Posted: Sat, Jul 12, 2003, 9:32 AM ET (1332 GMT)
The European Space Agency awarded contracts Friday to two companies to build the first two test satellites for the Galileo satellite navigation system. Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. (SSTL), a British builder of small satellites, won a €28-million (US$31.6-million) contract to build a small technology demonstration satellite. The Galileo System Test Bed v2A (GSTB-v2A) will be a 400-kg spacecraft will be a 400-kg spacecraft scheduled for launch in 2005; its primary purpose is to transmit test signals at the frequencies reserved for Galileo so that the project secures those frequencies with the International Telecommunications Union. A second contract was awarded to Galileo Industries, a consortium of several European aerospace companies. That €72.3-million (US$81.7-million) contract is for a larger, 525-kg spacecraft that will be more representative of the actual spacecraft that will be used in the operational system. Up to four additional test satellites will be built to validate the system. The full system will consist of 30 satellites and is scheduled to become operational in 2008.

Related Links:

•  Space News article (subscription required)
•  ESA press release
•  SSTL press release