The European Space Agency, acting for the EU Agency for the Space Programme under European Commission delegation, has awarded Airbus Defence and Space a contract to build two additional Galileo Second Generation satellites. The award, signed at Airbus facilities in Ottobrunn, Germany, expands Airbus’s existing order from six spacecraft to eight and supports the continued development of Europe’s satellite-navigation constellation.
The satellites will use Airbus’s established production, integration and testing capabilities in Germany, Spain and France. Manufacturing activities will involve sites in Backnang, Friedrichshafen and Ottobrunn, Getafe near Madrid, and Toulouse.
Each spacecraft will weigh more than two tonnes and is designed to operate for 15 years in orbit. The G2 satellites will feature improved navigation antennas, fully digital payloads that can be reconfigured in orbit, enhanced atomic-clock configurations and inter-satellite links. Anti-jamming and anti-spoofing technologies will help protect Galileo signals for civilian, safety and defence applications.
ESA has also extended Thales Alenia Space’s contract for two additional G2 satellites, bringing the overall addition to four spacecraft. The value of Airbus’s contract was not disclosed.