Callisto has been awarded a sub-contract by SED Systems of Saskatoon, Canada to supply cryogenic LNAs for ESA's third deep space ground station, which will be built in Argentina.   SED Systems are the prime contractor for the project and Callisto will supply the critical cryo LNA sub-system comprising three X-Band amplifiers, with an option for an addition set of Ka-Band amplifiers.  

Callisto is building a new cryogenic Test Dewar for the Geodetic Observatory Wettzell (GOW) of the Bundesamt für Kartographie und Geodäsie (BKG) in Germany. 

"For any space mission, the ground segment is vital for operating a spacecraft and processing data received from its instrument. Planck is no different, with hardware, software, telecommunication and other operations reaching from Spain to Australia" said Damien Texier, Directorate of Science and Robotic Exploration , at ESAC, Spain.**

The first acquisition and tracking of signals from the Herschel and Planck satellites after launch, was achieved at New Norcia ground station using a new antenna control technique called Conscan.  A problem for finding a satellite in its first orbit after launch is that its trajectory is not known precisely.  The Conscan tracking technique allows to correct for uncertainties in trajectory by making the ground station antenna beam make small circles around the expected satellite path.  The tracked signal level is processed by "curvefit" software and the results obtained can be used to find the exact satellite trajectory. The Conscan routine has been integrated as a functional module into the Front End Controllers (FEC) at two ESA ground stations (New Norcia and Masplaomas). Callisto engineering staff at ESOC provide support for the development and testing of the FEC and have also participated in the design of the curvefit process and the implementation of the Conscan module.

*Launch and Early Orbit Phase                                **ESA Bulletin 139.

ESA uses cryogenic LNAs for its deep space telecommunications network  and has decided to upgrade the design of its X-Band cryogenic LNAs with new thermal and RF components to improve performance and long-term reliability.

Callisto is proud to announce the award of a new study for the European Space Agency.

The objective is to study and investigate solutions for building ground stations for future Deep Space missions for exploration of the outer reaches of the solar system.  In the coming decades ESA is planning to send spacecraft to explore the planetary systems of Jupiter and Saturn.  In order to communicate with spacecraft at distances of up to 1 billion kms from the Earth,  a new generation of Ground Stations will be required with much greater sensitivity in reception and power for transmission.  The solutions which will be investigated will include the option of building a very large antenna greater than 70m diameter, or building an array of smaller antennas which can be combined together.   The study will address not only the engineering challenges associated with the various options, but also the cost, with a clear goal of identifying the most cost effective approach.

Due to an expansion of its business, Callisto is seeking to recruit an additional engineer for its engineering team based in our offices in France. This team is engaged in studies related to satellite communications and in the development of specialised RF equipment for satellite ground stations. 

The responsibilities of the selected candidate will typically include :  undertaking research and studies in ground to satellite communications problems, developing system level designs of ground stations, definition and specification of antennas and RF circuits, simulation of communications channels, analysis of signal processing elements, preparation of engineering drawings, preparation of reports & documentation.