Edinburgh's SELEX Galileo to Supply Atomic Clocks for 14 Galileo Satellites

Passive Hydrogen Maser (PHM) flight model on GIOVE-B (ESA photo)

August 6, 2010

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SELEX Galileo, an Edinburgh, Scotland company, has signed a €30 million contract with with Surrey Satellite Technology LTD (SSTL) to supply PHM atomic clocks for all 14 Galileo FOC (full operational capability) satellites.

The PHM-Passive Hydrogen Maser- clock is the most stable for space
applications and has been tested successfully in GIOVE-B, the Galileo
system's second validation satellite, which was launched in 2008.

Swiss company Spectratime is a subcontractor on the project. The two companies are also developing the Mini MASER, a second generation product
funded by ESA for the miniaturisation of the PHM.

SSTL will supply the payloads for all of the planned satellites in Europe's publicly-funded GNSS. In addition to the clocks, those include signal generators, high power TWTAs and antennas.

SELEX Galileo is part of Finnemeccanica S.p.A., a space, defense and transport conglomerate partly owned by the Italian government.