jean-marc Gaubert, the visionary behind ATMOSPHERE and its managing director, recently engaged in a discussion with Thales about his company’s innovative approach, its collaboration with Thales in satellite communications, and the advantages of the Iridium satellite network compared to other systems.
Can you provide a brief overview of yoru company?
ATMOSPHERE is a dynamic engineering firm comprising 15 specialists, focusing on aeronautics, satellite communications, and networking.Our primary mission is to design, develop, and implement comprehensive satellite connectivity solutions tailored for the aviation industry.
We cater to the flight testing divisions of major corporations such as Airbus, Airbus Helicopters, and Dassault Aviation, as well as research institutions engaged in flight testing, including the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the SAFIRE experimental flights organization in France, which is a collaboration of the National Space Research Institute (CNES), the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), and Météo France. Our clientele extends to Canada, and we frequently partner with U.S. organizations, including NASA, to enhance air traffic management.
Currently, we estimate that approximately 1,000 users benefit from our solutions, which can be permanently installed on aircraft or utilized in a mobile capacity across different crafts.
Which emerging markets are you targeting?
We are actively venturing into the lightweight long-range drone sector, providing essential satellite connectivity for remote navigation and the transmission of data and imagery from onboard sensors.Notably, we are the sole European provider of Iridium Certus 100-based solutions in this domain. To validate our technologies,we operate a diverse fleet of drones that are tested at a dedicated airfield near our German office.
What Thales features are integrated into your offerings?
With the introduction of Thales’s FlytLink Airtime services, we can now offer our clients a comprehensive user package. We supply the physical satellite interaction devices (specifically, compact Iridium mid-band modems), which, when paired with the FlytLink service, deliver the required bandwidth and data capacity. This model operates on a fixed pricing structure for the hardware, complemented by a flexible voucher system (quarterly, annually, etc.) to manage the satellite communication services provided by Thales.
Additionally, it’s worth mentioning that the collaboration between our companies is mutually beneficial, as our Planet 9770 satcom product will be integrated into Thales’s new UAS100 long-range drone platform.
what advantages do Iridium technologies offer over competitors?
In a fiercely competitive landscape, the Iridium satellite constellation stands out due to several key advantages. Primarily, it offers complete global coverage, a critical requirement for aviation operations.
Moreover, it functions within a low-frequency range (L-band), which is optimal for safety; its signals can penetrate clouds and rain, overcoming limitations faced by Ka-band frequencies. consequently, we believe that Iridium technologies are particularly suited for complex applications, such as Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone operations in challenging environments like mountainous regions or maritime settings.
The Project Saturn video case study below illustrates how ATMOSPHERE, in collaboration with AIR6 SYSTEMS/AIRBORNE ROBOTICS, is delivering satellite communication-integrated unmanned aerial systems for remote navigation, inspection, big data analysis, and battery health management in offshore wind farm monitoring:
Reflecting on your experience at Thales before founding ATMOSPHERE, what insights have you carried forward?
A significant portion of the thales ethos is evident in the foundation of ATMOSPHERE! We share a deep passion for innovative products and cutting-edge technology, along with a strong commitment to effective methodologies and project management. Like Thales, we prioritize continuous innovation.
I view it as a perfect blend: we benefit from the culture and expertise gained from being part of a large organization while maintaining the agility of a smaller entity. Our clients, many of whom are large corporations, frequently recognize and appreciate this shared cultural foundation.
