SES S.A. and QinetiQ, partners in the ESA-Redu Space Centre, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) ensuring the long-term and sustained development of the ESA ground facility in Redu, Belgium.
The MoU was signed on site by Ministers Philippe Courard (Belgium) and Etienne Schneider (Luxembourg), Jean-Jacques Dordain, Director General of ESA, Eddy Maldague, Director General of Redu Space Services (RSS) and RSS Shareholders, Frank Preud’homme, Director General of QinetiQ Space N.V, as well as Martin Halliwell, CTO of SES, and Gerhard Betscheider, Managing Director of SES TechCom.
The agreement highlights the role of the ESA Centre as the ideal place to host space-based activities, services and applications with a high level of security for the benefits of ESA and its partners, as well as a centre of excellence able to welcome and cater for engineers, scientists and students. Acknowledging the strategic importance of the Redu Centre, the Parties to the MoU identify potential common areas of cooperation with a view to further developing the Redu Centre and to contributing together to its mid to long-term sustainable development.
The ESA and RSS have also signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) on the extension of the contractual relationship between ESA and RSS for a further five years.