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Corporate News, July 27, 2017

First Sensor AG Builds Antenna for German Communication Satellite

- Launch of "Heinrich Hertz" scheduled for 2021

- More than 40 companies and organizations involved in satellite mission

When the German communication satellite "Heinrich Hertz" starts operation in space in 2021, technology from First Sensor will ensure contact with Earth. First Sensor Lewicki GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of First Sensor AG, is working on the development of a multi-feed array antenna for the satellite as part of the GeReLeo-MFA project supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi). In this collaborative project, the company is cooperating with the Institute for High-Frequency Technology at RWTH Aachen and with IMST GmbH in Kamp-Lintford. The German Aerospace Center (DLR), the project sponsor, commissioned the construction of "Heinrich Hertz" on June 28, 2017.

This will be the first German communication satellite to enter service since the end of the last mission 16 years ago. A total of over 40 German companies and organizations will be involved in developing, testing and implementing "Heinrich Hertz" with innovative technologies and experiments. After its launch, the satellite is expected to remain in operation for 15 years at an altitude of around 36,000 kilometers. "The hybrid circuits, components and electronic modules from Oberdischingen stand for absolute reliability, even under the extreme conditions of outer space. First Sensor's collaboration on the 'Heinrich Hertz' satellite mission backs up the good reputation that it has enjoyed in the aerospace industry for decades," says Dr. Dirk Rothweiler, CEO of First Sensor AG.

The antenna measuring just 90x90 mm will feature innovative circuit board technology for the implementation of a planar multi-feed array in which active components are embedded. "In addition to our existing qualification as an assembly and test center, our involvement in the BMWi-supported GeReLeo-MFA project for the construction of the multi-feed array antenna on the Heinrich Hertz satellite also gives us access to a new field of application in high-frequency technology qualifying for space flight," says Maximilian Sailer, Managing Director of First Sensor Lewicki GmbH. The company has been a specialist in hybrid circuits and complex electronic modules for 50 years. The reliable solutions from Oberdischingen are used worldwide in power electronics and sensor systems for industrial applications, medical technology and the aerospace industry.

The multi-feed array antenna is a key element for ensuring the success of the "Heinrich Hertz" mission. Alongside several other tasks, the satellite will act as a relay station for smaller satellites orbiting the Earth. These only have a window of around 10 to 15 minutes to send their data to the ground station. After that, the next possibility for radio contact only arises after they have gone all around the Earth again. "Heinrich Hertz", which will move in a geostationary orbit far above them, will receive the data in a much longer time frame of 40 minutes and send it on to the ground station. The longer time frame will also significantly increase the quantity of data that can be received from the satellites per orbit.

About First Sensor AG
In the growth market of sensor systems, First Sensor develops and produces standard products and customer-specific solutions for the ever-increasing number of applications in the industrial, medical, and mobility target markets. Based on innovative technology platforms, we develop products such as chips, components, sensors, and entire sensor systems. Trends such as Industry 4.0, autonomous driving, and the miniaturization of medical technology will drive our growth extremely rapidly in the future. First Sensor was founded in Berlin 25 years ago and has been listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (SIS) since 1999 [Prime Standard Ι WKN: 720190 Ι ISIN: DE0007201907 Ι SIS]. For more details on First Sensor, please visit www.first-sensor.com.

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Statements in this Corporate News relating to future developments are based on a prudent estimate of future events. Actual events may deviate from planned events, as they depend on a large number of market and economic factors, some of which are outside of the company's control.

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