A Moving Day For GIOVE-B

The second experimental satellite that’s part of the Galileo constellation, GIOVE-B, is set to start its journey into space from the Baikonur spaceport. The launch is set for April 26th at 04:16:02 local time aboard a Starsem Soyuz/Fregat launch vehicle. GIOVE-B, or Galileo In Orbit Validation Element, will verify some of the most critical technologies of the European satellite nav system, including the atomic clock that is one of the most important innovations of this system. Subsidiaries of Thales Alenia Space in Italy, Spain, Belgium, and France, all contributed to this satellite…

• Assembling phases of the satellite as well as operational platform and system tests (Italy)
• Environmental (vibration, shock, and mass properties) and thermo-vacuum tests (Italy)
• Launch campaign (Italy)
• Harness Subsystem and Telemetry & Telecommand Subsystem (TT&C) (Italy)
• Structure Mechanical and Thermal design and production, using the Proteus platform heritage (France)
• Power subsystem and high efficiency Solar Arrays (France)
• Avionics specification and support (France)
• Development and supply of the Remote Terminal Unit (RTU) and the Clock Monitoring Control Unit (CMCU) (Spain)
• Provision of the Power Distribution Unit (PDU), the Power Conditioning
• Electronics (PCE), as well as the electrical test benches and ground support equipment (EGSE) (Belgium)
• Engineering support to the integrated satellite prime team of Astrium in Munich and Assembly Integration and Tests (AIT) in Rome
Prime contractor of the GIOVE ground mission segment managing both GIOVE-A and GIOVE-B satellites (France)

Thales Alenia Space is the prime for the Galileo ground missions segment, which builds the performance for the end users. The company also participates in the 4 Galileo IOV (In Orbit Validation) satellites construction, including strategic and complex parts such as the signal generators. They are also responsible for the assembly, integration, and test (AIT) of the full satellites in their Rome facility, as well as their launch campaigns—Cannes, France