In preparation for the launch of Europe's answer to GPS,research satellite GIOVE-A has been retired.
Made in the UK by Surrey Satellite Technology(SSTL),"the main objectives of the GIOVE-A mission were the on-board characterisation of a prototype rubidium atomic clock and modelling the medium earth orbit(MEO)radiation environment",said SSTL.
Getting it into orbit and transmitting also prevented the Galileo programme missing a deadline and loosing the frequencies allocated to it by the International Telecommunications Union-GIOVE-A was built in 27 months from contract to launch,for E28m.
Now the navigation payload and its transmitters have been switched off,but this does not mean the end of the spacecraft.
To make way for the first 22'fully operational capability'satellites-being completed by German firm OHB Technology and SSTL-it has been manoeuvred up by about 100km from its 23,222km operating orbit,and will be maintained from mission control in Guildford to collect further MEO radiation data.
