ESA: successful launch of two new Galileo satellites

This 13^th Galileo launch was performed under contract between ESA and SpaceX from Cape Canaveral (US). It expands the Galileo constellation already in orbit in view of reaching its Full Operational Capability, i.e., 24 operational satellites in nominal slots and spares.

This new pair of satellites will contribute to increasing the system reliability, and thus of the positioning information. It will benefit the numerous users of Galileo services: currently 4 billion receivers worldwide (almost half of the world population) are already Galileo-enabled, making full use of the European Union satellite navigation system.

Earlier in September, the two Galileo satellites launched 28 April 2024 as part of launch number 12.

successfully completed an extensive series of in-orbit tests, ensuring their readiness to enhance the precision and reliability of satellite navigation services worldwide. These satellites entered service on 5th September 2024. They are now operated by the EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA).

Since a decade, Europe has consistently been reinforcing its Galileo constellation to ensure continuity of its economic activity. Many strategic sectors depend on the availability of precise positioning and timing information: 10% of EU’s yearly GDP relies on satellite navigation and this is set to increase.

Twelve satellites of the Galileo 2^nd generation (G2G) are in production. The first launch of these 2^nd Generation satellites is expected in 2026 with an Ariane-6 launcher, following the successful completion of the qualification flight in July 2024.