The European Union Agency for the Space Program (EUSPA) recently awarded GMV a framework contract to evolve the infrastructure of the European GNSS Service Center (E-GSC) — this contract, valued at 35 million euros, has a duration of six years.
The E-GSC is an integral part of the infrastructure of the European Union satellite navigation program. Its main mission is to provide a unified interface for users of the Galileo and EGNOS systems, offering supporting services, and contributing to the delivery of new Galileo services. The E-GSC’s various functions include the distribution of data from the European Union navigation satellite services to the user community and supporting the growth of the global Galileo applications market.
Originally designed to be part of the European GNSS infrastructure and to provide a unified interface between the Galileo system and its users, the E-GSC has expanded its role over the years to become a key component in the delivery of services enabled by the European Union Space Programme.
The new framework contract aims to advance the E-GSC’s capabilities, enabling it to take on increased responsibilities. This includes creating new services for users, enhancing their experience, integrating service delivery aspects of Galileo and EGNOS, and supporting the development of additional services.
GMV is leading a consortium that features Indra as the main industrial partner, along with prominent companies such as Spaceopal, ESSP, Alten, the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) and the Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona (UAB).
Under the supervision of EUSPA as Contracting Authority, GMV will oversee project management and the development of IT infrastructure through all stages, including definition, implementation, validation, and integration into the Galileo ground segment. GMV will also develop the software components necessary for delivering new data and signal authentication services for Galileo satellites.
GMV’s General Director of Navigation Systems, Miguel Romay, said, “This contract award from EUSPA reinforces the trust placed in GMV since the programme’s inception and solidifies our commitment to excellence in satellite navigation. Playing a key role in evolving the E-GSC infrastructure is another step forward in our contribution to the development of Galileo and is a pivotal move towards our goal of supporting Europe’s leadership in space technology.”
With more than 20 years of active involvement in all phases of Galileo’s development, GMV has the expertise and experience needed to effectively manage engineering, validation, and deployment processes for the centre’s evolution, adhering to the proposed timeline and meeting the quality and safety standards set by EUSPA., the EU Agency responsible for the exploitation and the delivery of the Galileo services.