Irish Space Company Realtra Awarded Milestone Contract with Leading Launch Vehicle Provider ArianeGroup

Irish owned Réaltra Space Systems Engineering has announced today the award of a milestone contract with a value close to €1.0M, by the prestigious French based launch vehicle provider ArianeGroup. Réaltra have been contracted to develop and deliver a state-of-the-art Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) telemetry system, which will launch on the maiden flight of Ariane 6, the next generation of European launchers, designed and built by ArianeGroup on behalf of the European Space Agency (ESA).

ArianeGroup is prime contractor and design authority for the Ariane 6 launcher.  The contract between both businesses was signed on the evening of Monday 11th December at the Residence of France in Dublin, in the presence of Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail, Neale Richmond and H. E. Mr. Vincent Guérend, Ambassador of France to Ireland.

The GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) telemetry system has been developed by Réaltra and manufactured by Realtime Technologies Ltd. in Dublin for ArianeGroup and is designed to provide accurate and reliable positioning information and is intended to fly as an autonomous experimental system on the first launch of Ariane 6 in 2024, to validate the GNSS functionality in space at high speeds. It leverages advanced satellite navigation technology to ensure precise positioning, velocity, and timing measurements.

The Réaltra GNSS hardware will be located on the upper stage of the Ariane 6 rocket and will acquire data from the Galileo fleet of satellites. Galileo is a state-of-the-art European system which provides highly accurate global positioning and very precise timing. Galileo can deliver real-time positioning accuracy down to the metre range for users on the ground, in the air and in space. The Réaltra built GNSS system will receive signals from these satellites and convert this data before transmitting vital information about the launch vehicle to the operators on the ground.

This contract will support an increase in high-quality employment in design, engineering and manufacturing roles based in Dublin and in the supply chain companies located around Ireland. Quote from Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail, Neale Richmond Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail, Neale Richmond offered his congratulations to Réaltra Space Systems Engineering in securing this important contract. He said “I am delighted that a young innovative Irish space company has secured a lucrative contract to deliver its technology with ArianeGroup. This will allow for the creation of new, high-quality jobs in the Space sector, a key aim of our National Space Strategy for Enterprise. Irish space companies like Réaltra are well placed to build strong links with established companies in the Space Sector and with the continued investment by the Irish Government in the European Space Agency, including a €26 million investment in 2024, it is hoped that many more Irish companies like Réaltra will continue to excel in the Space industry.”