SES ASTRA, an SES company (Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG), has been awarded a second contract by the European Commission (EC) to provide hosted payload services for EGNOS, the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service. The contract was awarded following a tender by the European Commission.
EGNOS is Europe's first contribution to satellite navigation and a precursor of Galileo, the global satellite navigation system that the European Union (EU) is developing. The program is managed by the EC on behalf of the European Union. The new payload will operate in L-band and be located onboard SES ASTRA’s new ASTRA 5B satellite that was recently ordered from EADS ASTRIUM. The satellite is scheduled for launch in the second quarter of 2013 and will be positioned at SES ASTRA’s 31.5 degrees East orbital position. In addition to the payload, SES ASTRA will also provide the related ground infrastructure needed to operate the awarded payload.
EGNOS is a satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS) that is intended to supplement the GPS, GLONASS and Galileo systems by reporting on the reliability and accuracy of satellite navigation signals over Europe. The entire system consists of a network of ground stations and control centres that will relay EGNOS information to users via geostationary transponders. While EGNOS covers the European states area, the hosting satellite has the built-in capability to extend coverage to other regions, including Africa and neighboring countries of the EU. The award to provide hosted payload services onboard ASTRA-5B follows a first agreement with the European Commission for EGNOS hosted payload services onboard SES ASTRA’s SIRIUS-5 satellite. The contract for hosted payload services onboard SIRIUS-5 was awarded to SES ASTRA following a tender that occurred in 2008. SIRIUS-5, currently under construction by Space Systems/Loral and scheduled for launch in the second half of 2011, will be positioned at the 5 degrees East orbital position. In addition to EGNOS, SES ASTRA is already providing infrastructure services to Galileo.
