Athena-Fidus: Franco-Italian Secure Communications Satellite

Athena-Fidus (Access on Theaters for European Allied Forces Nations) is a joint French-Italian telecommunication satellite designed to deliver high-throughput, secure communications for both nations’ armed forces and emergency services. Launched into geostationary orbit in 2014, the satellite enhances the capabilities of France’s Syracuse IIIsatellite system by offering greater data capacity while maintaining secure transmissions.

Manufactured by Thales Alenia Space, the satellite was developed under the oversight of the French space agency CNES, France’s defense procurement agency DGA, and the Italian Space Agency (ASI).

Satellite Design and Specifications

• Satellite Bus: Spacebus 4000B2

• Manufacturer: Thales Alenia Space

• Manufacturing Site: Cannes Mandelieu Space Center, France

• Launch Mass: 3,080 kg

• Orbit: Geostationary

• Operational Life: 15 years

Launch Details

Athena-Fidus was launched aboard an Ariane 5 ECA rocket during Arianespace’s VA217 mission on February 6, 2014from the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana. After a series of on-orbit validation tests, the satellite was officially commissioned on March 14, 2014.

Payload and Capabilities

The satellite operates primarily in the Ka-band and delivers a total throughput of up to 3 Gbit/s. It is equipped with 14 antennas, including 7 steerable mobile spot-beam antennas that can cover 1,750 km diameter zones over regions requiring high-bandwidth connectivity.

Although Athena-Fidus is a joint mission, France and Italy operate their payloads independently:

• France controls five mobile beams and has deployed 420 transportable ground stations.

• Italy operates two mobile beams.

Athena-Fidus supports encrypted military-grade communications for tactical operations, emergency response units, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) operating in remote or contested environments.