Meet the Managing Director

Gerhard Bethscheider, Managing Director of SES ASTRA TechCom S.A, talks to us about ASTRA TechCom Services and plans for the future.

What were ASTRA TechCom Services’s best moments over the last two years?

In the last two years the company has positioned itself as an innovative service provider. We’ve achieved this by building close relationships with leading satellite operators, and by becoming the technology arm of the SES group through our development support for important ASTRA products such as ASTRA2Connect. I’m looking back at key achievements such as being selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) to design and build the first two large TT&C (telemetry, tracking & control) antenna systems of the Galileo satellite navigation system, partnering with Spanish technologist INDRA for the development of an innovative satellite in-orbit test system - a project partially funded by the ESA, delivering the entire satellite TT&C ground infrastructure for Greek operator HellasSat, and continued support of the company with back-up satellite control services from Betzdorf. We were also selected by Lockheed Martin to deliver the TT&C ground infrastructure for the Vinasat-1 satellite, and delivering and installing satellite control infrastructure in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. The satellite was launched in April 2008, and ASTRA TechCom Services is supporting VTI and Vinasat with experienced satellite controllers. We also have a contract with VTI to deliver a turnkey network operation centre (NOC) for Vinasat-1. Then ESA selected us to operate its TT&C ground station in Redu, Belgium. This long-term contract also allows us to use Redu’s facilities to develop additional services. We're leading an ESA study to analyse the requirements of the European data relay satellite system (EDRS), which aims to improve communications between low earth orbit satellites and air traffic. The list goes on...

How has Redu affected the company? Are more changes expected?

The Redu service contract was a breakthrough that put ASTRA TechCom Services among the world’s top satellite service providers. Together with our Belgian partner we have established an independent company in Redu that will serve the global satellite community. ASTRA TechCom Services is also in discussions with the ESA and European industry players to position Redu as a unique centre of excellence for in-orbit testing and geo-location. This includes determining what additional infrastructure will be required to develop Redu as a European TT&C site for the SES group and for other satellite operators on similar projects.

Tell us about the people in ASTRA TechCom Services. How many engineers do you employ?

We employ 24 industry experts and engineers in Luxembourg, who have a combined experience of over 240 years. Most were involved in developing ASTRA’s ground infrastructure, and some have been with the company almost since the beginning and are part of the ASTRA success story. Now we also have 30 operational experts in Redu, as well as agreements with SES companies that allow us to draw on the expertise and knowledge of more than 300 experts. We have also developed a network of partner organizations, universities and institutions such as CRP in Luxembourg and the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany.

In your opinion, what is unique about ASTRA TechCom Services?

We have access to the know-how and expertise of SES Engineering and many other SES companies, including intellectual property accumulated over 20 years. This is an advantage that cannot be copied easily. To name some examples, we have in-orbit test systems, digital network operations centres and satellite control systems. All of these enable us to provide services more efficiently than our competitors. Another point is our mastery of satellite co-location. We hold an unchallenged record for co-locating eight satellites at the same orbital position since 1991.We now also have the benefit of the Redu facility, which provides global satellite solutions from an independent company.

How is your market changing? How does ASTRA TechCom Services fare against the competition?

Our broad portfolio provides services and systems based on the extensive expertise of SES operators. Our multi-disciplinary approach is demonstrated by recent contracts, which include station operations, TT&C stations, NOC systems and teleports. In fact, the ability to offer end-to-end services is our main advantage over the competition.

What is your vision for the future?

We will use the large SES talent pool and employ key technologies and unique products and systems to become a world-leading service provider, with a strong presence in the Middle East, Asia, Eastern Europe and the Americas.

What is being done to enhance ASTRA TechCom Services’s knowledge base?

We continually look for relationships and partnerships with universities and research institutes across Europe. Our academic partners already include the universities of Luxembourg, Zagreb, Toulouse, Saarbruecken, the ETH Zurich and the International Space University in Strasbourg. We participate in various PhD programmes, providing students with the chance to complete their diploma thesis while working in our teams. We have strong relationships with research organisations such as the Hasso Plattner Institute in Potsdam, the Fraunhofer Institute and CRP. These external relationships enhance our knowledge base and are supplemented by the high level of knowledge exchange between SES group companies. Our staff are also involved in several EU and ESA studies and projects addressing technologies that have been recognised as a foundation of future services.

What will ASTRA TechCom Services bring to the industry in the near future?

We will provide HellasSat with a second control infrastructure for their back-up facility in Cyprus. We will design and deliver a NOC to Vinasat in Vietnam, provide a remote communications network for EU election supervisors in the Congo, and complete the development of the first two Galileo TT&C antennas, and submit proposals for the upcoming Galileo FOC phase.We will commercialize new IOT systems, deliver the final results of our EDRS study to the ESA, and continue to support the ASTRA2Connect rollout.

What new products and enhancements are coming?

We will introduce an in-orbit test system, which will be protected by several worldwide patents.We’re also developing a system that will become SES’s standard ranging tool for satellite co-location because it will support operations more efficiently. We’re analysing the interconnectivity between Betzdorf and Redu, and will support, via a fibre infrastructure, the integration of these sites. This will result in the largest combined teleport in Europe.We’re further enhancing and commercializing our range of products for monitoring and controlling digital TV network operations. Through our involvement in ESA and EU projects, we expect to have a platform that will enable delivery of interactive services related to TV content. This will enable managed delivery of linear and interactive content through different video distribution networks.

Where do you see the most potential?

The provision of innovative services and the development of Redu have the biggest potential for ASTRA TechCom Services. The development of innovative products and the turnkey delivery of complex systems - such as integrated satellite or network control centres - also offer significant prospects. The growth of connectivity and broadcast demand in Asia, Africa and South America will open new markets, where we can play an important role. And, finally, increased interactivity and convergence between traditional broadcast and internet services will provide us with further opportunities.

What does ASTRA TechCom Services bring to the SES group that makes it stronger?

We can use our close relationships with universities, research institutes, national space agencies and the ESA to develop new services and applications, which can be commercialized by the SES group. ASTRA2Connect is a good example: the basic technology was initially developed with international partners under the ESA ARTES #3 framework programme. The DVB-SH standard, which will be used for SES for mobile services, contains elements that were the outcome of another ESA project, in which we’re cooperating with several major automotive players. Incidentally, the ESA website is a very good source for detailed descriptions of many of our joint projects. We are also involved in the Galileo programme with the aim of positioning SES as a future Galileo service provider. In addition, Redu is adding value to SES for back-up operations and as a European TT&C ground station.

And in reverse order, what is the value of the SES group to ASTRA TechCom Services’s portfolio?

While being a true independent service provider, we benefit from the SES group’s multi-disciplinary engineering know-how and outstanding expertise; the unique engineering tools available in SES Engineering; and the system engineering knowledge in SES ASTRA. They all provide distinct competitive advantages.

What are the specialities of Redu Space Services?

Redu Space Services (RSS) is an independent company operating an ESA site. We have an agreement with the ESA allowing the company to commercially exploit the site by bringing in new customers. The key strengths of RSS lie in satellite operations services (LEO and GEO) and in-orbit testing services.  The company will provide IOT for the entire Galileo fleet from Redu, and for other future satellite communications satellites. Redu is also close to Brussels, which means it’s ideally positioned to serve public sector and government organizations.

How is Redu Space Service positioned with respect to SES?

RSS operates autonomously from the SES group, and has its own dedicated staff and experts. It has demonstrated its independence many times by performing missions for operators that were SES competitors. Although RSS can draw on resources and expertise from the SES group, we want it to be a truly independent provider of satellite and ground operations services.

Gerhard Bethscheider, the German-born Managing Director of SES ASTRA TechCom S.A., has over 20 years experience in satellite engineering. Before joining SES ASTRA he worked for Dornier, where he developed ground equipment and components for radar systems, and the on-board data transmission subsystem for Europe’s first remote sensing satellite.  He joined ASTRA’s earth station engineering division in 1990, was made VP and General Manager of ground engineering and operations in 1995, and was appointed Managing Director of SES ASTRA TechCom S.A. Services in 2008. His qualifications include an engineering degree, an MBA specializing in strategy, international marketing and innovation; and an MSc in international finance and management. His inventions and co-inventions have resulted in numerous patents in satellite systems and telecommunications.