France, June 30 -- Thales Alenia Space, the joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), today announces the signing of a contract with Es'hailSat, the Qatar Satellite Company, to develop a new generation software-defined satellite based on the Space INSPIRE (INstant SPace In-orbit REconfiguration) platform by Thales Alenia Space.Named Eshail-3/Turksat-Biruni, this satellite will offer high-speed broadband connectivity services across Europe, Africa, Central Asia and the Middle East, shared with Turkish satellite operator Turksat.Eshail-3/Turksat-Biruni will rely on Space INSPIRE, a highly flexible and fully software-defined solution offering instant in-orbit adjustment to broadband connectivity demands, while optimizing the use o...