- Astrium demonstrates the technical
feasibilities for Galileo
- Long-term measurements conducted on
signal quality
- High-precision atomic clocks provide superior
performance
Dr. Reinhold Lutz, Director of
Navigation, Astrium said: “The success of GIOVE-B proves Astrium’s expertise in
developing complex navigation satellites. This mission has enabled engineers to
carry out the necessary in-orbit tests of the new technologies required for
Galileo and lead the way for a navigation system that is vital to both Europe’s economic and technological future.”
GIOVE-B was launched into a Medium Earth
Orbit on board a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur
Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan
on April 27, 2008. After completion of
an intensive in-orbit test campaign, the satellite was declared fully
operational in July 2008.
Since then, GIOVE-B has been broadcasting
its navigation test signals around the Earth to ground receivers, allowing
engineers and researchers the opportunity to perform long-term measurements of
the signal quality. Notably, GIOVE-B is the first satellite to transmit the Multiplexed
Binary Offset Coding modulation standard from space, thus paving the way for
its future roll-out on Galileo.
The GIOVE-B satellite carries three
high-precision atomic clocks, including a passive hydrogen maser - the most
accurate time reference ever orbited in space, with an accuracy of better than
1 nanosecond per day. The in-orbit behaviour of the maser has proven to be
outstanding, boosting confidence that this and other critical new technologies
will deliver the superior performance expected of the Galileo system.
Astrium was the prime
contractor and navigation payload lead for GIOVE-B in Germany and the UK respectively. Thales Alenia
Space (Italy)
provided the support for satellite assembly, integration and test.
Galileo is a joint European Space Agency
and European Union programme and will
comprise a constellation of 30 dedicated satellites coupled with an associated
ground support network offering users satellite navigation with a positioning
accuracy of less than a metre. Galileo is due to become fully operational in 2013.
Astrium,
a wholly owned subsidiary of EADS, is dedicated to providing civil and defence
space systems and services. In 2008, Astrium had a turnover of €4.3 billion and
more than 15,000 employees in France,
Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain
and the Netherlands.
Its three main areas of activity are Astrium Space Transportation for launchers
and orbital infrastructure, Astrium Satellites for spacecraft and ground
segment and Astrium Services for the development and delivery of satellite
services.
EADS
is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2008,
EADS generated revenues of €43.3 billion and employed a workforce of more
than 118, 000.
Press contacts:
Dan Mosely (Astrium UK) Tel.:
+44 (0)1 438 77 8180
Matthieu
Duvelleroy (Astrium FR) Tel.:
+33 (0) 1 77 75 80 32
Francisco Lechón (Astrium SP) Tel.:
+34 91 586 37 41
Mathias Pikelj (Astrium GER) Tel.: +49 (0) 7545
8 9123
www.astrium.eads.net
