish industry, towards development of space and satellite technologies. The integrated activity undertaken by the industrial and research circles will allow us to create new competencies within the companies of the Polish Armaments Group, with prospective application of those in products enhancing the national security and constructing the value of our company. I am really happy with the fact that our partner - Thales Alenia Space - is ready to work together with the Polish defence industry and with the Polish scientists. I am absolutely convinced that this collaboration would be very beneficial to all of the signing parties of the letter of intent.
Warsaw University Of Technology, Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa S.A. [Polish Armaments Group] and Thales Alenia Space Poland, altogether, are actively driven towards developing satellite and space technologies. The newly established centre may be used for educational and training purposes, within the process of establishing a proper level of competency in this area. In a longer run, the facility could potentially be used to pursue and implement the projects that are being worked on by ESA, projects that are of national nature, such as the planned Strategic Programme, known under the name of Satellite System for Optronic Observation of the Earth. Moreover, the memorandum will also bring the scientific and industrial circles much closer together.
Similar development centres have been also established in some other ESA member states, and they are being used at the early stages of space missions, primarily within the scope of feasibility studies, design, mission profitability assessment and validation regarding the newly developed technologies. CDF users stress the fact that utilization of centres as such made it possible to limit the time and cost of the project and make the quality of end products better. At the same time, the risk of failures has been diminished, with simultaneous stimulation provided for innovative solutions and collaboration between the experts.
Signing of the letter of intent constitutes an important step, within the framework of collaboration between the Warsaw University of Technology and PGZ S.A., in the area of space technologies. In October last year, Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa S.A. [Polish Armaments Group] and the Warsaw University of Technology have signed a memorandum of understanding, concerning establishment of an interdisciplinary PhD major, in the domain of space and rocket technologies.