Thales S.A., trading as Thales Group (French pronunciation: [talɛs]), is a French multinational aerospace and defence corporation specialising in electronics.
It designs, develops and manufactures a wide variety of aerospace and military systems, devices and equipment but also operates in the cybersecurity and formerly civil ground transportation sectors. The company is headquartered in Paris' business district, La Défense, and its stock is listed on Euronext Paris.
Telespazio Spa is a European spaceflight services joint venture between Italian defense conglomerate Leonardo (67%) and the French technology corporation Thales Group (33%). It forms one half of the Space Alliance along with Thales Alenia Space which is also owned by Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%).
Telespazio provides services that include the design and development of space systems, the management of launch services and in-orbit satellite control, Earth observation services, integrated communications, satellite navigation and localization and scientific programmes. The company manages space infrastructure, such as the Fucino Space Centre - and is involved in programmes including Galileo, EGNOS, Copernicus, COSMO-SkyMed, SICRAL and Göktürk.
Thales Alenia Space (/ˈθɑːlɛz/) is a European spaceflight services joint venture between the French technology corporation Thales Group (67%) and Italian defense conglomerate Leonardo (33%). It forms one half of the Space Alliance along with Telespazio which is also owned by Leonardo (67%) and Thales (33%).
It provides space-based systems, including satellites and ground segments, used for telecommunications, navigation, earth observation, space exploration and scientific purposes. The company is a major industrial participant in the International Space Station (ISS), having produced numerous pressurized modules including the Cupola, the Harmony and Tranquility nodes, the Columbus laboratory and for the Cygnus cargo spacecraft. It is a key contributor to Galileo, a European global satellite navigation system, being responsible for the ground segment in particular. In 2021, the company was also awarded a contract by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Commission to build 6 of the 12 new Galileo Second Generation satellites. The company is also an important industrial partner towards development of the Lunar Gateway.
Airbus Defence and Space is the defence and space systems subsidiary of Airbus. Formed in 2014 during the restructuring of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company, the predecessor of Airbus. The subsidiary consists of the company's the former Airbus Military, Astrium, and Cassidian divisions. Contributing 21% of Airbus revenues in 2016, it is the second largest space company in the world.
Plans have been announced to merge the Space Systems and Space Digital divisions of Airbus Defence and Space, Telespazio, and Thales Alenia Space into a new joint venture owned by Airbus (35%), Leonardo (32.5%), and Thales (32.5%). The combined entity would have had an estimated annual turnover of €6.5 billion. If approved by regulators, the new company is expected to be operational in 2027.
Airbus Defence and Space is the defence and space systems subsidiary of Airbus. Formed in 2014 during the restructuring of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company, the predecessor of Airbus. The subsidiary consists of the company's the former Airbus Military, Astrium, and Cassidian divisions. Contributing 21% of Airbus revenues in 2016, it is the second largest space company in the world.
Plans have been announced to merge the Space Systems and Space Digital divisions of Airbus Defence and Space, Telespazio, and Thales Alenia Space into a new joint venture owned by Airbus (35%), Leonardo (32.5%), and Thales (32.5%). The combined entity would have had an estimated annual turnover of €6.5 billion. If approved by regulators, the new company is expected to be operational in 2027.