Augmenting the Time and Frequency Transfer Capabilities of Galileo

Abstract

In this paper we discuss about the future of time and frequency transfer in space. Several ideas were proposed by the Galileo Science Advisory Committee of the European Space Agency concerning the augmentation of the time and frequency transfer capabilities of the second generation of Galileo. Such an upgrade would highly benefit science and civil applications which rely on high quality products, such as the building of highly stable and accurate reference frames and timescales. We present in more details the development of a passive and active laser reflector array by CNRS/OCA and Sigma-Works, as well as the ISLANDER project, which aims at experimenting a new approach for GNSS PVT solutions based on inter-satellite links.