TÜV NORD subsidiary ALTER honoured by Sodern for outstanding testing performance in space technology

ALTER, a subsidiary of TÜV NORD GROUP, has received this year's Supplier Award from Sodern, a leading global manufacturer of optronic systems and instruments for space and defence. This award recognises suppliers that provide exceptional technical performance and contribute directly to the reliability of Sodern's mission-critical products.

ALTER received the award for testing high-precision star trackers that ensure the accurate orientation and navigation of satellites, space probes and launch vehicles.

ALTER supports Sodern with a comprehensive portfolio of analyses that are essential for understanding the behaviour, robustness and reliability of optoelectronic components for space missions. These activities include design analyses, failure analyses, repeatability studies, TID (Total Ionising Dose) tests, SEE (Single Event Effects) tests and other advanced assessments. TID testing enables the assessment of cumulative radiation effects on semiconductor devices, while SEE testing characterises the response of components to single high-energy particles. These services are fundamental to ensuring the long-term reliability of the high performance optronic systems developed by Sodern.

The Supplier Award reflects the close technical co-operation between the two companies, says Frédéric Tilhac, Managing Director of ALTER France: "We are very proud to receive this recognition from Sodern. It underlines not only the expertise and commitment of our teams, but also the strength of our collaboration. We look forward to continuing to support Sodern in ensuring the reliability of its space technologies and contributing to future missions."

Sodern, a subsidiary of ArianeGroup, plays a strategic role in the European space ecosystem by supplying key attitude control instruments and high-performance optronic devices for civil and military applications. ArianeGroup, known for the development of the Ariane 6 launcher, relies on Sodern’s expertise for the precision and safety of navigation systems on board European space missions.

ALTER, a wholly owned subsidiary of the TÜV NORD GROUP, specialises in the testing, qualification and certification of electronic components and systems, particularly for the aerospace, defence and high-reliability industries. The company operates laboratories in Madrid and Seville (Spain), Toulouse (France), Edinburgh and Glasgow (United Kingdom), Bensheim (Germany) and Plymouth, Minnesota (USA) and offers expertise in reliability testing, environmental simulation, radiation testing and material analysis.