SPACE:CONTRACTS SIGNED FOR FIRST GALILEO SATELLITES.

One contract, worth Euro 27.9 million, has been awarded to the British firm Surrey Space Technology Limited. The main task of this test satellite, which will have a mass on lift-off of 400 kg, is to transmit the Galileo signals from one of the orbits to be used by the constellation. This satellite will also test various critical technologies that it will be flying, including the rubidium atomic clock and a signal generator. It will also measure the physical parameters of the orbit and the particular environment in which the future constellation is to operate.

In order to minimize risks of delays, launch failure, etc. a contract to build another test satellite has also been placed with the consortium Galileo Industries. Galileo Industries is a consortium composed by Alcatel Space Industries (France), Alenia Spazio (Italy), Astrium GmbH (Germany), Astrium Ltd (UK) and Galileo Sistemas y Servicios (Spain).

The contract is worth Euro 72.3m. This satellite, which will have a mass of 525 kg on lift-off, will be more representative of the four to be used to validate the Galileo system in orbit. With a payload very similar to that of the satellites that will form the...