Tag: Galileo 28

Latest Galileo satellites join constellation with enhanced, faster fix
Galileo launch 11 from Europe’s spaceport in French Guyana sent satellites 27 and 28 into orbit. (Photo: ESA/CNES/Arianespace)

News from the European Space Agency (ESA)

Europe’s latest Galileo satellites in space have joined the operational constellation, transmitting navigation signals to three billion users across Earth as well as relaying distress calls to rescuers.

Their entry into service follows a summer test campaign and will result in a measurable increase in positioning accuracy and improved data delivery performance of the overall Galileo system.

Galileo satellites 27-28 were launched at the end of 2021 and underwent in-orbit test review at the end of April. The review was conducted by ESA, satellite manufacturer OHB, and navigation payload maker Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL).

Key findings showed both satellites’ payloads are performing extremely well — among the best in the entire constellation — and the satellites entering into service increase the position accuracy and robustness of the overall Galileo system.

A successful system and in-orbit operations review followed, co-chaired by ESA and the EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), which is in overall charge of commissioning.

Improved navigation message

The two satellites are the first to broadcast an improved navigation message, resulting in three key improvements for Galileo’s public Open Service users:
- faster navigation data acquisition, allowing users to establish a first position fix more rapidly
- better robustness in challenging environments, such as urban centers
- easier access to timing information in the navigation message for users possessing only a rough estimate of timing of the order of 1-2 seconds.
For the testing and broadcasting of this new navigation message, new software for the Navigation Signal Generation Unit was developed by Thales Alenia Space in Italy, SSTL, OHB and ESA, and was uploaded to the two satellites.

During the summer, an extensive test campaign was conducted by ESA to ensure the compatibility of the entire Galileo system at unit, payload, satellite, ground and system levels with the enhanced message. As part of this effort, EUSPA oversaw receiver testing to ensure this compatibility extended to Galileo receivers and chipsets in the market.

These latest launched satellites made ideal test cases for the software and the improved navigation message. Transmission of the upgraded signals from Galileo satellites 27-28 allowed the team to confirm its correct implementation and characterize its long-term performance.

Following a successful Test Review Board, the satellites were brought back into service on Aug. 29
September 25, 2022
Galileo constellation grows with launch of 2 new satellites

After a three-day delay, on Dec. 4, at 7:19 p.m. EST (00:19 GMT) launch service provider Arianespace launched Galileo satellites 27 and 28 on a Soyuz launcher from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.

Manufactured by OHB, the satellites are operated by SpaceOpal for the EU Space Program Agency (EUSPA), which, in turn, is operating the mission on behalf of the European Commission.

These satellites are the first of Batch 3, comprising 12 additional first-generation Galileo satellites commissioned in 2017 to bring the constellation to full operational capability. They will be used to further expand the constellation up to 38 satellites and act as backups and spares for satellites that reach their end of life.

“Today’s lift-off marks the 11th Galileo launch of operational satellites in 10 years: a decade of hard work by Europe’s Galileo partners and European industry, over the course of which Galileo was first established as a working system then began initial services in 2016,” said Paul Verhoef, ESA director of navigation. “With these satellites, we are now increasing the robustness of the constellation so that a higher level of service guarantees can be provided.”

“Galileo is already delivering meter-scale accuracy everywhere on Earth,” added Matthias Petschke, the responsible director at the European Commission. “The Galileo partners are far from resting on their laurels, however. These two satellites will further reinforce Galileo and will — along with other launches to follow — enable novel signals and services, helping to ensure that Galileo retains its first-place status for many years to come.”

Soyuz launcher VS-26, operated by Arianespace and commissioned by ESA, lifted off with the pair of 715 kg satellites from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana. All the Soyuz stages performed as planned, with the Fregat upper stage releasing the satellites into their target orbit close to 23,525 km altitude, around 3 hours and 54 minutes after liftoff.

The satellites will spend the coming weeks being maneuvered into their final working orbit at 23,222 km using their onboard thrusters, at the same time as their onboard systems are gradually checked out for operational use – known as the Launch and Early Operations Phase.

The Soyuz rocket was produced by the Progress Space Rocket Center, which is a part of the Russian space agency Roscosmos. This is the 14th time this partnership aimed to send a Galileo mission to space. This mission, known as Galileo FOC-M9, was the 61st mission launched by Arianespace on behalf of ESA and carried the 83rd and 84th satellites for the partnership.

See the pre-launch article here.

Artist’s depiction of the Galileo satellites deployed from the Fregat upper stage pillars.(Image: ESA)

December 5, 2021
Galileo satellites given green light for launch

The Launch Readiness Review on Nov. 26 confirmed that the satellites, the supporting ground installations, and the early operations facilities and teams are ready for lift-off on the early hours of Thursday morning, central European time.

UPDATE: Arianespace has postponed today’s launch and is now targeting launch on Friday (Dec. 3). Liftoff is set for Dec. 3 at 7:23 p.m. EST (0023 GMT).

Galileo satellites 27 and 28 are scheduled to be launched by a Soyuz launcher from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana on Dec. 2 at 01:31 CET (Dec. 1 at 21:31:27 local Kourou time).

These satellites are the first of Batch 3, comprising 12 additional first-generation Galileo satellites commissioned in 2017 to bring the constellation to full operational capability. They will be used to further expand the constellation up to 38 satellites and act as backups and spares for satellites that reach their end-of-life.

Follow the launch live on ESA Web TV Two starting at 0104 CET.

“Friday’s Launch Readiness Review confirmed that the first two satellites in this final batch of 12 Galileo first-generation satellites, are good to go, provided no external circumstances come up between now and the night of 1-2 December,” said Bastiaan Willemse, ESA’s Galileo Satellite manager, from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. “Meanwhile the preparation for the launch campaign of the next two satellites has already started.”

The Launch Readiness Review is an ESA-led review with participation of the satellite manufacturer OHB, the launch service provider Arianespace, the Galileo operator SpaceOpal, the EU Space Programme Agency (EUSPA) and the European Commission, as well as the programme’s Security Accreditation Board.

Friday’s review was the last before the Arianespace-led RAL (Revue d’Aptitude de Lancement) takes place next week when the latest status of the launcher, the launch facilities and site, the global launch tracking facilities, the satellites and supporting ground infrastructure will be reviewed, most likely resulting in approval for launch countdown.

The satellites arrived in French Guiana in early October, kicking off a busy launch campaign, including initial dispenser fit checks and the filling with the hydrazine fuel that will be used to maneuver them during their 12 years of working life.

Galileos 27-28 seen atop their gold-wrapped Fregat upper stage within their Soyuz launcher fairing. (Photo: ESA)

The two satellites will add to the 26 satellites of the Galileo constellation already in orbit and delivering Initial Services around the globe.

This week’s lift-off will be the 11th Galileo launch in 10 years. Two further launches are planned for next year, to allow Galileo to reach Full Operational Capability in its delivery of services, to be followed by the launches of the rest of the Batch 3 satellites — all undergoing final integration at OHB facilities in Bremen and on-ground verification testing at ESA’s ESTEC Test Centre in the Netherlands.

In parallel to Batch 3’s completion of Galileo First Generation deployment, the new Galileo Second Generation satellites, featuring enhanced navigation signals and capabilities, are already in development with their deployment expected to begin by 2024.

The combined upper composite for the Galileo launch being transported to the other three stages of the Soyuz at the launch site. (Photo: ESA)

Galileos 27 and 28 are secured to the dispenser that holds them in place during launch. (Photo: ESA)

The two Galileo satellites attached to the dispenser on which they will ride to orbit. (Photo: ESA)

November 30, 2021