Safran Data Systems

Safran Data Systems is the testing instrumentation, telemetry, and space communications division of the Safran Group — France's major aerospace and defense conglomerate — headquartered in the Paris region, recognized as a world leader in flight test instrumentation systems, airborne data acquisition hardware, and satellite tracking ground stations used by space agencies, satellite operators, and aircraft certification programs globally.

Safran Data Systems' ORION ground station systems are the company's flagship space product: complete tri-band (S-band / X-band / Ka-band) satellite tracking antenna stations that provide telemetry downlink, ranging, and command uplink for satellites in LEO, MEO, and GEO orbits during launch and early operations (LEOP) and throughout the operational mission lifetime.

The tri-band capability in a single station allows operators to use one ground station to support multiple satellite programs operating at different frequencies — S-band for command uplink and telemetry during launch emergencies (when reliable low-bandwidth links are critical), X-band for high-rate science data downlink from Earth observation missions, and Ka-band for high-throughput communications satellites.

ORION stations are installed at major space agency ground network facilities and commercial telemetry networks including ESA ESOC's global tracking network, DLR's space operations ground stations, and CNES's TéléMesure Et Commande (TMTC) network.

The LEGION airborne data acquisition system is Safran's primary product for flight test instrumentation: onboard electronics installed in prototype aircraft during development testing that collect thousands of channels of sensor data (pressures, temperatures, structural strains, vibrations, avionics signals) at high sample rates, storing or transmitting the data to ground stations for analysis by flight test engineers. VISION is the associated ground processing and visualization system. These systems are used in certification programs for civil aircraft (Airbus, Boeing) and military programs.

Safran Data Systems also provides telemetry systems for rocket launch vehicles — recording flight data during test launches for post-test analysis and supporting range safety monitoring that triggers range safety officer commanded abort if the vehicle deviates from its safety corridor. Customers include ArianeGroup, ISRO, and international launch agencies.