EDRS is the European network of geostationary satellites which acts as gateway between Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites and ground stations. The system will allow these LEO satellites to deliver data continuously in broadband quality, even with no line-of-sight to their respective ground station. The ground stations will operate in Ka-band. The first will be delivered by the end of 2013, with the last ones being installed by mid-2014

   The project is led by DLR subcontractor SES TechCom, which recently signed a contract with Astrium to furnish major parts of the ground segment. The contract with Hitech includes the design, manufacturing and on-site installation of the antennas at key sites in Germany, the United Kingdom and Belgium.

   “The ground infrastructure is an essential part of European Data Relay Satellite System (EDRS). The high quality standard in product and service delivery of SES TechCom ensures that all requirements for such an innovative ground segment are met. Relying on the experience gained in several successful accomplished European projects with our partner HITEC Luxembourg, we selected the company to supply the four antenna systems,” SES TechCom Managing Director Gerhard Bethscheider said in a statement.