MELCO (Mitsubishi Electronics) has awarded GMV a contract for developing the ground segment for the 4A and 4B satellites of the Turkish satellite operator Turksat. GMV is the leading ground systems supplier for commercial telecommunications satellite operators.

This contract broadens its client base, not only in terms of satellite manufacturers but also telecommunications operators, giving it an even higher profile on all 5 continents. Both Turksat and MELCO are important milestones in GMV's ongoing process of expansion and leadership, bringing two new leading telecommunications companies into its growing portfolio.

This contract consolidates GMV's strategic policy of providing its clients with a complete solution in any ground-segment project.

The contract, worth nearly 5 million euros in all, includes, among other activities, the supply of hifly, GMV's satellite monitoring and control product, plus the flight dynamics system focusGEO for orbit control.

Both systems, together with the other components of the ground system, will be installed in the main control center and in the emergency center, both in the vicinity of Ankara. A system replica will also be installed in MELCO to facilitate satellite integration and validation tasks.

GMV will also take charge of migrating the flight dynamics system of Turksat's whole fleet to focusGEO, ensuring a uniform control procedure for all the satellites. MELCO will be acting as prime contractor in this program for Turksat, providing the satellites.

GMV, under a contract with MELCO, will take on complete responsibility for setting up the satellite ground segment, including in situ deployment and the integration and training tests for Turksat's operators and engineers to familiarize them with the supplied system.

With the launch scheduled for late 2013 and a minimum useful life of about 15 years, both satellites will allow Turksat to offer telecommunications and television services throughout Turkey and also in Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Both satellites will be based on the DS2000 platform made by MELCO in Japan.

Each one weighs about 3800 kg and they will be placed in different positions, 42 East for Turksat 4A and 50 East for Turksat 4B.

In the words of Jorge Potti, GMV's Aerospace General Manager "This contract award is a great satisfaction to us as it broadens our portfolio of clients with an operator of the importance of Turksat and a major space systems manufacturer like MELCO. It reflects GMV's growing worldwide leadership and confirms our position as number one in the world market of ground control segments for communication satellite operators."