LogicaCMG awarded 5 mln pound Galileo contracts

Gepubliceerd op 24-11-2006 om 14:00

Developing safety critical elements at the heart of Galileo’s navigation mission

Amstelveen, The Netherlands – LogicaCMG, one of Europe’s leading IT services companies, 2006-11-21 announced that it is to develop computer software to be at the very heart of the Galileo satellite navigation system, in three new international contracts totalling five million pounds sterling. The software will be supplied to GMV which has overall responsibility for the IPF (Integrity Processing Facility) and the OSPF (Orbit Synchronisation Processing Facility) ground-segment facilities.

In the first contract, LogicaCMG will develop the real-time monitoring and control software which is used in both the OSPF and the IPF. In the second contract, LogicaCMG will develop the integrity algorithm software for use in the IPF, the safety-critical heart of Galileo. The IPF processes information from sensor stations distributed around the Earth to confirm that the signals being broadcast by the Galileo satellites can be relied upon, thus underpinning Galileo’s use for safety critical applications such as aviation. Between these two contracts, LogicaCMG will develop all the operational software for the IPF and a major part of the operational software for the OSPF. In the third contract, LogicaCMG will participate with GMV’s subsidiary, Skysoft, in developing the assembly, integration and verification platform, an essential tool for testing the critical and complex navigation processing facilities of both the IPF and the OSPF.

Sylvain Loddo, ESA’s Galileo Systems, Ground Segment and Operations Manager said: “LogicaCMG has proved to be a reliable supplier of safety-critical, software-intensive systems on EGNOS, ESA’s precursor to Galileo. We are pleased that their experience will now support the even more demanding Galileo facilities.”

Stuart Martin, director space and satcoms at LogicaCMG UK, said: “These contracts involve the hardware and software at the heart of the message broadcast by the Galileo satellites. Our systems will ensure that positioning information from Galileo will be accurate and reliable. Applications of Galileo data that are safety related will benefit from this reliability.”

ABOUT GALILEO AND EGNOS
The Galileo programme is sponsored by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Union, and is an independent system under civilian control which will be guaranteed to operate at all times, bar the direst emergency. Galileo will be Europe’s own global navigation satellite system, providing a highly accurate, guaranteed global positioning service under civilian control, inter-operable with GPS and GLONASS, the two other global satellite navigation systems. Under ESA contracts the first experimental satellite was launched on 28 December 2005, and four operational satellites will be launched in the next few years to validate the basic Galileo space and related ground segment. Once this In-Orbit Validation (IOV) phase has been completed, a Concession Contractor selected by the European Commission (EC)/ESA Galileo Joint Undertaking will procure the remaining satellites and other operational facilities. The fully deployed Galileo system consists of 30 satellites (27 operational + 3 active spares), positioned in three circular Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) planes at an altitude of 23,616 km above the Earth.

The European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) is a joint project of ESA, the EC and Eurocontrol, the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation. EGNOS is Europe’s first venture into satellite navigation, and will augment the two military satellite navigation systems now operating, the US GPS and Russian GLONASS systems, making them suitable for safety critical applications such as flying aircraft or navigating ships through narrow channels.

About LogicaCMG
LogicaCMG is a major international force in IT services. It employs around 40,000 people across 41 countries. LogicaCMG’s focus is on enabling its customers to build and maintain leadership positions using LogicaCMG’s deep industry knowledge and its track record for successful delivery. The company provides business consulting, systems integration and IT and business process outsourcing across diverse markets including telecoms, financial services, energy and utilities, industry, distribution and transport and the public sector. Headquartered in Europe, LogicaCMG is listed on both the London Stock Exchange and Euronext (Amsterdam) (LSE:LOG; Euronext:LOG). More information is available at www.logicacmg.com

LogicaCMG involvement in Galileo
LogicaCMG has been involved in Galileo and EGNOS, for more than ten years. Its involvement with Galileo has included a contract from ESA as prime-contractor for the design of the ground segment (Phase C0). In the current IOV phase of Galileo, LogicaCMG has been selected for roles valued at about forty million Euros, including the satellite constellation control facility, support to Galileo Industries in the area of security and procurement, and development of security management facilities. Details of our Galileo roles can be found at www.logicacmg.com/uk/galileo

LogicaCMG systems support the missions of a third of the world’s operational satellites. The company has a long track record in the development of mission critical systems for ESA and of successfully building on these for major commercial operators.