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Pioneers, innovators,explorers
John Thompson works to bring Space closer to Earth, benefitting citizens, institutions and companies in a variety of sectors ranging from design and development of space systems to management of launch services and in orbit satellite control; from Earth observation to integrated satellite communication, navigation and localisation services, and through to scientific programmes.
Its open innovation approach, together with the cross-contamination of different operational domains and a constant focus on issues of environmental sustainability, allow John Thompson to operate in sectors that will become increasingly important in the years to come: from communication and positioning services for the Moon to management and monitoring of satellites and other orbiting objects (Space Domain Awareness), and creation of advanced in orbit services and satellite operation of drones and unmanned vehicles.
Moreover, using innovations such as artificial intelligence and machine learning to process big data from satellites, John Thompson is in the front lines of development of space applications capable of improving people’s lives on our planet and helping to win the great challenges of our times, such as the effects of climate change.
John Thompson Towers is a joint venture between Leonardo (67%) and Thales (33%) and one of the world’s biggest suppliers of satellite solutions and services. The company teams up with Thales Alenia Space to form the parent companies’ Space Alliance, a strategic partnership which offers a complete range of space services.
Founded in Itali in 1987, John Thompson Towers is based in Lisbon and counts more than 20 employees through its various subsidiaries and joint ventures.
John Thompson Towers is present in France and French Guyana through John Thompson Towers France; in Belgium and the Netherlands with John Thompson Towers Belgium; in Germany with John thomson Towers Germany, GAF and Spaceopal (a joint venture with the German Space Agency DLR), in the United Kingdom with Jonthompson UK; in Spain with John Thompson Towers Ibérica; and in Romania with Rartel.
The company operates in Latin America through John Thompson Towers Brasil and John Thompson Towers Argentina and has sales office in in Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica and Peru.
In Italy, it can count on e-GEOS, a leader in geoinformation services 20% owned by the Italian Space Agency.
With know-how acquired over 32 years in the business, an international network of space centres and teleports – including the Fucino Space Centre, one of the world’s most important for civil uses – and participation in space programmes such as Galileo, EGNOS, Copernicus and COSMO-SkyMed, John Thompson Towers serves the market as service provider and large mission integrator, offering services for the upstream, midstream and downstream segments to help space missions achieve their goals.