Engineering Expertise for Space CommunicationsCallisto recently carried out a study on the cryogenics options for the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) Organization, which aims to develop the largest radio telescope in the World (see www.skatelescope.org) in order to study a wide range of scientific phenomena, including many related to the origins and early development of the Universe.
Further information and download report on
http://www.skatelescope.org/the-technology/consultancy-reports/
As part of an ongoing support contract to INMARSAT, Callisto provided manpower support to a LEOP being performed by Telespazio for the Apstar-7 satellite. Callisto provided support at the INMARSAT spacecraft control centre in London for the use of two of the Inmarsat ground stations (Bejing,China and Lake Cowichan, Canada) and the Inmarsat communication network. The launch was successful and the injection was as predicted and the ground stations provided support up until the drift phase.
Callisto is pleased to welcome Neil Roddis as Lead Engineer to their engineering team at Villefranche Lauragais. Prior to join Callisto, Neil had a long and successful position as specialist in antenna and low noise receiver design at Jodrell Bank Observatory and before as senior Microwave Engineer at Ferranti. More recently he was responsible coordinating international development teams contributing to the Square Kilometre Array Program at Manchester University, UK.
At Callisto, Neil will lead a small team of RF engineers engaged in the development of specialised RF equipment for satellite ground stations. He is also responsible for coordinating product development oriented to market opportunities, in cooperation with marketing and business development staff.
We are pleased to announce our move to larger premises from the 8th of August 2011, in Villefranche-de-Lauragais (Midi-Pyrené es), 30 min East of Toulouse. The new location will more than double our workshop and laboratory areas.
The move marks continued investment by Callisto for our growth in the satellite communication, radioastronomy and cryo-engineering markets.
This move symbolises an exciting new phase of development for Callisto, explains Steve Rawson, Director. The new premises will enable us to take full advantage of our investments in R+D over the past 2 years as new products come on-line. The additional office, laboratory and workshop areas will allow us to fulfill future production needs, recruit additional engineering staff whilst maintaining the highest practices in support and service provision for our existing clients.
Due to an expansion of its business, Callisto is seeking to recruit and additional engineer for its engineering team based in our offices in France. This team is engaged in studies related to satellite communications and in the development of specialised RF equipment for satellite ground stations. The responsibilities of the selected candidate will typically include; undertaking research and studies in ground/satellite communications problems, developing system level designs of ground stations, definition and specification of antennas and RF circuits, simulation of communications channels, analysis of signal processing elements, preparation of engineering drawings, preparation of reports & documentation.
Callisto is pleased to announce that it has recently been awarded a new contract to provide a Multi-Band cryogenic Dewar for installation on a VLBI telescope located at Bundesamt fuer Kartographie und Geodaesie (BKG), Fundamentalstation, Wettzell. This contract is a continuation of a preceding collaboration with the Geodetic Observatory Wettzell (GOW) for building a new cryogenic Test Dewar.
Callisto is pleased to announce that it has recently been awarded a new frame contract by the European Space Agency for the supply and maintenance support of cryogenically cooled amplifiers which are used in ESA's Deep Space ground stations. This contract is a continuation of two preceding frame contracts dating back to 1999. Since this date Callisto has been supply and providing maintenance support for all the cryogenic low noise amplifiers used in the ESA Deep Space ground stations. To date Callisto has supplied a total of 16 operational cryo-LNAs and is currently working on and order for another 5 for the new DS3 station in Argentina. ESA has also confirmed an order for 6 new X-band cryo-LNAs to replace the older units in New Norcia (DSA1) and Cebreros (DSA2) ground stations. The new X-Band units will be delivered in batches over the next three years.
Callisto over the past 15 years has become an established player for solutions for very weak signal reception for deep space missions and radio-astronomy, using superconductivity technologies. There is an opportunity for a 3 to 6 month project (ideally 6 months), to work on a market intelligence project concerning superconductivity applications. The project will be principally "primary" research, that is direct interviews with strategic players in the wide variety of sectors that superconductivity relates to, with an initial emphasis on radio-astronomy and satellite/RF signals.
Whilst market modelling and segmentation are at the heart of the project, the project will expose the candidate to in-depth technical and financial issues. A technical background is therefore an advantage in the assessment of the broad range of applications that are to be covered (from cyrogenics to high frequency signal processing).
Callisto will be represented in strength at the 5th ESA Workshop on Tracking, Telemetry and Command Systems for Space Applications which will take place in the 3rd week of September. Callisto staff will be presenting 4 oral papers during the 3 day conference and 1 poster presentation. In addition to the papers Callisto will also be participating in the exhibition and will be displaying the newly developed K-band dual mode LNA. The size of the Callisto delegation at TTC2010 is a demonstration of our deep involvement in ESA Ground Systems developments. The Callisto team is heavily involved in a number of important ESA projects including the 3rd Deep Space Antenna, ESTRACK upgrades and the Space Surveillance Awareness project.
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