Telespazio Upgrades Fucino Earth Station Antennas with Latest Walton De-Icing Heaters and Control Systems

Amsterdam, The Netherlands, September 7, 2016 —Walton De-Ice (www.de-ice.com), the world’s leading designer and manufacturer of satellite earth station antenna (ESA) weather protection solutions, announced that Telespazio, a Leonardo-Finmeccanica and Thales company, has upgraded its Walton’s Plenum Hot-Air De-Icing systems (Walton De-Ice Plenum, Snow Shield and Ice Quake systems) with Walton’s latest CE-approved gas heaters and Control systems to help provide the highest level of uptime during winter at the Fucino Space Center.  At Fucino, Telespazio will upgrade seven gateway antennas, ranging in size up to 18 meters in diameter.  It joins a growing number of facilities in Europe that have recently added or upgraded Walton De-Icing systems. 

Walton De-Ice CE-Approved Heaters and Plenums Fucino 18M
Walton De-Ice Plenum and Heaters on FOC-15G, 18m antenna, Fucino. Courtesy: Telespazio

To maximize energy consumption efficiency, existing customers can upgrade Walton De-Ice’s latest gas heaters. Walton’s Hot Air De-Ice systems — including the company’s unique Plenum enclosure installed on the rear of an antenna — provide the most reliable and economic antenna de-icing solutions on the market.  Walton systems offer maximum flexibility with electric, natural gas, and liquid propane gas heater options.  Unlike other types of heaters such as electric pad systems that can cause reflector distortion, Walton Hot Air De-Ice systems heat the entire antenna reflector uniformly, which minimizes reflector distortion that can cause signal problems, even more so at Ku-, and Ka-Band.
 
“We are delighted to help Telespazio’s Fucino Space Center — one of the world’s critical space mission control and communications facilities — to better protect its satellite earth station signals from the effects of snow and ice using the latest Walton De-Ice systems,” says Bill Walton, President of W.B. Walton Enterprises, Inc. (Walton De-Ice).

Walton CE Heater and Plenum, Fucino, Italy,18m

Photo: Walton De-Ice Plenum and Heaters at Fucino Space Center, Courtesy: Telespazio

Established in 1963 for pioneering satellite telecommunications, the Fucino Space Center is the largest civil space center in the world.  It is active in the areas of satellite orbit control, telecommunication, television and multimedia services.   A team of more than 100 specialized engineers and technicians provides Orbit Control operations including TT&C services (Telemetry, Tracking and Command) as well as the complete range of activities relating to space missions operations from launch and early orbit phase (LEOP) to post satellite operational life de-orbiting.

During the IBC 2016 trade show, September 9-13, 2016 at the RAI Convention Center in Amsterdam, at Stand 1.A62, W.B. Walton Enterprises (“Walton De-Ice”) will be promoting its latest in gas and electric heated hot-air Plenum systems for large antennas (3.7 to 32 meters), as well as its innovative Ice Quake, and Snow Shield solutions for 0.6 to 6.3 meter antennas.

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