TecStar and Thomson-CSF have established a joint venture for satellite and avionics products in a first step towards further cooperation.
Called TecStar France and based in Toulouse the new company will support all technical, industrial and commercial activities related to space solar panels and manufacturing, and electronic systems and equipment for avionics and professional environments.
The industrial unit of Thomson-CSF Services Industrie, the Electronic Subassemblies Unit, supports two core product lines; electronic boards and subassemblies (electronic board fabrication, assembly and testing of subassemblies), and space system wiring.
It also offers expertise in component mounting, technologies and prototyping. To meet highly exacting market specifications, a flexible and customer-oriented industrial organization has been developed based on autonomous production units.
TecStar Inc. was founded in 1954 as the country's first supplier of silicon space solar cells. Today, the privately held company is the first to manufacture and fly triple junction cells and panels in space.
The company maintains an unblemished, on-orbit performance on over 1,000 satellites involving programs such as GPS, Globalstar, Iridium, ORBCOMM and Landsat. The company also powered the hugely successful Mars Pathfinder mission with its gallium solar panels.
