Lockheed Martin and EADS Astrium announced May 25 that they have signed a teaming agreement to ensure interoperability of the GPS 3 constellation and Europe’s Galileo program.

The companies will perform systems engineering and technical assistance tasks for each other in the areas of interoperability, integrity and optimization of joint constellation performance. Additionally, the companies will offer reciprocal bids on operational hardware and software within the policy and export constraints of both programs.

“This opens a new dimension of cooperation between two of the world’s leading technology companies in systems that will benefit consumers for decades as the Galileo and GPS 3 systems come on line,” Reinhold Lutz, EADS senior vice president for Earth Observation, Navigation & Science, said in a statement.

Separately, EADS Astrium has purchased a 42 percent stake in Brazil’s Equatorial Sistemas. The deal is designed to strengthen the presence of EADS Astrium in Brazil by enabling it to become a privileged partner in the country’s space programs. EADS Astrium will provide engineering assistance to Equatorial Sistemas and also will supply optical equipment and instruments as well as radar systems for Brazilian space programs.