Polish company develops technology for satellite assembly equipment

Within the framework of the European Space Agency’s “Polish Industry Incentive Scheme” program, which serves to increase the competence of domestic companies in the space sector, SENER Poland is carrying out a contract for the development of technology for the so-called “Polish Industry Incentive Scheme”. clamp bands, which are mechanisms that connect satellites to their transport and assembly equipment. This project is also a big success of the Industrial Development Agency’s internship program – as the role of chief engineer is played by the winner of the first edition of the program.

Clamp band can be used inoknow to the big clamp band. This is the only component connecting the satellite to the transport device or launcher. If the clamp band fails, hundreds of millions worth ofow euro satellite shatters on the ground. Connections of this type must be extremely robust and easy to install. The device designed by SENER Poland will have a mass of about 60 kg, a diameter of 1.7 meters, and a head ofowny element – steel belt – Thickness of only 3 mm. Clamp band must support the weight of a satellite weighing 10 tons. In addition, it will be used in extreme conditions proand temperatures from -40 to 70 degrees Celsius.

The purpose of the contract awarded by ESA to SENER Poland is to develop theoj clamp band production and testing technologiesow. After its completion in 2018, a company from Poland will join a small group of European manufacturersoin this type of equipment, which should increase competition in the market and lower the cost of theoin production. The final result of the contract implemented by SENER Poland will be zarowno clamp band, as well as the test bed, whichore will remain in the country and will be used to test the functionality of further devices. The first phase of the project has recently been completed – ESA has accepted preliminary technological solutions and test proposalsow, which will be subjected to the clamp band manufactured in our country.

The contract is being carried out under the „Polish Industry Incentive Scheme”. For the first 5 years of ESA membership, Polish entities receive funds to developoj technologies and competencies to adjust his capabilities to participate in the European agency’s projects. Thanks to the acquisition of new skills, Polish companies can more effectively fight for new contracts and wspoooperate in their implementation with local subcontractors.

– Winning a contract under the Incentive Scheme allows us to draw companies from other sectors into the space industryow, whichore didn’t even think they could be part of it. The clamp band projectow will be implemented entirely in our country, starting with the design by engineersoin with SENER Poland, to production and testing with our partnersow – mowi Kamil Grassmann, Project Managerow in SENER Polska.

Rozwohe competence and competitiveness of the Polish space industry is also the goal of the internship program „Rozwoj cadres of the space sector”, ktory have been organized for a year by the jointolnie the Industrial Development Agency and the Union of Employers ofoin the Space Sector. SENER Poland is one of the companies participating in this initiative.

Photo. SENER Poland

– All technologies in the space industry, even the smallest ones, always require the highest quality and most up-to-date scientific, technical and technological knowledge. Internship program, whichory we are conducting gives young scientists a chance not only to test their knowledge , but roalso participate in the most current projects conducted in Poland. Importantly, this allows them to build their future at home, rather than going to foreign companies operating in the space technology sector. Oprocz of this, they get the chance to decide what the space industry will look like in Poland in the coming years – mowi Michal Szaniawski, vice president of the IDA.

One of the eight winnersoin the first edition of the program, Pawel Kozlowski, is the head of theoThe first engineer in the clamp band projectow. He started his internship at SENER Poland almost exactly a year ago. – Participation in the internship program was a turning point for me. Thanks to it, I began to learn about the space industry from the inside and found a fascinating job – mowi Paweł Kozłowski.

The program is well regarded by roAlso Kamil Grassmann, project manager of theoat SENER Polska. – IDA’s initiative helps young people accelerate their careers and companies in the space sector find studentoin, whichoers have the potential to become great employees. Participants in the program learn first-hand about the high-tech industry, the procedures governing international space projects, and even participate in formal discussions with the European Space Agency, he admits.