Satellite Structures   Breadboard of Spacebus Central Tube (Saab Space)     Satellite Central Tubes Currently within the ARTES programs ESA supports European industry in upgrading the CFRP central tubes for the Eurostar and Spacebus families of telecom satellites for new larger missions. In addition ESA actively supports developments for the next generation large telecom platform Alphabus as well as development of new technologies for central tubes.           Qualification model of central tube for Spacebus 4000   Manufacturing technologies for central tubes include hand lay-up, filament winding and automated fiber placement. In addition to performance improvement, emphasis is put on reducing the cost of manufacturing the central tubes. This can be achieved by reducing the required machining operations and by using advanced manufacturing technologies, such as EADS CASA Espacio’s fiber placement technology.       Monolithic CFRP central tube manufactured using fibre placement technology     As an example for cost reduction in the manufacturing, Saab Space has introduced some innovative design, manufacturing and assemblage of the inserts in the CFRP central tube, such that no final machining operations to obtain precise interfaces to other satellite structure are required.         View 2. Monolithic CFRP central tube manufactured using fibre placement technology   Key features of the central tube are shown in the development breadboard manufactured by Saab Space. Performance critical interfaces are the junction frames between the central tube cylinders and the launch adapter.       Last update: 31 July 2007 Related articles  •  Composite design and analysis tools (http://www.esa.int/TEC/Structures/SEM8VDWUP4F_0.html)  •  Composite Joints and Inserts (http://www.esa.int/TEC/Structures/SEM95EWUP4F_0.html)  •  Launcher Structures (http://www.esa.int/TEC/Structures/SEMPQDWUP4F_0.html)  •  Stable Satellite Structures (http://www.esa.int/TEC/Structures/SEMREFWUP4F_0.html)  •  Composite Technology Studies (http://www.esa.int/TEC/Structures/SEMSMFWUP4F_0.html)