ALCATEL SPACE gains the contract for the segment
ground (Core Ground Segment) of the future European
satellites of meteorology
Alcatel Space announces the signing of a contract with EUMETSAT for the design, the
development and the delivery of the component ground (CGS or Core Ground Segment)
of the program Eumetsat Polar System (EPS).
EPS is the European contribution to the joint program of polar meteorology (IJPS1)
coordinated with the United States whose mission is to ensure a continuous total cover
intended for the meteorology and the monitoring of the climate inter alia applications.
The segment spacial EPS includes/understands 3 polar satellites METOP and their
instrumentation. The collected data will answer at the same time the European needs and
those of the Organization of World Meteorology (WMO2). These data will be also
exploited by international research programmes such as WCRP (" World Climate Research
Program ") and GCOS (" Total (Paris: 7694.PA - topicality ) Climate System Observation ").
The contract signed between Alcatel Space and Eumetsat is evaluated to approximately
60 million Euros.
Of design in conformity with the specifications emitted by EUMETSAT, the CGS will
make it possible to ensure:
~ the control of the satellites
~ the planning of the payload
~ the acquisition and the data processing
~ quality control of the products
~ diffusion of the products in quasi real time.
The CGS will also allow the simultaneous control of twelve different instruments distributed between satellites METOP
and NOAA2.La strategy of development of the CGS meets four principal aims:
1. A delivery time runs (38 months)
2. Strict operational constraints
3. A high level of performance for the data processing
4. Capacity to treat data NOAA3 and METOP.
Jean-Claude Husson, Chairman and managing Director of Alcatel Space declares " I am particularly satisfied to have
signed this contract, which implements one of the key trades of our know-how as a provider of complete space systems.
Our expertise in segment ground, perfectly shown by the systems EGNOS and Envisat PDS among others, is based on
our capacity to develop complex systems real times with dominating software. This expertise makes of Alcatel Space the
ideal partner to take up challenge CGS EPS. This new contract reflects the confidence brought by EUMETSAT to
Alcatel Space which also builds for the organization the 3 satellites Météosat Seconde Generation ".
1 I Initial Joint Polar System
2 World Meteorological Organization
3 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
4 European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service, first system of navigation per European satellite based on an
infrastructure ground developed by Alcatel Space and 2 satellites geostationary.
5 Payload Dated Segment, developed by Alcatel Space to receive, treat, file and transmit to the users the data gathered
by Envisat, the satellite of observation of the Earth of the ESA
In connection with Alcatel Space
Alcatel Space positions among the world leaders of space systems. The extent of its know-how applies to all the civil or
military fields of satellite industry: telecommunications, navigation, optical observation and radar, meteorology, sciences.
With partners in the whole world, of the subsidiary companies through Europe, and the significant means in R & D,
Alcatel Space takes part as a project superintendent, operator, an investor or provider of services to principal currently
programs space in progress. Subsidiary company of Alcatel (51%) and Thomson-CSF (Paris: 12132.PA - topicality )
(49%), Alcatel Space carried out a turnover of 9,3 billion francs in 1999 (1,4 billion Euros). The Company employs 6,000
people www.alcatel.com/space.
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