GMV to support the evolution of the Galileo Reference Centre

The European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) has awarded GMV a new framework contract for the evolution of the Galileo Reference Centre (GRC). The main mission of the GRC is to carry out independent monitoring of the Galileo system, providing EUSPA with detailed reports on its operation, the quality of the navigation signals transmitted, and the actual performance of the various services obtained at user level.

The GRC, a Galileo service facility located in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, is a key element in the deployment and evolution of the various services that the Galileo system offers to its users. The GRC is a multi-system reference centre monitoring Galileo’s performance and comparing it with similar GNSS systems such as the United States’ GPS, Russia’s Glonass, and China’s BeiDou system.

The V2 version will provide EUSPA with the capabilities required to monitor GNSS services in real time. The evolution will also allow for the monitoring of additional services offered by Galileo or expected in the coming period, including:

• Signal Authentication Service (SAS): SAS will increase user confidence in the signals transmitted by Galileo.
• Time dissemination service: This service will allow for highly precise synchronization of the clocks used in critical infrastructure.
• Search and Rescue (SAR): SAR will improve operations to rescue people in emergency situations.
• Emergency Warning Satellite Service (EWSS): EWSS will make it possible to send warnings to the general public in case of natural disasters and other emergencies.

The new GRC V2 version will incorporate key operation improvements such as the following: 

• Improved satellite navigation system monitoring capabilities using data from multiple institutions.
• Minimum latency: New real-time processing will enable the GRC to provide real-time monitoring and thus speed up the process of issuing warnings to Galileo users.
• More efficient upgrades: It will be possible to implement upgrades without affecting ongoing operations, thus facilitating continuous improvement processes at the centre.
• Strengthened cybersecurity: Advanced cybersecurity features will be integrated as part of a new platform-as-a-service concept.