RF Microtech in orbit: custom RF filters onboard Celeste IOD-2

RF Microtech contributes to the ESA Celeste mission by Thales Alenia Space with RF solutions for the first in-orbit demonstrator satellite (IOD-2)

 The filters developed by the Italian company support the payload of the Celeste program demonstrator satellite, now in Low Earth Orbit!

The first demonstrator satellite of the Celeste mission (formerly known as LEO-PNT), developed by Thales Alenia Space – a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%)-for the European Space Agency (ESA), was successfully launched on March 28.

The satellite (IOD-2), a large CubeSat (12U/16U) roughly the size of a suitcase and weighing approximately 30 kg, carries payloads – i.e., equipment used to transmit and receive radio signals in L-band and S-band. With Thales Alenia Space as prime contractor, it represents a significant step in the development of future European architectures for a new generation of Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) services from low Earth orbit, designed to enhance and complement existing satellite navigation systems.

The satellite payload also integrates technologies developed by RF Microtech, an Italian company specialized in the design and manufacturing of radiofrequency components and subsystems for aerospace applications.

For the Celeste mission, RF Microtech designed and manufactured three fully custom RF filters, specifically engineered for the mission and optimized for the satellite’s requirements.

The set includes:

• two L-band filters
• one S-band filter

These components play a key role in managing and ensuring RF signal selectivity, enabling:

• filtering of the payload’s operating frequencies
• reduction of interference and unwanted signals
• preservation of the integrity and quality of transmitted and received signals

The integration of high-performance filters is essential to ensure the proper functioning of onboard RF systems, especially in demonstrator missions aimed at validating new technologies and system architectures.

“We are proud to see our technology operating in space as part of such a strategic European mission.” said Luca Pelliccia, Head of Space Division at RF Microtech.

“The design of fully custom RF filters for this mission’s payload demonstrates our capability to develop high-performance components for advanced space applications and to contribute to programs of major technological relevance for Europe.”

With this mission, RF Microtech confirms its role in the development of RF technologies for advanced space applications, contributing to increasingly reliable systems for satellite communications and navigation.

For more information about the ESA Celeste mission by Thales Alenia Space, visit:
https://www.thalesaleniaspace.com/it
https://www.esa.int/Applications/Satellite_navigation/Celeste