Thales Alenia Space has secured a $56.4 million contract to help extend the operational life of the European Satellite-Based Augmentation System, or EGNOS.
Under the Life Extension Phase 1 contract, awarded by the European Union Agency for the Space Programme, the company will support critical system upgrades and infrastructure improvement efforts, particularly initiatives that would enhance security measures and modernize components. The services will ensure that the system will continue to deliver reliable, secure and high-performance navigation services for aviation, land transport and mapping customers in Europe.
“With this latest contract, Thales Alenia Space demonstrates its European and export leadership in satellite navigation and contributes to the success of the EGNOS system in Europe,” said David Philipona, vice president of navigation for Thales Alenia Space in France.
EGNOS is one of the flagship space programs of the European Union. It aims to enhance the performance of global navigation satellite systems such as GPS and the future Galileo system by improving satellite positioning signals’ accuracy, reliability and integrity. The JV is responsible for developing the current EGNOS, which was initially deployed in 2005 before becoming an operational “open” service in 2009.
EUSPA is also behind a United Kingdom government-Viasat collaborative effort that aims to generate GPS data for maximum navigation safety and improved efficiency.