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Thales Alenia Space and ESA sign contract for Galileo ground mission

The deal will see Thales Alenia Space develop and deploy new versions of the ground-based Galileo Mission Segment (GMS) and the Galileo Security Facility (GSF), both known under the designation “WP2X”.
Galileo Ground Station, credit Thales Alenia Space.

Thales Alenia Space, the joint company between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), has signed a new tranche of the framework contract originally signed on October 18 with the European Space Agency (ESA), on behalf of the European Commission and the European GNSS Agency (GSA). The deal will see Thales Alenia Space develop and deploy new versions of the ground-based Galileo Mission Segment (GMS) and the Galileo Security Facility (GSF), both known under the designation “WP2X”.

 The new tranche of this contract, worth approximately 130 million euros (USD 149.2m) through June 2021, will include the completion of PRS (Public Regulated Service), the adaptation of the ground segment to provide an interface, via computerised POCPs (Point of Contact platforms), and the Galileo Security Monitoring Centre (GSMC), which manages PRS access to the new system and government entities which control access on their own receiving stations.

Thales Alenia Space will direct a consortium including major companies in France, Spain, Italy and Germany. Thales group will provide prime contractor support as well as the architecture and integration of security components and the POCPs. Leonardo will offer support for the Galileo Security Facility (GSF), which manages PRS service and the POCPs.

“We are very honoured that ESA, along with GSA and the European Commission, have awarded us this new tranche of the Galileo ground segment contract,” said Jean Loïc Galle, CEO of Thales Alenia Space.

“Along with our partners, we will be offering the best possible solutions to address both the needs of European citizens and all Galileo users, via improved services, and meet Europe’s strategic requirement for independence in deploying an appropriate PRS service.”