Brussels, 02/02/2012 (Agence Europe) - When the first Galileo satellites were launched in October 2011, the European commissioner for industry, Antonio Tajani, had promised to speed up signature of contracts for the next purchases of satellites and launchers. On Thursday 2 February, this has now been done. The companies awarded contracts are OHB Systems AG, Arianespace and Astrium SAS.
Antonio Tajani said: “For Galileo, today's signing signifies the concrete roll-out of the programme is on time and within budget”. By placing orders sufficiently early, better prices can be had and savings made, a Commission source points out. OHB Systems AG, a German manufacturer, signed a contract comprising 8 satellites for the sum of around €250 million, which is described by the Commission as being “extremely competitive”. The same company had won a similar tender in 2010 but in considerably less advantageous conditions for the Commission (€560 million for 14 satellites). Paul Weissenberg, Deputy Director General at DG Enterprise and Industry, explained that the choice of maker was based not only on price but also on quality.
On Wednesday, the European Space Agency also signed, on behalf of the Commission, contracts with the French companies Arianespace and Astrium SAS, which will allow 3 launches to be organised with the assistance of Ariane 5, placing 4 Galileo satellites in orbit with every launch (each company will for this earn €30 million). The Galileo project thus becomes a purely European project, as, in future, it will be able to do without the Russian Soyuz rocket, which can only launch two satellites at any one time. As a result, thanks to Ariane 5, the Commission hopes to speed up the launching process, after being reproached for exceeding budgets and deadlines. “I am proud that we could manage to speed up the delivery of satellites and launchers. This means that Europeans will be able to exploit the opportunities of enhanced satellite navigation provided by Galileo in 2014”, said Tajani.
The first services accessible to the public should be available with 18 satellites in space by the end of 2014, as two launches are foreseen this year, 10 next year, and another for the following year. Galileo services will have an impact on mobile telephony networks, the use of GPS in motor vehicles, road management and air traffic control, and rescue operations, but data will not be as precise with 18 satellites in orbit as it will be once 26 satellites are in orbit, in 2015.
As things stand, €3.4 billion from the European allocation are already earmarked for the Galileo project. Weissenberg has said there is still money remaining after signature of the contracts, although he has not given an exact figure so as not to influence price offers from industry for forthcoming orders. (MD/transl.jl)