A small European geostationary platform (Small GEO) for communications applications is being developed under OHB's lead management and is to be marketed commercially under the LUXOR name. Initiated by OHB, it has been established as a separate component of the long-term ESA schedule under the ARTES-11 program. The technical specifications for Luxor are based on a proposal submitted by OHB-System AG.

What sets the Small GEO platform apart is its modular structure. As a result, the satellite can be fitted individually in accordance with the customer's specific requirements without any major modifications to the satellite bus. The advantages are plain to see: Short integration times make it possible to react swiftly to new market needs and reduce costs. The relatively low complexity of the system ensures high reliability in tandem with reduced program risk.

LUXOR has been developed as an optimum platform for communications payloads. With its modular design, however, Small GEO also provides a cost-efficient basis for other applications such as earth observation or meteorology.

The first satellites utilizing the LUXOR platform are to be placed in orbit in 2012.