The European Space Agency (ESA) today said it has signed a second contract concerning the In-Orbit Validation phase of the Galileo satellite navigation system with Galileo Industries. The value of the contract is 150 million euros (about $200.6 million).

The contract provides the basis and the technical activities necessary for in-orbit validation of the Galileo system. It gives preliminary authorization to proceed with the whole of this work throughout a six-month period. This work notably concerns the management of the program and the choice of engineering systems and technical support required to maintain the overall credibility of the scheduling and ensure system coherence.

“This contract marks a key step toward completing this major European technology project,” Gunter Stamerjohanns, CEO of Galileo Industries said in a prepared statement.