SES ASTRA has announced that it has been awarded a second contract by the European Commission (EC) to provide hosted payload services for EGNOS, the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service. The contract was awarded following a tender by the European Commission.

EGNOS is Europe's first contribution to satellite navigation and a precursor of Galileo, the global satellite navigation system that the European Union (EU) is developing. The programme is managed by the EC on behalf of the European Union.

The new payload will operate in L-band and be located onboard SES ASTRA's new ASTRA 5B satellite that was recently ordered from EADS ASTRIUM. The satellite is scheduled for launch in the second quarter of 2013 and will be positioned at SES ASTRA's 31.5 degrees East orbital position.

In addition to the payload, SES ASTRA will also provide the related ground infrastructure needed to operate the awarded payload.

EGNOS is a satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS) that is intended to supplement the GPS, GLONASS and Galileo systems by reporting on the reliability and accuracy of satellite navigation signals over Europe.

The entire system consists of a network of ground stations and control centres that will relay EGNOS information to users via geostationary transponders. While EGNOS covers the European states area, the hosting satellite has the built-in capability to extend coverage to other regions, including Africa and neighbouring countries of the EU.

The award to provide hosted payload services onboard ASTRA 5B follows a first agreement with the European Commission for EGNOS hosted payload services onboard SES ASTRA's SIRIUS 5 satellite. The contract for hosted payload services onboard SIRIUS 5 was awarded to SES ASTRA following a tender that took place in 2008.

SIRIUS 5, currently under construction by Space Systems/Loral and scheduled for launch in the second half of 2011, will be positioned at the 5 degrees East orbital position. In addition to EGNOS, SES ASTRA is already providing infrastructure services to Galileo.

Ferdinand Kayser, President and CEO of SES ASTRA, said: "We are very pleased that the European Commission has again chosen us to provide services for the EGNOS system. The fact that SES ASTRA is now providing two hosted payloads for EGNOS is a great endorsement of our excellence and expertise in the field of satellite programmes and related operations.

It proves that our strategy to diversify our business and to provide global telecommunications services for governments and supra-national institutions, as well as multinational organisations, is bearing fruit. We are convinced that our skills and expertise as well as our fleet assets greatly benefit our institutional and governmental customers, and make us an ideal partner to provide additional hosted payloads and full satellite programmes in the future."