Indra se adjudica las estaciones remotas del nuevo GPS europeo

Spanish tech company Indra has secured a contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop remote stations for the second generation of Europe's Galileo satellite navigation system, valued at 52.3 million euros over four years. The agreement, comprising two contracts, includes designing, developing, and delivering the new Galileo sensor stations (GSS), which receive satellite signals and process data to evaluate signal quality and support orbit determination.

The first contract, worth 29.6 million euros, will be led from Indra's Barcelona office in collaboration with GMV and Thales Six, focusing on security capabilities. Carlos Álvarez, Indra's navigation missions director, anticipates hiring 50 people in Barcelona by the end of 2027 to bolster their space activities. The second contract, for 22.7 million euros, involves developing the next generation of upward link stations (ULS), which transmit mission data to Galileo satellites so they can relay navigation information to users.

This project will be led from Madrid and includes subcontractors with expertise in satellite communications, active antenna systems, RF technologies, cloud infrastructures, and cyber security. One subcontractor is Idneo, owned by the Pujol family, known for their automotive components group Ficosa. The new stations are crucial for Galileo's ground infrastructure, designed to evolve alongside the system to accommodate future services.

Galileo, launched a decade ago, currently operates 28 satellites, with the second generation consisting of 12 additional satellites that will coexist temporarily with the older ones. Despite GPS remaining the most widely used positioning system globally, Galileo serves 5 billion devices, boasts higher precision, and serves as a key asset for boosting Europe's technological sovereignty in the current geopolitical landscape.

The initial ESA order envisions the deployment of two remote stations, potentially expandable to five, designed to be more secure against potential attacks.