Bremen. 31 May 2018. Our colleagues at OHB System AG, a subsidiary of aerospace and technology group OHB SE, today saw off the last two Galileo FOC satellites* from Batch 2. They left the factory site in Bremen at around 12:30 p.m. At the end of July they together with two other Galileo satellites will be transported into space in the nose of an Ariane 5 rocket.
But before this, there is the time-consuming and complex transportation by truck to the airport in Luxembourg and then to Cayenne Airport in French Guyana to come. From there, the two satellites named Anna and Ellen will be transported to the launch pad. Each satellite is named after one of the children who won the European Commission’s drawing competition in 2011. This means that OHB has now sent off its 21st and 22nd Galileo satellites - 18 structurally identical satellites are already in space. “It was once again perfect teamwork, and I am proud of the Galileo project team that worked on our Galileo satellites until their shipment,” says Dr. Manuel Czech, Galileo FOC Project Manager at OHB. Anna and Ellen will be provided with the ideal ambient temperature during transportation: “The average temperature in our production halls is 22 degrees, and the conditions within the containers need to be exactly the same,” says Torsten Uhlhorn, Head of Logistics at OHB.
OHB is the main industrial contractor for the FOC satellites
The European Space Agency (ESA), acting on behalf of the European Commission, has awarded OHB System AG with the production of the complete set of 34 Galileo FOC (Full Operational Capability) satellites. The entire constellation will comprise 24 operational satellites plus spares in three orbital planes. The constellation is optimized allowing a global position determination and navigation. In addition, the satellites support a global Search and Rescue service (COSPAS-SARSAT).
“At the same time, our experts at OHB are working on designs for the next generation of satellites and further services it shall provide,” says Dr. Wolfgang Paetsch, member of the management board of OHB System AG.
*The Full Operational Capability phase of the Galileo programme is managed and fully funded by the European Union. The Commission and ESA have signed a delegation agreement by which ESA acts as design and procurement agent on behalf of the Commission. The views expressed here can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Union and/or ESA. “Galileo” is a trademark subject to OHIM application number 002742237 by EU and ESA.
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