Galileo calling In December 2016, The European GNSS Agency (GSA) announced that the tender to operate the EU’s Galileo navigation system had been awarded to Spaceopal, a joint venture between Italy’s Telespazio (Leonardo-Finmeccanica/Thales) and the DLR GfR mbH, a subsidiary of the German Space Agency (DLR e.V.). Managing Directors, Mr Paolo Minaciacchi and Mr André Bauerhin, spoke to Industry Europe about the company’s capabilities and its continuing success story.
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rom November 2010 until the end of June 2017, Munich-based Spaceopal was the prime contractor responsible for Galileo operations under the Galileo Full Operational Capability (FOC) WP6 Operations Framework contract, regulating the servicing of the two Galileo control centres and external Service Centres through a worldwide network of ground stations. In July 2017, after a two-year international competitive tender run by the European GNSS Agency, it was decided that Spaceopal GmbH would continue to operate the Galileo satellite fleet with greatly extended scope under the Galileo Service Operator (GSOp) contract issued by the European GNSS Agency (GSA). The company that will ensure the provision of the Galileo services to the worldwide community was established in Munich in 2009 as a joint venture by two shareholders, DLR GfR mbH and Telespazio SpA, the Italian joint venture of Leonardo (67 per cent) and Thales (33 per cent). The company portfolio includes the management of Satellite and Mission Operations, Network Services, Integrated 38 Industry Europe
Logistics Services, LEOP and IOT campaign, Hosting Services as well as enabling services such as the provision of Timing, Geodetic Reference Products and System Performance and KPI products.
European partnership Spaceopal inherits Europe’s largest space operations service contract ever placed in open competition to an industrial company. Now, through servicing 22 satellites in orbit including related ground infrastructures dispersed worldwide, Spaceopal can be considered one of the biggest space operations service providers in Europe. Spaceopal employs very competent and highly skilled people, flexible and effective to quickly respond to customers’ needs, and therefore able to grow in the very competitive space environment. In order to accomplish all tasks, Spaceopal relies on a valued industrial subcontractor chain cooperating successfully with this ‘core team’ for a long time. Major suppliers include the shareholders of Spaceopal (DLR GfR mbH and Telespazio SpA) and other European top
