Did you know that PIAP Space has contributed to the expansion of the capabilities of the Copernicus constellation? This month we signed a contract to supply more MGSE-type equipment for the ROSE-L satellite. In addition to the project of the spacecraft adapters and Clamp-band mechanisms, this time PIAP Space has been selected by the contractor for the main instrument (Airbus Defence and Space) to design and manufacture equipment to support the production and testing of SAR antenna panels. This will be quite a challenge, as it will be the largest planar space radar antenna ever built!

ROSE-L (Radar Observing System for Europe in L-band) is part of the Earth Observation mission under ESA’s Copernicus programme.

ROSE-L will monitor land, oceans and ice day and night to provide important data on soil moisture, precision farming, food security, forest biomass and land use change. It will also monitor polar ice sheets and caps, sea ice extent and snow cover.

The satellite is scheduled for launch in 2028. The prime contractor (Thales Alenia Space Italy) has selected Airbus Defence and Space to develop the radar instrument. The radar antenna will be the largest planar antenna ever built, measuring an impressive 11 metres by 3.6 metres – roughly the size of 10 ping-pong tables.

For the ROSE-L mission, PIAP Space will develop the Panel Vibration Adapter (PVA), Acoustic Noise Stand (ANS), Thermal TVAC Adapter (TTA), Physical Property Adapter (PPA), Antenna RF Adapter (ARA), Panel RF Adapter (PRA), Panel Dummies (PD). Under the contract, PIAP Space is working with Fleuret, which will be responsible for providing containers for transporting and storing the antenna’s flight panels.

More information: https://www.eoportal.org/satellite-missions/rose-l#missionstatus