Thales Alenia Space acquires portion of Airstar Aerospace
NewsJune 21, 2017
PARIS AIR SHOW. Satelllite and spacecraft company Thales Alenia Space -- the joint venture between Thales and Leonardo -- confirmed that it has acquired a minority stake in French company Airstar Aerospace, a company that manufactures airships and flexible structures that are capable of operating at all altitudes.
To announce the deal, Jean-Philippe Chessel --chief of the Stratobus product line at Thales Alenia Space -- and Romain Chabert --CEO of Airstar Aerospace -- signed the official agreement at the Airstar Aerospace stand at the Paris Air Show.
According to Thales Alenia, Airstar Aerospace is a good fit as Thales continues development of four key technologies for its own and its customers’ digital transformation: connectivity, mobility, big data, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity. Thales Alenia Space will have access to Airstar Aerospace’s expertise in the design of innovative flexible structures for space, along with its experience with captive observation balloons, which are airborne platforms that complement the capabilities of drones and Thales Alenia's Stratobus airship.
