DLR GfR and Thales Alenia Space sign Galileo framework agreement

After a long and fruitful negotiation phase, Thales Alenia Space (represented by Mr. Benoit Broudy) and DLR GfR Germany (represented by Mr. Simon Plum and Mr. Walter Päffgen), signed the contract in the presence of Mr. Jean-Loic Galle (CEO, Thales Alenia Space), Mr. André Bauerhin (CEO, Spaceopal) and Hansjörg Dittus (Executive Board Member DLR Cologne).

Mr. Simon Plum, Managing Director of DLR GfR, is very glad to establish this alliance: “We are looking forward to this partnership as it will surely strengthen the Galileo system and at the same time will ensure the highest degree of reliability for the European Union and so consequently for all European citizens.”

DLR GfR is one of the Core Team Members of the Galileo Service Operator Consortium and is mainly operating the Galileo Control Centre in Oberpfaffenhofen/Germany. Galileo is the independent European Satellite Navigation System developed on behalf of the European Commission together with GSA and ESA. Galileo is providing its service on a global scale with high accuracy and integrity, as well as authentication to supply all users with the best services suitable for their needs.

Again Mr Simon Plum: “With some pride we can say that we play a key role in Europe`s biggest space program as the engine room of Europe`s lighthouse project Galileo.”

Thales Alenia Space, with its unique expertise in the design, development and maintenance of Galileo GMS and other navigation programmes in and outside EU, is the ideal candidate for this partnership. Thales Alenia Space, with its main Galileo hubs in Toulouse and Ditzingen, plays a major role in the definition of the future system. This partnership shall help to achieve the goals of Galileo by strengthening the relationship of the two major stakeholders from France and Germany within the Galileo environment.

Mr. Benoit Broudy, Vice President Navigation France at Thales Alenia Space says: “Thales Alenia Space is pleased to bring its experience and new leading technologies developed alongside new space ecosystem to its collaboration with DLR GfR so that we can help drive cost and workflow efficiencies for our customers.”

Mr. Simon Plum: “I am very happy about the conclusion of the contract at hand fostering one major cornerstone of GfRs main activities. Both parties will be able to provide our customer and subsequently all users all over the world with the most reliable and professional service to guarantee the Galileo based navigation. This will significantly strengthen Galileo in the coming years. I look forward to continue to build on the constructive co-operation between GfR and Thales Alenia Space in the interest of the program.”

About Thales Alenia Space: Drawing on over 40 years of experience and a unique combination of skills, expertise and cultures, Thales Alenia Space delivers cost-effective solutions for telecommunications, navigation, Earth observation, environmental management, exploration, science and orbital infrastructures. Governments and private industry alike count on Thales Alenia Space to design satellite-based systems that provide anytime, anywhere connections and positioning, monitor our planet, enhance management of its resources, and explore our Solar System and beyond. Thales Alenia Space sees space as a new horizon, helping to build a better, more sustainable life on Earth. A joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), Thales Alenia Space also teams up with Telespazio to form the parent companies’ Space Alliance, which offers a complete range of services. Thales Alenia Space posted consolidated revenues of about 2.5 billion euros in 2018 and has around 8,000 employees in nine countries. www.thalesaleniaspace.com

About DLR GfR: Founded in 2008, DLR GfR mbH is a company providing reliable, safe and secure aerospace services. The company is responsible for managing the constellation of the European Satellite Navigation System Galileo from the Galileo Control Center (GCC) in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany. It further develops value-added services for Communication, Navigation and Surveillance (CNS). As the main entity for Constellation Operations being responsible for conducting all tasks that keep the Galileo constellation in an operational state at any time and as a manufacturer-independent Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP), DLR GfR has its heritage in the field of satellite navigation. Its unique combination of competencies in both the satellite navigation and aerospace fields empowers DLR GfR to transfer this knowledge to other areas and provide a high-level consultancy to a variety of critical infrastructures such as international airports or to stakeholders for navigation applications and digitalisation of smart cities.

DLR GfR is a subsidiary of the German Aerospace Center DLR, it’s headquarter is located in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany. GfR, together with Italian based Telespazio, is shareholder of Spaceopal, which is holding the contract of Galileo Service Operator from GSA. www.dlr-gfr.de