COMPASSO

Compact, highly stable, laser-optical clocks will significantly improve future generations of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSSs), such as the European Galileo system. Combining optical communications (so-called laser links) with ground infrastructure and GNSS satellites the laser-optical clocks will improve the accuracy of position determination on Earth. At the same time, it will be possible to reduce the complexity and size of the GNSS ground infrastructure.

COMPASSO, led by the DLR Galileo Competence Center, will be used to qualify novel, laser-optical technology for use in space. The project is currently focusing on an iodine clock developed by the DLR Institute of Quantum Technologies, a frequency comb developed by the company Menlo Systems, and a further development of the laser terminal developed in DLR's OSIRIS programme - a joint development of the DLR Institute of Communications and Navigation and the company TESAT.

The Institute of Software Technology delivers expertise in developing flight software for command and data handling with the task of forwarding data to and from the subsystems as well as to control the current state of the system.

Further, our software product assurance activities support other DLR institutes and as well as companies also developing software for COMPASSO by ensuring that the final product fulfills the required needs in terms of quality.