OHB SE's satellite manufacturing for Europe's Galileo GNSS constellation — OHB has built 22 Galileo navigation satellites as prime contractor for ESA and EU.
Galileo Navigation Satellite Manufacturing
OHB SE's satellite manufacturing for Europe's Galileo GNSS constellation — OHB has built 22 Galileo navigation satellites as prime contractor for ESA and EU.
Description
OHB SE (Orbitale Hochtechnologie Bremen) is Germany's largest independent space company and prime contractor for the Galileo satellite navigation system — Europe's answer to GPS. OHB has manufactured 22 Galileo Full Operational Capability (FOC) satellites as prime contractor for ESA and the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), launched between 2014 and 2021 on Soyuz and Ariane 5 rockets from Kourou.
Each Galileo FOC satellite weighs approximately 733 kg and carries a navigation payload with rubidium atomic clocks, passive hydrogen maser clocks, and L-band signal generation equipment. OHB SE acts as prime with Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. (SSTL) supplying the navigation payloads. Galileo's Batch 3 satellites (developed for launch in the 2024–2027 timeframe) are being manufactured by OHB as well.
Beyond Galileo, OHB SE manufactures the ESAIL maritime monitoring satellite constellation, the EDRS data relay satellites, the CHEOPS exoplanet characterization satellite, and the SARah SAR constellation for the German military. OHB is headquartered in Bremen, Germany with subsidiaries in Sweden (OHB Sweden), Luxembourg, and Italy.
Specifications
| Program | Galileo Full Operational Capability (FOC) satellite manufacturing |
|---|---|
| Satellites built | 22 Galileo FOC satellites |
| Satellite mass | ~733 kg each |
| Payload | Rubidium atomic clocks + passive hydrogen masers (timing), L-band transmitters |
| Customer | ESA / EUSPA (EU Agency for Space Programme) |
| Other programs | EDRS data relay, CHEOPS, SARah (German mil SAR), ESAIL maritime |
| HQ | Bremen, Germany |
