SCISYS Deutschland, the German arm of the specialist IT group SCISYS, has landed its fourth space-related contract in as many weeks.
The latest deal, with an anticipated contract value of €2.8m (£2.5m), has come from long-term customer the European Space Agency (ESA). 
SCISYS, which has a base in Bristol and also supplies its bespoke software systems and support services to the media & broadcast, government, defence and commerce sectors, last year moved its parent company from the UK to Ireland to protect its EU-funded work.
Starting this year, Chippenham-headquartered SCISYS will work with the ESA’s European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) on a monitoring & control (M&C) system for the ESA Tracking Network (ESTRACK).
ESTRACK is operated by the ESOC and its network of ground stations supports various ESA spacecraft missions.
These ground stations are equipped with a central M&C system which serves as the basis for providing the high level of automation achieved in the operation of this network of ground stations.
SCISYS’ Space division in Germany will be responsible for maintaining the operational status of the automated M&C system that supports individual spacecraft missions from these ground stations. The firm will also continue to evolve and expand the M&C system for new devices deployed at these stations over the contract period.
The contract, which will last until 2023 with an option for a five-year extension, follows three others secured by SCISYS Deutschland at the end of 2018 and last week. Two of them – worth around €14.2m combined – are with French group Thales Alenia Space France and continue the firm’s work on the Galileo European satellite-navigation system, which provides a highly accurate, guaranteed global positioning service under civilian control.
The third, worth €5m, is with GMV in Spain for the continuation and further enhancement of three elements in the Galileo Ground Control Segment.
SCISYS CEO Klaus Heidrich described the ESA contract as an important win as it underscored SCISYS Space’s position as ground-segment experts and cemented its standing as a long-term, trusted partner. SCISYS has worked on ESTRACK since 2007.
He added: “SCISYS is proud to have supported ESTRACK for more a decade and this latest contract is testament to our position as trusted partners and suppliers of ground-segment solutions.”
