The Time Validation Facility (TVF): An all-new key element of the Galileo operational phase

In the Galileo FOC phase (Full Operational Capability), GMV is the prime contractor for the Time and Geodetic Validation Facility (TGVF), a contract of the European Space Agency (ESA). Within the TGVF, the Time Validation Facility (TVF) is the subsystem in charge of steering Galileo System Time (GST) to UTC, among other duties. The new TVF is operated at GMV headquarters near Madrid, Spain. TVF operations rely on the contribution of five European timing laboratories, located at INRiM, OP, PTB, ROA, and SP. This paper provides a general description of the TVF element and its related activities for the FOC phase, and presents the main results and findings of the TVF operation until now.