Thales Alenia Space
Thales Alenia Space is a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), headquartered in Toulouse, France with major operations in Rome and Cannes.
- Founded
- 2007
- Headquarters
- Cannes, France
- Ownership
- Subsidiary of Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%) joint venture
- Employees
- 8,000as of 2025
Quick Facts
About Thales Alenia Space
Thales Alenia Space is a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), headquartered in Toulouse, France with major operations in Rome and Cannes. One of Europe's largest satellite manufacturers with around 8,000 employees and revenue of €2.36 billion in 2025, the company has built over 200 spacecraft across telecommunications, Earth observation, navigation, and science programs. Thales Alenia Space manufactures pressurized modules for space infrastructure — including the Multi-Purpose Logistics Modules (MPLMs) used to supply the ISS and the HALO module for NASA's Lunar Gateway.
The company builds the COSMO-SkyMed radar constellation for Italy, contributes to the Copernicus Earth observation program (Sentinel satellites), and produces the Iridium NEXT and OneWeb satellite buses. Thales Alenia Space is also selected to manufacture the Lunar I-Hab module for the Gateway.
Products and product lines
| Product | Line | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Space INSPIRE | Software-defined GEO satellite platform | In-orbit-reconfigurable telecommunications satellite bus; selected for Es'hailSat/Türksat's shared Eshail-3/Türksat-Biruni satellite (contract announced 30 June 2026). |
| HALO (Habitation and Logistics Outpost) | Lunar space station module | Pressurized primary structure for NASA's Lunar Gateway, built in Turin and shipped to Northrop Grumman's Arizona facility (arrived 1 April 2025) for outfitting; corrosion found in 2025-2026 contributed to NASA repurposing Gateway hardware toward lunar-surface demonstration missions. |
| Sentinel-1 NG | Earth observation satellite (radar) | Two next-generation Copernicus C-band SAR satellites under a €700 million initial ESA contract (awarded 10 June 2026), with Airbus Defence and Space supplying the radar payload. |
| Argonaut Lunar Descent Element | Lunar lander | ESA lunar cargo/descent vehicle; Thales Alenia Space Italy is prime contractor and system integrator leading an industrial consortium that includes OHB System AG and Nammo (contracts signed November 2025). |
| COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation | Earth observation satellite (radar) | Dual-use SAR constellation for the Italian Space Agency and Ministry of Defence, operated by Telespazio; its third satellite launched 3 January 2026 on a SpaceX Falcon 9. |
Timeline
- 2025 The HALO Gateway module's completed primary structure departs Thales Alenia Space's Turin plant on 31 March and arrives in Arizona on 1 April for outfitting at Northrop Grumman's Gilbert facility. [source]
- 2025 Airbus, Leonardo and Thales sign a memorandum of understanding on 23 October to combine their space businesses — including Thales's stakes in Thales Alenia Space, Telespazio and Thales SESO — into a single European joint venture (35%/32.5%/32.5% ownership) targeted to close in 2027. [source]
- 2025 Thales Alenia Space Italy signs contracts (announced 23 November) as prime contractor and system integrator for ESA's Argonaut lunar descent element, leading a consortium including OHB System AG and Nammo. [source]
- 2026 ESA awards Thales Alenia Space a contract (10 June) as prime contractor for two Copernicus Sentinel-1 Next Generation radar satellites, the first tranche of a program valued at €700 million. [source]
- 2026 Thales Alenia Space is awarded a contract (announced 30 June) to build the Eshail-3/Türksat-Biruni telecommunications satellite for Es'hailSat and Turkish operator Türksat, based on the software-defined Space INSPIRE platform. [source]
- 2026 NASA and Northrop Grumman announce (6 August) that widespread corrosion discovered in the HALO module's Thales Alenia Space-built primary structure, and resulting multi-year schedule slips, led them to repurpose Gateway hardware into three Lunar Infrastructure Demo missions rather than complete the orbital station as planned. [source]
Team
Signals
- Verification
- Verified 2026-09-09
Categories & Capabilities
Industry Categories
Location
Loading map...
Share
Suggest an Edit
Is this information outdated or incorrect? Help us improve this profile.
Submit CorrectionExplore More
Discover 1,000+ space companies worldwide
Similar Companies
Other companies in satellite-manufacturing
SpaceX
Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) is the world's leading aerospace company, listed on Nasdaq (SPCX) since Ju...
Boeing Space
Boeing Space & Launch is a division of The Boeing Company responsible for spacecraft development, space station operatio...
Lockheed Martin Space
Lockheed Martin Space is a business segment of Lockheed Martin Corporation, one of the world's largest defense and aeros...
Sierra Space
Sierra Space is a commercial space company developing the Dream Chaser spaceplane, Orbital Reef commercial space station...
Airbus Space Exploration
Airbus Space and Defence (formerly EADS Astrium) is Europe's largest space systems company, headquartered in Toulouse, F...
Anywaves
Anywaves is a French space antenna company founded in 2017 and headquartered in Toulouse — Europe's aerospace capital — ...
Also in France
Other space companies based in France
Related Articles
Industry analysis mentioning Thales Alenia Space
Satellite Manufacturing: Industry Landscape 2025
Read article →
Global Space Industry by Country: Market Analysis 2025
Read article →
How Satellites Are Built: From Design to Launch
Read article →
Space Industry Market Size 2025: Revenue, Growth, and Sector Analysis
Read article →
Top Satellite Manufacturing Companies 2026: The 25 to Know
Read article →
Frequently asked about Thales Alenia Space
Quick answers to the questions readers most often search for.
- When was Thales Alenia Space founded?
- Thales Alenia Space was founded in 2007 in France.
- Where is Thales Alenia Space headquartered?
- Thales Alenia Space is headquartered in Cannes, France.
- What does Thales Alenia Space do?
- Thales Alenia Space is a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), headquartered in Toulouse, France with major operations in Rome and Cannes. One of Europe's largest satellite manufacturers with around 8,000 employees and revenue of €2.36 billion in 2025, the company has built over 200 spacecraft across t…
- Is Thales Alenia Space a public or private company?
- Thales Alenia Space is a privately held company and is not listed on any stock exchange.
- What sector does Thales Alenia Space operate in?
- Thales Alenia Space works in satellite manufacturing and Human spaceflight.
Sources
The structured fields on this page (founding year, location, sector, status, listing) and the profile text are drawn from the sources below. How profiles are drafted and checked is described in our methodology.
- Official website (thalesaleniaspace.com)
- Company LinkedIn page
- Wikidata / Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-09-04
- NASA: HALO Arrives in the US (1 Apr 2025) · retrieved 2026-09-06
- Airbus Newsroom: Airbus, Leonardo and Thales sign MOU to create a leading European player in space (23 Oct 2025) · retrieved 2026-09-06
- SatNews: Thales Alenia Space Signs Multiple Contracts for ESA's Argonaut Lunar Descent Element (23 Nov 2025) · retrieved 2026-09-06
- Thales Alenia Space: Awarded contract as prime contractor for two Copernicus Sentinel-1 NG satellites (10 Jun 2026) · retrieved 2026-09-06
- Thales Alenia Space: Awarded contract by Es'hailSat to build telecommunications satellite (30 Jun 2026) · retrieved 2026-09-06
- Spaceflight Now: NASA, Northrop Grumman repurpose Gateway elements for Moon Base demo missions (6 Aug 2026) · retrieved 2026-09-06
- Thales Alenia Space: Who We Are (employees/revenue, 2025 figures) · retrieved 2026-09-06
- Thales Group: New appointments at Thales — Hervé Derrey named CEO of Thales Alenia Space effective 20 Feb 2020 · retrieved 2026-09-06
Data Accuracy Notice: Information about Thales Alenia Space is compiled from publicly available sources including company websites, press releases, regulatory filings, and industry reports. Data is reviewed periodically but may not reflect the most recent developments.