Galileo is the European Union's Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), managed by the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) with design and development by the European Space Agency (ESA). It provides highly accurate, guaranteed global positioning services under civilian control with improved positioning and timing information. Galileo offers various services, including an Open Service (OS) for mass-market use, a Search and Rescue (SAR) function, a High Accuracy Service (HAS), and a Public Regulated Service (PRS) for authorized users.
All verified mentions of this organization in source documents.
Ariane 6 is reaching final milestones leading up to its first flight, enabling the envisaged resumption of Galileo constellation deployment from Europe’s spaceport in French Guiana in 2025.
The first of a further 12 Galileo Second Generation satellites are due to be launched starting in 2025.
Two additional Ariane 6 launches are scheduled in 2026 and 2027 to carry the first four second-generation Galileo satellites in pairs.
Beyond Gravity is building the thermal insulation for the Airbus-built Galileo satellites in Austria.
Beyond Gravity is building the satellite structure for the Airbus-built Galileo satellites in Zurich.
The new Galileo satellites will reach the constellation’s operational orbit at an altitude of 23,222 km.
Two additional European Galileo navigation satellites were launched on Sunday morning, 2024-04-28, bringing the total number of Europe’s Galileo navigation satellites on-orbit to 30.
EUSPA teams at the Galileo Control Centre in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany are leading the Launch and Early Orbit Phase for the newly launched Galileo satellites together with the Galileo Service Operator SpaceOpal and its consortium.
The first-stage booster used on the Galileo L12 mission previously supported launches for GPS III-3, Turksat 5A, Transporter-2, Intelsat G-33/G-34, Transporter-6, Intuitive Machines IM-1, and 13 Starlink missions.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the European Commission’s Galileo L12 mission to medium Earth orbit from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on 2024-04-27 at 8:34 p.m. ET.
The two Galileo satellites launched on 2024-04-27 brought the total number of Galileo satellites in orbit to thirty.
The retirement of the Ariane 5, the loss of access to the Soyuz rocket after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and delays in the introduction of the Ariane 6 left Europe without its own means of launching Galileo satellites.
The 2024-04-27 mission was the final flight for booster B1060 because the additional performance required to place the Galileo satellites into medium Earth orbit prevented booster recovery.
Another pair of Galileo satellites will launch on a Falcon 9 later in 2024, alongside separate Falcon 9 launches of ESA’s EarthCARE Earth science mission and Hera asteroid mission.
The European Union Agency for the Space Programme confirmed the Galileo GM25 and FM27 satellites were in orbit and operating several hours after the 2024-04-27 launch.
In November 2023 the European Commission was finalizing a deal with SpaceX for two Falcon 9 launches, each carrying two Galileo satellites scheduled for 2024, under a contract valued at 180,000,000 EUR.
A Falcon 9 lifted off from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A at 8:34 p.m. Eastern on 2024-04-27 carrying the Galileo GM25 and FM27 satellites.
Each Galileo Second Generation satellite has a mass of over 2,000 kg and two stacked satellites reach a height of seven meters.
Thierry Breton, European Commission commissioner for the internal market, selected SpaceX as the launcher for four Galileo satellites in 2024 because Ariane 6 was not yet available.
The European Space Agency contracted with SpaceX to launch up to four Galileo spacecraft over two launches in 2024.