Galileo partners

The Galileo programme is funded and owned by the EU. The European Commission has the overall responsibility for the programme, managing and overseeing the implementation of all programme activities.

Galileo’s deployment, the design and development of the new generation of systems and the technical development of infrastructure are entrusted to ESA. The definition, development and in-orbit validation phases were carried out by ESA, and co-funded by ESA and the European Commission.

The European Global Navigation Satellite System Agency (GSA) is ensuring the uptake and security of Galileo. Galileo operations and provision of services has been entrusted to the GSA from 2017.

The Galileo IOV satellites have been provided by EADS Astrium leading a consortium with Thales Alenia Space Italy responsible for integrating the satellites and EADS Astrium in the UK providing the payloads. For the next 22 satellites, OHB in Germany was prime contractor with Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd producing the payloads. OHB has also been awarded the contract to produce the next eight 'Batch 3' satellites.

This ‘space segment’ is only one of various work packages assigned to European industry, including the overall design of the combined space and ground-based Galileo system (signed with Thales Alenia Space Italy), satellite control facilities, operational support and launch provision.