Liaison: European Space Agency (ESA)

Formal relationship

• ESA participates in the CIPM MRA.
• A letter of collaboration was agreed between the BIPM and ESA.

Links between the BIPM and ESA

• ESA/ESTEC (European Space Research and Technology Center) contributes to the calculation of UTC.

Purpose

ESA is an intergovernmental organization for cooperation among the member countries of the European Union in space research and technology and their space applications. ESA is responsible for designing and developing and operating the European Galileo Global Navigation Satellite System.

The liaison between the BIPM and ESA supports the development of the Galileo time transfer and dissemination techniques needed to enhance reliability and accuracy of time metrology in GNSS and in UTC.