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Solna, Sweden: SSC has a number of contracts linked to the Galileo system. The system's first ground control station is owned by SSC and located at the company's facility Esrange Space Center. Around 25 MEUR will be invested in the Galileo antenna site, which will be a key installation in the Galileo system. The antenna building has been erected in preparation for the delivery of the 13.6 meter antenna – the largest of the twenty antennas at Esrange.
“The new Galileo antenna will further strengthen our position as a leading ground station for satellite services”, says Mr. Lars Poromaa, head of Esrange Satellite Station. “The fact that we are located far north, and can contribute in having contact with the satellites in every orbit, makes us a desirable partner.”
The Esrange Satellite Station is part of a global ground station network, PrioraNet. Parts of this network have been used to provide support during the Launch and Early Orbit Phase for the first Galileo test satellite GIOVE-A and will be used correspondingly for GIOVE-B, planned for launch in early 2008.
SSC will also offer to provide Galileo Sensor Station services. 40 such stations will be needed around the world to handle time correlation for the system.
SSC was the first space company in the world to receive a long-term Radio Frequency S-band license for Galileo. The license was applied for on behalf of ESA and will last until 2037.
Galileo is a long-term program and SSC expects to host Galileo infrastructure for at least another 20 years. The project is a great challenge as a Galileo installation makes extreme demands on reliability and redundancy.
