GPS World

Author: GPS World Staff

  • Septentrio Introduces ‘future proof’ GNSS RTK technology for surveyors

    Septentrio Introduces ‘future proof’ GNSS RTK technology for surveyors

    Image_Altus_APS3G_external_use-W

    Septentrio has introduced its next-generation high-precision Altus APS3G real-time kinematic (RTK) receiver, which brings technology only previously available in scientific receivers into the field for professional surveyors.

    The new multi-constellation APS3G addresses major concerns about compatibility with new satellite constellations, as well as interference and jamming, according to Neil Vancans, vice president of Septentrio Americas.

    Built on Septentrio’s AsteRx4 engine, the APS3G tracks all-in-view GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, IRNSS, SBAS, Galileo and QZSS, including E6/L6, and all other signals known to be available in the medium term.

    The APS3G incorporates Septentrio’s AIM technology with three notch filters for in-band jamming and chirp jammer resistance, ensuring the highest possible levels of accuracy and resilience under all conditions. This technology is proven in Septentrio’s reference station and scientific products, which are acknowledged as technology leaders and deployed by major research institutions all over the world.

    With two hot-swappable batteries, the APS3G provides up to 14 hours of operation without recharging, the longest endurance of any high-precision GNSS receiver in the surveying industry, maximizing uptime in the field.

    The APS3G provides optimum GSM signal reception, as well as a built-in advanced UHF receiver for reliable performance on longer baselines, yielding real-time 25 Hz RTK. It also supports TERRASTAR L-band corrections for sub decimeter-level accuracy.

    The flexible APS3G receiver can function as either a rover or base station, providing maximum versatility in the field.

    “The Altus APS3G with embedded AsteRx4 technology brings what has previously been available only in high-priced scientific GNSS receivers to the workplace of the average surveyor,” said Vancans.

    “With 544 channels capable of tracking all known and foreseen satellite signals and bands, the all-in-one unit is future proof, and Septentrio’s open architecture makes the APS3G compatible with most other hardware and software solutions, driving down the lifetime cost of ownership. In addition, with its extremely low power consumption, no other survey receiver on the market gives as much battery life, saving time and money on the job.”

  • Airbus to provide solar cells for MicroLink Zephyr UAV

    Airbus to provide solar cells for MicroLink Zephyr UAV

    Airbus Defence and Space has issued a production contract for MicroLink Devices’ solar sheets for use on the new Zephyr S platform.

    The Zephyr platform is a new class of unmanned air vehicle that operates as a high-altitude pseudo-satellite (HAPS) enabling affordable, persistent, local satellite-like services. The aircraft runs exclusively on solar power, and the Zephyr aircraft is at the forefront of the HAPS arena, holding world records with regards to absolute endurance (more than 14 days) and altitude (more than 70,000 feet).

    The next generation of Zephyr HAPS — depicted flying in formation in the stratosphere — will be powered by MicroLink solar sheets. (Art: MicroLink Devices)
    The next generation of Zephyr HAPS — depicted flying in formation in the stratosphere — will be powered by MicroLink solar sheets. (Art: MicroLink Devices)

    The British Ministry of Defence currently has ordered two Zephyr S from Airbus Defence and Space. The Zephyr S has a wingspan of 25 meters, is 30 percent lighter and can carry 50 percent more batteries than its predecessor — the 22.5-meter wingspan Zephyr 7. This enables the Zephyr S to carry heavier payloads for surveillance and communications roles.

    The Zephyr S is designed to fly continuously for over a month before having to land. The vehicle can then be refurbished and redeployed.

    The MicroLink Devices solar sheet is lightweight, flexible and highly efficient. It was designed as an enabling technology for electrically powered, area- and weight-constrained applications such as unmanned air vehicles, which run on renewable energy.

    The combination of high-efficiency and low mass enabled by the epitaxial liftoff (ELO)-based solar cells provides superior performance. The ELO solar cells are a perfect match for the HAPS platform. The resulting solar sheets have specific powers in excess of 1,000 W/kg and areal powers greater than 250 W/m2.

    MicroLink’s ELO technology was sponsored by numerous U.S. agencies including NASA, DARPA, the Air Force Research Laboratory, the Office of Naval Research, NAVAIR, Army Research Office, Army REF, CERDEC and the Department of Energy.

    MicroLink Devices solar sheets are lightweight and flexible with high specific and aeral powers enabling significant mobile power generation. (Photo: PRNewsFoto/MicroLink Devices)
    MicroLink Devices solar sheets are lightweight and flexible with high specific and aeral powers enabling significant mobile power generation. (Photo: PRNewsFoto/MicroLink Devices)

    “We are extremely pleased to have developed a relationship with the Zephyr team four years ago and to transition our high-performance solar sheet development efforts into a production program,” said Noren Pan, president and CEO of MicroLink Devices. “We are also thankful to Airbus for their purchase order and the confidence they have in MicroLink’s solar sheet technology and manufacturing ability. We know of no other flexible solar sheet that offers a comparable performance in terms of power and weight and reliability under a wide temperature range.”

    “Our collaboration with MicroLink Devices in the development stages and in the current production program has enabled the latest generation of Zephyr HAPS, which is a critical addition to our extensive portfolio of space and defense products,” said Steve Whitby, head of HAPS Business Development. “MicroLink Devices is a world leader in the epitaxial liftoff of compound semiconductors providing outstanding performance for many semiconductor devices. Combining Airbus and MicroLink Devices engineering expertise has proven to be a successful platform for our on-going success.”

  • Royal Navy adopts iXBlue’s inertial technology

    Royal Navy adopts iXBlue’s inertial technology

    The iXBlue's Marins inertial navigation system.
    The iXBlue’s Marins inertial navigation system.

    iXBlue, a navigation and positioning company, is providing 70 Marins M7 to equip 35 Royal Navy major surface ships and submarines as part of the Navigation Compass Programme.

    The decisions to equip both the Queen Elizabeth-Class Aircraft Carriers and the fourth Astute-Class nuclear-power submarine with iXBlue’s Marins inertial navigation system (INS) were the first steps made by the UK Ministry of Defense toward the adoption of iXBlue fiber-optic gyroscope technology.

    The ministry awarded a five-year contract awarded to Lockheed Martin UK, iXBlue’s strategic partner, for iXBlue’s inertial technology.

    The 70 Marins M7 INS will replace the obsolete gyro systems on board the Royal Navy ships which include Type 23 Frigates, Hunt and Sandown Class mine countermeasure vessels and submarines. They will be integrated by Lockheed Martin UK within the compass system installed on board.

    “We conducted a detailed assessment of all available possible partners along with their proposed technologies,” said Robert Kramer, vice president of Lockheed Martin UK – Integrated Systems. “By precisely understanding the Royal Navy expectations and assessing their views on the industry leading suppliers, it clearly appeared that iXBlue’s solutions best fitted the needs in terms of performance, capability and cost.”

    The Marins family of military-grade FOG INS (M3, M5 and M7 models) are the latest additions to iXBlue range of naval products. They offer performances and reliability that meet the requirements of the demanding navies. Marins M7 model offers a drift of less than 1 nautical mile in 72 hours of surface GNSS-denied or submarine-dived navigation.

    “We are very grateful to the Royal Navy for such a decision that demonstrates through a fair and open competition iXBlue’s INS excellence in terms of performance, reliability, lifecycle costs and versatility. This success relies on iXBlue core values: innovation, excellence and a strong commitment to the user,” said Olivier Cervantes, iXBlue vice president for sales and marketing.

    Such a milestone contract opens up bright prospects for iXBlue in the field of military inertial solutions, Cervantes said.

  • Galileo satellites 13 and 14 prepare for launch

    Another pair of Galileo navigation satellites is scheduled for launch by a Soyuz rocket on May 24 from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, bringing the Galileo system a step closer to operational use.

    This video gives an overview of Galileo and shows Galileo 13 and 14 in preparation in Kourou. It includes an interview with Paul Verhoef, ESA director of the Galileo Programme and navigation-related activities.

    The European Commission asked the European Space Agency (ESA) to speed up the deployment of the constellation and to increase it’s robustness for delivering initial services, according to ESA.

    A total of 12 satellites has been deployed into orbit during the last four years — six in the last year alone.

    Learn more about the launch here.

  • PNT Roundup: Self-driving cars need FOG, inertial

    New products come to market poised for take-off

    KVH high-precision fiber-optic gyro. The red illumination in the photo represents light moving through the FOG’s optical circuit of coiled fiber. This circuit is the FOG’s sensing unit, mounted with power and processing electronics within a driverless car to provide precise data for the car’s navigation systems.
    KVH high-precision fiber-optic gyro
    The red illumination in the photo represents light moving through the FOG’s optical circuit of coiled fiber. This circuit is the FOG’s sensing unit, mounted with power and processing electronics within a driverless car to provide precise data for the car’s navigation systems.

    Fiber-optic gyros (FOGs) and FOG-based inertial measurement units (IMUs) form key parts of the integrated sensor systems essential for highly accurate autonomous car performance. For example, FOGs provide precise azimuth measurements that an autonomous car’s logic processing unit and control systems need to determine motion through a curve.

    An IMU — which can include FOGs and accelerometers in one compact package — also provides highly accurate six-degrees-of-freedom angular rate and acceleration data to precisely track the position and orientation of the car even when GPS is unavailable, helping the car stay on course.

    KVH Industries is developing a FOG-based, low-cost inertial sensor for self-driving cars. The company has also released a Developer’s Kit to assist design engineers with integrating FOG technology into driverless car control systems.

    “Extremely precise heading based on fiber-optic gyro technology is absolutely essential for autonomous vehicle performance,” said Martin Kits van Heyningen, KVH’s chief executive officer. “This is something we learned from having been involved with more than a dozen driverless car development programs over the years.”

    “What we are seeing now is that each driverless vehicle concept in development around the world is being designed in a unique way,” van Heyningen continued. “With so many different possibilities, developers can accelerate their progress by working with a proven technology such as KVH’s FOGs and FOG-based IMUs and leveraging our experience to ensure their success.”

    Developer’s Kit

    The new Developer’s Kit includes the user interface software and all components needed to connect a KVH FOG or FOG-based IMU to a computer to configure, analyze and test a unit. “The kit is designed to help engineers get up and running in minutes, making it easier to run diagnostics and accelerate their system development,” said Roger Ward, KVH’s director of FOG product development.

    “We have successfully produced more than 90,000 fiber-optic gyros for an extensive range of unmanned applications, in part because of our ability to tailor size, performance and cost to meet different design needs,” said Jeff Brunner, KVH’s vice president for FOG operations. “Controlling the entire FOG design and manufacturing process gives us that advantage, and makes it possible to produce a low-cost sensor when driverless cars enter full-scale production.”

    KVH’s FOGs and FOG-based IMUs are in use in prototype programs not only for autonomous cars, but also for production programs for underwater unmanned vehicle navigation and rail/track geometry measurement systems, to name just a few. In addition, KVH’s inertial products have been widely adopted for commercial applications such as land-based street-mapping platforms, unmanned aerial systems, camera-stabilization systems and remotely operated subsea systems.

    KVH’s 1750 IMU was an integral part of 11 of the 23 humanoid robot finalists in last year’s DARPA Robotics finals, a competition designed to showcase robots capable of intervening for and even replacing humans in high-risk situations such as fires, earthquakes and other natural disasters.

  • Congress yanks funding for OCX

    The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee withheld the full amount requested by the Pentagon for Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 for OCX, the Next-Generation Operational Control System (ground control) for GPS, heretofore deemed necessary to operate the next generation of satellites, GPS III. The Pentagon had asked for $394 million in the upcoming funding cycle, to enable Raytheon to continue work on the program.

    If allowed by Congress to continue, OCX may cost as much as $5.3 billion, and there is no certainty that the bill will not rise further.

    The Senate committee will not release the $394 million until the Defense Department complies with the requirements of the Nunn-McCurdy Act governing defense programs. Otherwise, Congress could act to terminate OCX.

    The terms of the Act now require the Secretary of Defense conduct an in-depth review and then state that the program is essential to the national security, is more important than other programs that will have to be cut to accommodate its cost overruns, and that there are no acceptable alternatives.

    From the Defense Department point of view, the new GPS III satellites are essential because of, among other things, their signals’ improved resistance to jamming and cyberattack, an oft-cited peril in the modern global security scenario.

    How GPS III could be launched — the first satellite is scheduled for sometime in 2017 — and operated without OCX is not entirely clear, although in February, Lockheed Martin received a $96 million contract to provide contingency control operations for the first GPS III satellites upon launch because OCX won’t be ready.

    Raytheon and the U.S. Air Force announced a month ago that OCX “successfully passed the first formal qualification test milestone” needed to check out the system and for the early monitoring of satellites in orbit. That “validates the maturity of the OCX launch and checkout system,” according to a statement by Bill Sullivan, Raytheon’s OCX program director.

    Raytheon  won the OCX contract in 2010 with a bid somewhat more than $1.5 billion. The Air Force recently made its FY 2017 budget request for $393 million as part of an overall anticipated program cost of $4.82 billion. However, a Bloomberg news report states that the total cost may have risen to $5.3 billion.

  • Harris, Esri partner to modernize foundational data production

    Esri and Harris Corporation are embarking on a broad strategic relationship to develop modernized foundation GEOINT data production, apps and tools within a WebGIS environment, for federal agencies.

    The partnership will advance the state-of-the-art in automated GEOINT (geointelligence) production methods leveraging commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS)-based solutions.

    The collaborative effort will help programs across multiple security domains to meet the expected surge of commercial imagery from small satellites, unmanned aerial system (UAS) platforms and open-data sources.

    Visit Esri and Harris Corporation at GEOINT Symposium 2016 this week: booth 828 Harris; Booth 600 Esri.

  • Commercial drone market to grow at CAGR 27 percent to 2021

    According to a new TechSci Research report, the commercial drone market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 27 percent until 2021, with North America anticipated to continue its dominance as the largest commercial drone market through 2021.

    The report, “Global Commercial Drone Market By Drone Type, By Application, By Region, Competition Forecast and Opportunities, 2011-2021” considers use and growth of rotary-blade and fixed-wing drone types.

    According to the report, the rotary-blade drone segment dominated the global commercial drone market in 2015 because of its various technical features and benefits that enable these drones to perform intensely in photography, mapping, oil and gas sector and mining industry.

    Moreover, continuing growth of the global mining market, which was valued at around $1.5 trillion in 2015 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of more than 7 percent during 2016-2021, is expected to further boost the prospects of commercial use of drones in the mining sector over the next five years. Rotary blade drones are designed to fly in all directions as well as hover at a fixed position.

    In 2015, these drone types accounted for a market share of more than 75 percent in the global commercial drone market because of their versatility and increasing application areas.

    Fixed-wing drones are the other major drone type, and these drones are being widely used in precision agriculture and aerial mapping. Precision farming utilizes several technological advancements such as geo location tracking, data management, and crop health analysis in order to ensure better productivity as compared to conventional farming methodology.

    Higher profitability and productivity, coupled with expanding global demand for crop yield are few of the factors poised to drive the global precision agriculture market at a CAGR of over 11 percent during 2016-2021, thereby propelling demand for drones used in the precision agriculture industry.

    A sample report is available.

  • Simulyze joins global group for UAS air traffic standards

    Simulyze joins global group for UAS air traffic standards

    Range and bearing reading using Mission Insight.
    Range and bearing reading using Mission Insight.

    Simulyze Inc., a provider of operational intelligence technology and applications that empower both federal and commercial organizations, today announced its participation as a founding member of the newly launched Global UTM (Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management) Standardization Group, based in Geneva, Switzerland.

    The group’s founding members include regulators, air navigation service providers, drone manufacturers, drone operators, infrastructure service providers and academic experts from 10 nations.

    A not-for-profit stakeholder organization, the Global UTM Standardization Group will work on drafting and distributing an interoperability blueprint for traffic management of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). The global initiative is intended to provide input on a harmonized, scalable and future-proof system that can be quickly defined and implemented by regulators worldwide.

    “For unmanned aircraft to be truly commercially viable, a common global architecture and set of operational standards and practices need to be developed to ensure the safe integration of drones into international airspace,” said Kevin Gallagher, CEO and president of Simulyze. “By fostering international cooperation and sharing expertise amongst UAS stakeholders, the Global UTM Standardization Group will play a key role in defining the best way forward for UAS. We are honored to be a part of this prestigious group of thought leaders around the world and look forward to collaborating closely to harmonize air traffic management systems.”

    The Global UTM Standardization Group was launched on April 27 at the first European UTM Day held in Geneva, Switzerland. More than 60 organizations from the U.S., Europe and China participated in the day’s activities, which included discussions about what actions need to be taken to safely and efficiently integrate remotely piloted and autonomous aircraft into national airspace systems.

    Simulyze’s proprietary operational intelligence platform powers Mission Insight, the company’s packaged, commercial off-the-shelf application that processes and analyzes large streams of data from disparate sources in real-time. It provides UAS operators with a common operating picture in a customized graphical interface.

    On April 19, Mission Insight was successfully deployed in support of the National Aeronautical and Space Administration’s (NASA) Technical Capability Level 1 UAS testing. In the first and largest demonstration of its kind, NASA and operators from six UAS test sites across the country flew 22 drones simultaneously during a three-hour test to assess line-of-sight, rural operations of NASA’s UTM research platform.

    Simulyze directly supported operations at two UAS test sites and provided simulated flights. Mission Insight was the only enterprise-level solution used that integrated all aspects of multiple flight operations into a single interface.

  • FAA tests FBI drone detection system at JFK

    FAA tests FBI drone detection system at JFK

    The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and its government partners are expanding research on ways to detect “rogue” drones around airports. Together, they are evaluating drone detection technology at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York.

    Over the last two years, the FAA has received numerous reports from pilots and residents about unmanned aircraft systems — UAS, or “drones” — around some of the nation’s busiest airports, including JFK.

    “We face many difficult challenges as we integrate rapidly evolving UAS technology into our complex and highly regulated airspace,” said Marke “Hoot” Gibson, FAA senior advisor on UAS integration. “This effort at JFK reflects everyone’s commitment to safety.”

    Terminal 6 at JFK Airport. (Photo: New York Photo Gallery)
    Terminal 6 at JFK Airport. (Photo: New York Photo Gallery)

    Beginning May 2, the FAA conducted evaluations at JFK to study the effectiveness of a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) UAS detection system in a commercial airport environment.  Five different rotorcraft and fixed-wing UAS participated in the evaluations, and about 40 separate tests took place.

    The JFK evaluation involved extensive government inter-agency collaboration, and cooperation from industry and academia. The tests expanded on research performed earlier this year at Atlantic City International Airport.

    In addition to the FAA and the FBI, the agencies combining forces in this research included the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Department of Justice, Queens District Attorney’s Office and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. DHS and the FBI want to identify unauthorized UAS operators for law enforcement purposes, and the FAA’s mission is to provide a safe and efficient airport environment for both manned and unmanned air traffic.

    “We applaud the FBI and FAA for their efforts to detect and track unmanned aerial systems (UAS),” said Thomas Bosco, Port Authority aviation director.  “We look forward to supporting continued U.S. government efforts to identify and deploy countermeasures to neutralize the threat posed by rogue UASs.”

    The team evaluating the FBI’s detection system also included contributions from one of the six FAA-designated UAS test sites. The Griffiss International Airport test site in Rome, New York, provided expertise in planning the individual tests as well as the flight commander for the tests and two of the UAS used.

    The FY 2016 Appropriations law mandates that the FAA continue research into detection of UAS in airport environments. The agency is continuing to formulate an inter-agency strategy to evaluate detection systems in a variety of airport environments.

  • Payload integration begins next Galileo launch

    The first of two Galileo navigation satellites to be orbited on Arianespace’s May 24 Soyuz flight has been integrated on its payload dispenser system, marking a key step as preparations advance for this medium-lift mission from French Guiana.

    Named “Danielė,” the Galileo 13 spacecraft was installed this week during activity inside the Spaceport’s S3B payload preparation facility. It is to be joined on the dispenser system by the mission’s other passenger, “Alizée” or Galileo 14, whose own installation is forthcoming, in a side-by-side arrangement.

    The pair — each named after children who won a European Commission-organized painting competition in 2011 — are then to be mated atop Soyuz’ Fregat upper stage and encapsulated in the protective payload fairing. Prime contractor OHB System in Bremen, Germany produced the satellites, and their onboard payloads are supplied by UK-based Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) – which is 99-percent owned by Airbus Defence and Space.

    The Galileo FOC satellite “Danielė” is moved into position, then integrated on its payload dispenser at the Spaceport’s S3B payload preparation facility. (Photo: Arianespace)
    The Galileo FOC satellite “Danielė” is moved into position, then integrated on its payload dispenser at the Spaceport’s S3B payload preparation facility. (Photo: Arianespace)

    “Danielė” and “Alizée” will become the 13th and 14th FOC (Full Operational Capability) spacecraft to join Europe’s Galileo navigation system, which was conceived to provide high-quality positioning, navigation and timing services under civilian control. Its FOC phase is managed and funded by the European Commission, with the European Space Agency (ESA) delegated as the design and procurement agent on the Commission’s behalf.

    The May 24 flight is designated Flight VS15, and will be performed from the purpose-built ELS launch complex at Europe’s Spaceport. Arianespace’s Soyuz will carry out a nearly 3-hour, 48-minute mission to place its Galileo passengers into a targeted circular orbit at an altitude of 23,522 kilometers, inclined 57.394 degrees to the equator. Total payload lift performance is estimated at 1,599 kg.

  • SSTL delivers 22nd — and final — Galileo FOC payload

    SSTL delivers 22nd — and final — Galileo FOC payload

    Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) has delivered the 22nd Galileo navigation payload to prime contractor OHB System in Bremen, Germany. This is SSTL’s final payload under Galileo Full Operational Capability (FOC) Works Orders 1 and 2.

    SSTL’s FOC payload is based on European-sourced atomic clocks, navigation signal generators, and high-power traveling wave-tube amplifiers and antennas. It will provide Galileo’s navigation, positioning and timing services.

    As payload prime contractor, SSTL is responsible for the development, assembly, integration and test of 22 navigation payloads. The first Galileo FOC payload was delivered to OHB in 2012, and since then payloads have continued to roll off the production line at SSTL, with a delivery schedule of approximately one every six weeks.

    On May 12, SSTL held an event to mark the occasion, and to celebrate the achievement with the contributors and supporters of the FOC payloads work. Katherine Courtney, chief executive of the UK Space Agency, attended the event and remarked ,“Satellite navigation is an important part of the UK space industry success story and we are at the forefront of innovation in technology and services. Every FOC payload for the Galileo constellation — the beating heart of each satellite — has been built here in Guildford and the completion of this 22nd payload is a significant milestone which should be celebrated. We remain fully committed to the success of the Galileo programme, and look forward to the start of initial services later this year.”

    SSTL’s FOC payload comprises different units that have been manufactured by a European supply chain. The modular design of the satellite enables SSTL to assemble the payload units onto three panels for delivery, fully tested, to OHB in Bremen.

    The last of the payloads in these two batches has now completed its journey through production and test at SSTL and has been delivered to Germany, where a team of SSTL engineers will assist OHB engineers with integration to the spacecraft platform.

    SSTL's Galileo FOC payload under production. (Photo: SSTL)
    SSTL’s Galileo FOC payload under production. (Photo: SSTL)

    “The completion and delivery of the 22nd payload for FOC marks another milestone for SSTL, and I must pay tribute to the talented and dedicated FOC team here who have worked tirelessly to keep the production line rolling for the past four years,” said John Paffett, director of Telecommunications and Navigation at SSTL. “We are extremely proud of our contribution to Europe’s new navigation system, and we are all looking forward to the day that the new service comes on stream, and we can start using it in our daily lives.”

    “SSTL has been a reliable partner of the Galileo venture since GIOVE-A,” said aul Verhoef, director of Galileo Programme and Navigation at the European Space Agency. “I wish to thank all SSTL staff for their extremely valuable contribution.”

    The subcontractors for SSTL’s Galileo FOC navigation payload are Airbus Defence and Space, Finmeccanica, Spectratime, Kongsberg Norspace, Rymsa, TAS-I, Tesat, Ruag, Mier, ComDev (Honeywell), and Siemens. Testing facilities were provided at Airbus Defence and Space and RAL Space.

    The next launch of a pair of Galileo FOC spacecraft is scheduled for May 24 on board a Soyuz launcher from Kourou in French Guiana. Twelve Galileo satellites are already in orbit, and a second launch of four spacecraft is planned for later this year, bringing the total of 18 Galileo satellites in orbit by the end of this year.