Thales Alenia Space: Contract Signed for Galileo System Support Service

(Cannes, January 26, 2010) -- Thales Alenia Space announced today the signing of the contract to provide ESA Galileo system Support Services, lasting from 2010 till 2016. The contract was signed at the ESTEC headquarters of the European Space Agency. For a value of about EUR 85 million, it will cover the period 2010 till 2014, through which Galileo will be developed to become operational in early 2014.

Luigi Pasquali, CEO for Thales Alenia Space Italy, today attending the signing ceremony at ESTEC, declared: "Thales Alenia Space is particularly proud to sign this important contract obtained under a strong competition. This contract confirms the key role played by our company in one of Europe's most ambitious space projects. In the Rome factory, Thales Alenia Space is already fully involved in the assembly, integration and testing of the 4 IOV (In Orbit Validation) satellites of the constellation, and is now ready to face up to this new challenge, providing system Support Services. This contract allows Thales Alenia Space Italy to perform the overall System Design, the System Security Design, the overall System Integration, Verification and In Orbit Validation".

Source : Thales Group (Paris: HO.PA)