Satellite navigation
Airbus Defence and Space is a global space industry leader in satellite navigation and provides all necessary capabilities to support the successful implementation of satellite navigation systems, developed for different modes of transport, including aircraft, cars, trains and ships, as well as space and ground infrastructure, operations and services. Looking ahead, the company also contributes to research in mission and system design for future evolutions.
| Galileo system expert |
for more than 15 years |
| Galileo IOV (in-orbit validation) |
enabled by our satellites |
| Day-to-day control |
of the full Galileo constellation |
| EGNOS | prime contractor for the new system generation |
Since the inception of the Galileo navigation programme providing global coverage, Airbus Defence and Space has offered major system expertise to the European Space Agency (ESA), the European Global Navigation Satellite Systems Agency (GSA) and the European Union. Until at least 2020, we will deliver system and services support to ESA and GSA for the Galileo Exploitation Phase. Looking beyond Galileo’s first generation, Airbus Defence and Space is also one of the leading companies to support ESA’s work on the next generation of the Galileo global positioning system.
Our two experimental spacecraft demonstrated critical Galileo technologies in orbit. They were succeeded by four fully representative satellites built by Airbus Defence and Space which allowed the successful in-orbit validation (IOV) of the Galileo system and helped to perform the first Galileo-only position fix in 2013. All navigation payloads of the Galileo satellites currently in orbit have been built by Airbus Defence and Space and our fully-owned subsidiary Surrey Satellites Technology (SSTL). But our expertise does not stop here: for several years, Airbus Defence and Space is at the forefront of research when it comes to the evolution of the Galileo satellite and critical technologies for its next generation.
From the beginning of Galileo until 2018, Airbus Defence and Space was the prime contractor for the Ground Control Segment which provides the day-to-day control for all the Galileo satellites in orbit. This heritage links to our strong background in large ground segments for space systems and demonstrates that we fully master the complete life-cycle from development, deployment, operations, maintenance and through-life evolution.
In support of an even more accurate, resilient and capable Galileo global system, Airbus Defence and Space is now involved in the development teams for Galileo Second Generation (G2G), looking at major evolutions for the Ground Segment (Mission & Control).
EGNOS
Airbus Defence and Space has been selected for developing the EGNOS V3 system. EGNOS V3 is the second generation of the European Satellite Based Augmentation System for GPS and Galileo, with improved performance and security features for civil aviation, and new services for maritime and land users. It features three operation centres and more than 50 stations in Europe and beyond and will also use geostationary satellites navigation payload. Airbus has been leading one of the two competitive design phases. Our proposal for the new Implementation Phase combines innovative concepts based on our expertise in GNSS and background in large ground systems. The core team of Airbus Defence and Space is directly responsible for the system and performance activities, the development of the Central Processing Facility (CPF) with improved navigation algorithms, as well as the System Performance Simulation Platform (SPV-P). Airbus leads an industrial consortium of 20 European companies. Our proposal as prime contractor for the EGNOS V3 Implementation Phase has been rewarded by ESA on behalf of the European Commission and the European GNSS Agency (GSA).
Our company is also the leading supplier of state-of-the-art navigation payloads supporting EGNOS and the U.S.-counterpart system WAAS.
A number of navigation applications require a positioning and timing solution that is trustworthy, robust and/or accurate even in very challenging user scenarios. Airbus Defence and Space offers highly sophisticated solution engineering and concepts which allow application developers and service providers to go beyond the limits of GNSS. As a few examples, we provide highly recognised expertise in interference detection, mitigation and localisation, signal processing techniques for rail and other land users and have developed a number of innovative PRS-authenticated and PRS-based receiver concepts which will enable a broader adoption of this Galileo Public-Regulated Service (PRS) for authorised users.
Galileo system, space and ground infrastructure
Airbus Defence and Space provides outstanding system engineering expertise for the Galileo programme and for the system’s evolution to the next generation. We also offer our prime capabilities in advanced spacecraft and reliable ground control for the Galileo constellation. ArianeGroup, a joint venture between Airbus Group and Safran, offers the highly trusted Ariane 5, able to launch four Galileo satellites simultaneously.
EGNOS
Airbus Defence and Space provides reputable system engineering know-how for the evolution of EGNOS and its development to the next generation. Airbus Defence and Space is furthermore leading provider of navigation payloads for the European Augmentation System and also delivers payloads for its American counterpart WAAS.
Navigation Applications
To GNSS application and service developers whose users require particularly robust, trusted and/or accurate positioning and timing, Airbus Defence and Space provides state-of-the-art engineering solutions and concepts tailored to the specific needs.
Media
The European Space Agency (ESA) has selected Airbus Defence and Space as prime contractor for the new Land Surface Temperature Monitoring (LSTM) mission. LSTM is part of Copernicus, the European Union's Earth observation programme for global monitoring. It is one of the six new missions, expanding the capabilities of the current Copernicus space component.
The SPAINSAT NG programme, owned and operated by Hisdesat, has successfully passed the preliminary design review (PDR) of the payload and the full satellite, including PDR of Pacis 3 (PPP) elements. SPAINSAT NG is being manufactured by a consortium of four co-primes from Airbus in Spain and France, and Thales Alenia Space in Spain and France. This important milestone confirms the soundness of the preliminary design and technical capabilities of the SPAINSAT NG satellite system
With launch planned in 2027, CRISTAL will carry an advanced multi-frequency altimeter that will measure sea ice thickness and ice sheet elevations. These data will support maritime operations in polar oceans and contribute to a better understanding of climate processes. CRISTAL will also support applications related to coastal and inland waters and the observation of ocean topography.
Based on the state-of-the-art all-electric Airbus Eurostar Neo Platform, Thuraya 4-NGS will incorporate a large 12-metre L-band antenna and a payload with on-board processing providing advanced routing flexibility of up to 3200 channels with dynamic power allocation over a large number of spot beams. It is scheduled for operation in 2024.
Based on the state-of-the-art all-electric Airbus Eurostar Neo Platform, Thuraya 4-NGS will incorporate a large 12-metre L-band antenna and a payload with on-board processing providing advanced routing flexibility of up to 3200 channels with dynamic power allocation over a large number of spot beams. It is scheduled for operation in 2024.
Optus 11 will deliver a combination of broadcast and broadband VHTS missions in Ku band over Australia and New Zealand, to improve Direct to Home broadcasting over the Australasia region, increase reach in the Antarctic and Pacific zones and support growth into mobile markets, helping eliminate connectivity black spots through the Australian Government’s Mobile Black Spot programme.
Airbus Defence and Space has won a contract for a fully reconfigurable telecomunications satellite from Australia’s second largest telecommunications company and leading satellite operator Optus. The satellite will be based on Airbus’ new standard OneSat product line and is Airbus’ first contract from the Australian operator.
Great Barrier Reef: The Copernicus Sentinel-2A satellite image over part of the Great Barrier Reef off Australia’s northeast coast. Extending more than 2000 km and covering an area of some 350 000 sq km, it is the planet's biggest single structure made by living organisms, called coral polyps. The reef is home to over 1500 tropical fish species, 400 types of coral, more than 200 species of bird, 5000 species of mollusc, 500 species of seaweed and six species of sea turtle. It is also a breeding area for humpback whales.
Copernicus Sentinel-2A image over central-eastern Brazil. It shows a large, flat plateau blanked with fields benefiting from rich soils and an apparent abundance of water, before falling off into a green, hilly valley (left). The straight lines in the image are roads, such as the highway running in a nearly straight line from the centre-top to bottom of the image. A distinctive feature in this image is the circles – mainly at the centre. These shapes were created by a central-pivot irrigation system, where a long water pipe rotates around a well at the centre of each plot. The varying colours show different types of crop, or different stages of growth.
EarthCARE will advance our understanding of the role that clouds and aerosols play in reflecting incident solar radiation back into space and trapping infrared radiation emitted from Earth's surface. In the foreground: The ATLID instrument (ATmospheric LIDa)r detects the vertical profile of aerosols physical parameters. Airbus is prime contractor to ESA.
EarthCARE will advance our understanding of the role that clouds and aerosols play in reflecting incident solar radiation back into space and trapping infrared radiation emitted from Earth's surface. In the foreground: The ATLID instrument (ATmospheric LIDa)r detects the vertical profile of aerosols physical parameters. Airbus is prime contractor to ESA.
EarthCARE will advance our understanding of the role that clouds and aerosols play in reflecting incident solar radiation back into space and trapping infrared radiation emitted from Earth's surface. In the foreground: The ATLID instrument (ATmospheric LIDa)r detects the vertical profile of aerosols physical parameters. Airbus is prime contractor to ESA.
