Industrial involvement in Gaia

    		  
       

    In May 2006 ESA officially awarded EADS Astrium (now Airbus DS) the contract to develop and build the Gaia satellite. The Toulouse branch of Astrium led the Gaia development.

    Below you can find a list of Gaia contractors per country and contracted items:

    		  
         
    Austria    
    Siemens Spacecraft electrical ground support equipment: power/pyro  
    RUAG Aerospace Payload module and focal plane assembly thermal hardware  
    RUAG Aerospace Thermal passive hardware (multi-layer insulation)  
    RUAG Aerospace Service module mechanical ground segment equipment: container and other items  
    RUAG Aerospace Focal plane assembly mechanical ground segment equipment  
    Siemens Radio frequency suitcase  
         
    Belgium    
    AMOS M2 mirrors and chemical vapour deposition  
    AMOS M4 mirrors and chemical vapour deposition  
    AMOS M5 mirrors and chemical vapour deposition  
    CSL Payload module mechanical ground segment equipment (lot 6): Thermal vacuum ground segment equipment  
    CSL Payload module thermal vacuum test facilities  
    SpaceBel Payload data handling unit software  
         
    Denmark    
    Rovsing Spacecraft independent software verification & validation  
    Terma Payload module: assembly, integration and test support (test software)  
         
    Finland    
    Patria Electrical interface unit  
    SSF Software components production  
         
    France    
    EADS/Astrium SAS Gaia industrial prime  
    EADS/Astrium SAS Spacecraft assembly, integration and test  
    EADS/Astrium SAS Spacecraft electrical ground support equipment: central check-out system software  
    Boostec Silicon carbide structures & mirror blanks  
    Sagem M1 mirror and chemical vapour deposition  
    Sagem Auto collimation flat mirror  
    Latelec Payload module harness  
    Intespace Focal plane assembly thermal vacuum facility  
    EADS/Astrium SAS Gyro  
    EADS/Astrium SAS Radial velocity spectrometer opto-mechanical assembly  
    Intespace Test Facilities  
         
    Germany    
    EADS/Astrium GmbH    
    Zeiss    
    EADS/Astrium GmbH    
    IOF    
         
    Ireland    
    Mc Ginley RAMS (Reliability, availability, maintainability and safety)  
    Mc Ginley Product assurance / quality assurance support  
         
    Italy    
    Alcatel Alenia Space Micro-propulsion thruster assembly, micro-propulsion feed module, micro-propulsion electronics  
    Alcatel Alenia Space (laben) Interconnection module (focal plane assembly/CCD)  
    Selex Galileo Photometer prisms  
    Selex Galileo Radial velocity spectrometer prisms  
    Selex Galileo Solar array  
    Selex Galileo Power control (conditioning) and distribution unit  
    Alcatel Alenia Space X band transponder  
    Selex Galileo Star tracker  
    SILO Basic angle monitor density assembly  
         
    Netherlands    
    SSBV Spacecraft electrical ground support equipment: teleMetry and telecommand special check-out equipment  
    Dutch Space Spacecraft electrical ground support equipment: avionic special check-out equipment  
    Dutch Space Spacecraft electrical ground support equipment: real-time simulator  
    TNO Basic angle monitor opto-mechanical assembly  
    TNO Wavefront sensor opto-mechanical assembly  
    SSBV Payload module electrical ground support equipment  
    TNO Payload module optical ground support equipment: thermal vacuum auto collimation flat mirror mechanism  
    TNO Sun sensor  
         
    Norway    
    Kongsberg Basic angle monitor / wavefront sensor optical sources & electronics  
    Prototech Mass dummies  
         
    Portugal    
    Deimos Spacecraft database support  
    Skysoft Spacecraft electrical ground support equipment: central checkout system hardware  
    Lusospace Focal plane assembly: test optical ground support equipment and optical tools  
    Ineti Video processing unit algorithms validation support (focal plane assembly simulator  
         
    Spain    
    Sener M2 alignment device  
    Crisa Proximity electronics module  
    Alcatel Alenia Space Clock distribution unit  
    EADS Casa Service module structure  
    EADS Casa Service module harness  
    Rymsa Low-gain antenna  
    Sener Deployable sunshield assembly  
    EADS Casa Phased-array antenna  
         
    Sweden    
    Saab Ericsson Space Command and data management unit  
         
    Switzerland    
    RUAG Aerospace Bipods & release mechanism  
    RUAG Aerospace Thermal tent structure  
    Syderal Payload data handling unit  
    APCO Payload module mechanical ground support equipment  
    SpectraTime Rubidium atomic clock module  
         
    United Kingdom    
    EADS/Astrium Ltd Electrical Service Module  
    Selex Systems Spacecraft documentation, configuration, schedule support  
    e2v Technologies CCD detectors  
    EADS/Astrium Ltd Payload module & focal plane assembly structural pieces  
    EADS/Astrium Ltd Video processing unit  
    MSSL Focal plane assembly: CCD/Proximity electronics module coupling  
    EADS/Astrium Ltd Chemical propulsion system  
    ABSL Battery  
    Aerostanrew Ltd Avionics model bench structure  
         
    United States    
    Arde Micro-propulsion tank  
    Maxwell Video processing unit digital board  
    Barr Blue Photometer / Red Photometer / Radial Velocity Spectrometer optical filters  

     

     

    Industrial involvement in Gaia (2002-2004)
     

    During the definition phase (2002-2004) the Gaia project was supported by three industrial groups: EADS Astrium (France), Alenia (Italy) and Alcatel (France). These companies provided system level technical assistance. The project was also supported by several other companies and institutes on specific technical studies.

     
    Industry Area of involvement
    Alcatel (F-Cannes) System level technical assistance and definition study
    Alcatel (F-Cannes) Service module design based on Herschel-Planck heritage
    Alcatel (F-Toulouse) Phased array antenna
    Alenia (I) System level technical assistance and definition study
    EADS Astrium (F) System level technical assistance and definition study
    EADS Astrium (F) CCD/Focal Plane Assembly technology demonstrator
    EADS Astrium (F) Ground verification
    EADS Astrium (F) High-stability optical bench
    EADS Astrium (F) SiC mirror development
    EADS Astrium (F) Astro-Focal Plane Assembly Focal Plane Proximity Electronics simulator within the Payload Data Handling Electronics
    EADS Astrium (D) Payload Data Handling Electronics
    CRISA (E) Sequencer architecture within the CCD/Focal Plane Assembly
    DLR (D) CCD front end electronics within the CCD/Focal Plane Assembly
    e2v (UK) CCD development within the CCD/Focal Plane Assembly
    GMV (E) Data analysis
    Laben (I) Payload Data Handling Unit architecture, breadboard manufacture and test
    MSSL (UK) Radial Velocity Spectrometer optimisation
    SIRA (UK) CCD radiation testing and Medium-Band Photometer/Radial Velocity Spectrometer focal plane design
    TNO (NL) Vacuum testing of the high-stability optical bench