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Tag: Galileo satellite

  • Galileo’s impressive achievements

    Galileo’s impressive achievements

    Matteo Luccio
    Luccio

    To paraphrase Galileo Galilei — the great Italian astronomer, philosopher, engineer, mathematician and physicist — positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) does not revolve around GPS. The European GNSS named after the father of modern science (as Albert Einstein called him) is making great strides and currently provides more accurate positioning than the United States’ GPS, Russia’s GLONASS, or China’s BeiDou-3. In fact, there are more Galileo satellites providing an L5 signal than GPS satellites.

    I heard much well-earned pride about Galileo’s achievements expressed by European presenters at the Institute of Navigation’s GNSS+ conference in Denver in September; during a visit to the European Commission’s Joint Research Center in Ispra, Italy, on Oct. 7; and at the INTERGEO conference and trade show in Essen, Germany, on Oct. 18-20. (On the way, I stayed several days in Pisa, Italy — where I spent my teen years when my father taught physics at the city’s university — at a friend’s home about 100 feet away from the house where Galileo was born in 1564.)

    While two more launches are required to complete the Galileo constellation so that it will have at least one spare satellite per plane, its service availability is already at 98-99% and a new ground segment has been deployed. A second generation of satellites is on its way, with expected initial operational capability in 2028 and full operational capability starting after 2031. Its features will include new signals, improved effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP), inter-satellite links, and a 15-year lifespan.

    The Open Service Navigation Message Authentication (OSNMA), a free data authentication function for users of Galileo’s Open Service, has been stably transmitted worldwide for a year. It will enable users to verify the authenticity of GNSS data, thereby greatly helping to detect instances of spoofing. A declaration of initial service is foreseen for 2023, and the first OSNMA-capable receivers are already on the market.

    Galileo’s High Accuracy Service (HAS) signal has been available worldwide with orbit and clock corrections and biases for Galileo and GPS since July 22. While it is still in its validation phase, it is already performing very well and an initial service declaration is expected by the end of the year, including an Internet-based correction distribution service.

    Galileo is also developing an emergency warning service that will use the L1 band to broadcast alerts and guidance to populations at risk of natural disasters. It is expected to enter service in 2024 and reach any Galileo-enabled device, of which there are already about three billion. Other services will include advanced timing, space service volume (to aid in the positioning and navigation of spacecraft in high-Earth orbits), advanced receiver autonomous integrity monitoring (ARAIM), and predictions of ionospheric perturbations.

    Like so much else, completion of the Galileo constellation was affected by Russia’s war in Ukraine, because two launches planned for this year from French Guyana aboard Russian Soyuz rockets were scrapped.

    Finally, one of my favorite quotes from Galileo: “Measure what can be measured and make measurable what cannot yet be measured.”

  • Galileo satellites undergo magnetic testing at ESTEC

    Galileo satellites undergo magnetic testing at ESTEC

    News from the European Space Agency (ESA)

    Within ESA’s Maxwell EMC Facility, each Galileo satellite is switched on as if it were already operating in space. The test procedure is a check of the satellite’s electromagnetic compatibility; all its systems are run together to detect any harmful interference between them.

    Once Maxwell’s main door is sealed, its metal walls form a Faraday Cage, screening out external electromagnetic signals. The anechoic foam pyramids covering its interior absorb internal signals – as well as sound – to prevent any reflection, mimicking the infinite void of space for satellite testing.

    In the photo here, sheathed in multi-layer insulation, the 2.5 x 1.2 x 1.1-meter satellite’s main 1.4-m diameter antenna transmits L-band navigation signals. To its left is the hexagonal search and rescue antenna that will pick up distress signals and relay them to local emergency services, contributing to saving more than 2,000 lives annually.

    A Galileo satellite is tested in the Maxwell EMC Facility before heading for space. (Photo: ESA)
    The Face of Galileo: A Galileo satellite is tested in the Maxwell EMC Facility before heading for space. (Photo: ESA)

    To the bottom right of the navigation antenna are a pair of infrared Earth sensors to keep the navigation permanently locked onto Earth by homing in on the contrast between the heat of Earth’s atmosphere and the cold of deep space.

    Above them is the laser retro-reflector: lasers are shone up to this from International Laser Ranging Service stations to perform an independent check of the satellite’s orbital position down to an accuracy of less than a centimeter, as a backup of standard radio ranging.

    Above that is the circular C-band antenna, which every 45 minutes or so receives the navigation messages from the Galileo ground segment. These signals incorporate corrections for slight clock errors, orbital drift or satellite malfunctions that user receivers can process as they perform positioning fixes, helping ensure Galileo delivers meter-scale positioning to users around the globe.

    What resembles a white baton on the end of the satellite is its S-band antenna, employed to return “housekeeping” telemetry data to mission control on Earth and pick up telecommands to operate the satellite platform and payload – as well as performing the ranging used to estimate the satellite’s position in space.

    The Maxwell EMC Facility is part of the ESTEC Test Centre in ESA’s technical heart in Noordwijk, the Netherlands – Europe’s largest satellite testing facility, which has flight-tested all but two of the 28 Galileo satellites already in orbit, and is doing the same for the next 10 satellites planned to join the constellation.

  • EU reacts as Russia severs rocket-launch relationship

    EU reacts as Russia severs rocket-launch relationship

    Russia’s space agency Roscosmos is suspending cooperation with Europe on space launches from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana, including future Galileo satellite launches.

    As reported by Rueters, Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin said Saturday the action is in response to Western sanctions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

    “In response to EU sanctions against our companies, Roscosmos is suspending cooperation with European partners on space launches from Kourou, and is withdrawing its technical staff…from French Guiana,” Rogozin said in a post on his Telegram channel.

    Russia’s decision will have “no consequences on the continuity and quality of Galileo and Copernicus services,” EU Commissioner Thierry Breton said in a statement. “This decision does not call into question the continuity of the development of these infrastructures either.”

    “We are also ready to act with determination, together with the Member States, to protect these critical infrastructures in the event of an attack.”

    “We will, in due course, take all the necessary decisions in response and resolutely pursue the development of the second generation of these two sovereign space infrastructures of the Union,” Breton said. “We are also prepared to act determinedly together with the member states to protect these critical infrastructures in case of an attack, and to continue the development of Ariane 6 and VegaC to guarantee the strategic autonomy with regard to carrier rockets.”

    The Galileo program had already planned to shift to using Ariane 6 rockets for satellite launches. The launcher is undergoing the final stages of development, led by prime contractor ArianeGroup.

    From 2023 onward, the remaining Galileo Batch 3 satellites will be launched with the new Ariane 62 launch vehicle, a variant of Ariane 6 with two strap-on solid boosters.

    The most recent Galileo satellite launch took place on Dec. 5, 2021, using Soyuz launcher VS-26 to carry the first pair of Galileo Batch 3 satellites into orbit. The announcement will delay a Soyuz launch of two more Galileo satellites scheduled for April from French Guiana; a third pair of Galileo satellites was scheduled to launch in autumn on another Soyuz.

    Galileo launch 11 from Europe’s spaceport in French Guyana. (Photo: ESA/CNES/Arianespace)
    Galileo launch 11 from Europe’s spaceport in French Guyana. (Photo: ESA/CNES/Arianespace)
  • Galileo Control Segment upgrade ready for next launch

    Galileo Control Segment upgrade ready for next launch

    Galileo Control Centre in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany. (Photo: ESA)
    Galileo Control Centre in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany. (Photo: ESA)

    News from the European Space Agency (ESA)

    The 11th launch of Galileo satellites, planned for Dec. 1, marks an important program milestone. With an upgrade of the Galileo Control Segment (GCS), this will be the first launch where the satellites’ first steps into space will be overseen from the Galileo Control Centre in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany.

    Up until now, the Launch and Early Operations Phase (LEOP) of Galileo satellites has been overseen from an external mission control site — either ESA’s ESOC control centre in Darmstadt, Germany, or French space agency CNES’s site in Toulouse, France.

    The demanding upgrade of the GCS to Version 3.0 was performed by an industrial consortium led by GMV in Spain. The control segment encompasses the two Galileo Control Centres in Oberpfaffenhofen in Germany and Fucino in Italy, as well as six Telemetry, Tracking and Control (TT&C) ground stations used to monitor and command the 26 Galileo satellites in orbit.

    As well as increasing overall reliability and cybersecurity, the new upgrade opens the way to significant expansion of the Galileo constellation, enabling oversight of up to 38 satellites.

    Over the last three years, a complete technological refresh of the GCS software and hardware was done, including porting of software modules corresponding to several million lines of code, the deployment of equipment at many Galileo sites, and the execution of a rigorous level of testing throughout all elements comprising the system.

    Commencing in mid-2018, the upgrade had to contend with the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic midway through its lifetime, but the team pushed on to conclude at the end of July. Since Aug. 4, it has been used to nominally operate all the satellites in the constellation.

    The project was overseen by ESA in its System Prime role managing Galileo’s design, development, qualification and deployment of future upgrades on behalf of the European Commission, Galileo’s owner.

  • Contracts awarded for next-generation Galileo satellites

    Contracts awarded for next-generation Galileo satellites

    Image: ESA
    Image: ESA

    The European Commission has issued industrial contracts worth €1.47 billion ($1.97 billion) to build next-generation Galileo satellites to Airbus and Thales Alenia Space, reports BBC News.

    Both companies told BBC News that they will not speak publicly about their contracts wins until documents are signed, which could take several weeks.

    Read more about Galileo and its plans in Directions 2021: Galileo expands and modernizes global PNT by Javier Benedicto and Rodrigo da Costa.

    Each contract is for manufacture of six satellites, to orbit no earlier than 2024. They will feature digitally configurable antennas, inter-satellite links, new atomic clocks and propulsion systems that use electric engines.

    Airbus and TAS built the four Pathfinder in-orbit validation satellites that first demonstrated Galileo. A consortium of OHB-System and Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. built the first operational Galileo satellites, but the consortium ended following Brexit.

  • Galileo chalks up 500th ESA Engineering Board

    Galileo chalks up 500th ESA Engineering Board

    Image: ESA
    Image: ESA

    The end of 2020 marked a milestone for the Galileo First Generation, as the program chalked up its 500th European Space Agency (ESA) Engineering Board.

    For more than 12 years, ESA and industry engineers from all relevant disciplines — system, satellite, ground, signal, radio navigation, RAMS (reliability, availability, maintainability and safety), security and infrastructure — have put their best skills at the disposal of the board.

    The board is a forum where technical experts regularly meet to maintain, review and update the Galileo Project technical baseline, known as the System Technical Requirements Baseline (STRB). The STRB drives the implementation of the Galileo System and its infrastructure, the space and ground segments, along with associated interfaces and operations.

    The G1 system technical specification under ESA adds up to more than 22,000 separate requirements. These requirements are both unclassified and classified, with considerable interdependencies which all that need to be controlled in configuration.

    The Galileo G1 Engineering Board is chaired by ESA in accordance with its role as Galileo System Design Authority, assigned to it by the European Commission.

    Since the building of the first G1 Engineering Board in 2008, 26 Galileo satellites have been built, tested and flown. The Galileo system’s globe-spanning ground system has also been put in place and made operational. The board continues to be a crucial enabler for further robustness improvements and new service evolutions.

    A further 12 Batch 3 satellites are set to join the constellation in the coming decade. These satellites are being finalized at OHB Systems in Bremen, Germany, and then tested at ESA’s ESTEC Test Centre in the Netherlands.

    The worldwide Galileo ground segment includes two control centers (Italy and Germany) as well as various tracking, uplink and sensor stations and monitoring and test centers. (Image: ESA)
    The worldwide Galileo ground segment includes two control centers (Italy and Germany) as well as various tracking, uplink and sensor stations and monitoring and test centers. (Image: ESA)

    Galileo began initial operations in December 2016 and today serves more than 1.5 billion smartphones and devices.

    The G1 Engineering Board meetings will continue, complemented with Engineering Boards for the new Galileo Second Generation (G2 satellites are planned for later this decade), which are already well underway.

  • What happened when Galileo experienced a week-long service outage

    What happened when Galileo experienced a week-long service outage

    Analysis of the Signal Outage

    By Fabio Dovis, A. Minetto, A. Nardin, Politecnico di Torino Department of Electronics and Telecommunications,
    E. Falletti, D. Margaria, M. Nicola, M. Vannucchi, LINKS foundation

    Following the issue by the Galileo Service Center of the Notice Advisory to Galileo Users (NAGU) reporting Service Outage for all the Galileo satellites, as curious Galileo users our team of researchers of the NavSAS group started an independent investigation of the received signals in space (SISs).

    In fact, we observed that a commercial ublox EVK-M8T receiver, forced to use Galileo-only satellites, provided a “no-fix” indication. Three Galileo-enabled smartphones, the Xiaomi MI 8, Huawei P 10 and Samsung Galaxy S8, which use assistance from the cellular network, were also not providing a Galileo-based position solution, considering the Galileo satellites as “not usable.”

    However, the investigation started exploiting our in-house developed software receiver NGene, that was used in the past for similar monitoring of the GNSS signals, for example at the time of the transmission of the first IOV Galileo satellites in 2012, and the transmission of anomalous GPS signals from SVN49 in 2009. Monitoring the Galileo SISs, which were usable until the day before, we found that they were still correctly trackable, with normal power levels and Doppler profiles within feasible limits.

    At the time of the first analysis, seven satellites were visible in the sky over Torino, Italy. Figure 1 reports a screenshot of the positions computed by means of NGene between 07:14:54 and 07:24:54 UTC on July 15, plotted on Google Earth. The position estimated using the Galileo-only satellite or hybrid GPS-Galileo solutions (red dots) showed errors on the order of 500 meters or even more. The georeferenced antenna position is depicted by the green pin.

    Figure 1. Misplaced Galileo and GPS+Galileo solutions. (Screenshot: Politecnico di Torino and LINKS Foundation)
    Figure 1. Misplaced Galileo and GPS+Galileo solutions.
    (Screenshot: Politecnico di Torino and LINKS Foundation)

    The monitoring of the status flags taken from the Galileo E1B I/NAV message showed that the SIS was marked as “healthy” for all the visible PRNs apart the number 14, which is known to be “not usable” for a long time. The Signal in Space Accuracy Index (SISA) was set to 109, which is an acceptable prediction of the minimum standard deviation of an overbound of the SIS error.

    According to the Galileo Open Service, Service Definition Document (OS SDD, issued 1.1, May 2019), a SIS “Healthy” means that the SIS is expected to meet the Minimum Performance Level and “a navigation solution obtained with Galileo SIS is expected to meet the Minimum Performance Levels reported in the Galileo OS SDD only if receivers comply with the assumptions reported in Section 2.4, including the use of navigation parameters within their broadcast period.”

    In fact, the document specifies that “The navigation solution is expected to meet the Minimum Performance Levels only if receivers do not use navigation parameters beyond their broadcast period. The maximum nominal broadcast period of a healthy navigation message data set is currently 4 hours.”

    The check of the nominal broadcast period was bypassed in our software receiver, which is indented as a research tool and not a commercial product as the one mentioned above, so that we were still able to obtain a GPS + Galileo PVT solution, since this check looked to be the only discrimination factor to validate and thus exclude the computed solution.

    On July 17, the SISA flag was changed to 255: according to the OS SDD, the accuracy status was “No Accuracy Prediction Available (NAPA).” This means that the status of the broadcast SIS must be intended as “Marginal.” In this condition the EVK-M8T restarted to provide Galileo-based fixes, while the Xiaomi Mi8 Pro smartphone still excluded the Galileo satellites from its PVT fix.

    The analysis of the decoded Galileo navigation message led to the conclusion that ephemerides and clock correction data were last updated around 19:00 UTC of 1July 16. For example, PRN 3 and 15 changed Issue Of Data (IOD) from 958 to 17 at Galileo Signal Time TOW 241855, which corresponds to 19:01:25.

    As a final check, we used external ephemerides to process the Galileo signals during the “system outage.” Figure 2 and Figure 3 show different navigation solutions obtained by processing a data collection taken on July 12 at 10.00 UTC (12.00 Local time). The purple dots indicate few fixes obtained by demodulating the navigation message transmitted by the Galileo satellites and show a remarkable bias with regard to the reference antenna location.

    Figure 2. Comparison of Galileo-only solutions using Navigation message ephemeris data and IGS ephemeris. (Image: Politecnico di Torino and LINKS Foundation)
    Figure 2. Comparison of Galileo-only solutions using Navigation message ephemeris data and IGS ephemeris. (Image: Politecnico di Torino and LINKS Foundation)
    Figure 3. Zoom on the Galileo-only positions obtained by using IGS data.(Image: Politecnico di Torino and LINKS Foundation)
    Figure 3. Zoom on the Galileo-only positions obtained by using IGS data.(Image: Politecnico di Torino and LINKS Foundation)

    In Figure 3, the green dots are the navigation solution obtained correcting the satellites positions according to precise orbits data and clock drift provided by the IGS network. The fix is a simple code based Least Mean Square solution without smoothing of the pseudoranges.

    The two results were obtained by processing the same satellites signals, thus proving that their quality was still sufficient to get an acceptable positioning solution during the Galileo service outage period. This brought us to the conclusion that, during the outage, only the ephemerides updates were affected by problems, while the other SIS components appeared sound and usable.

    The NavSAS group is a joint team of researchers of Politecnico di Torino and LINKS Foundation. The full analysis of the outage can be found at www.navsas.eu.

  • 4 Galileo satellites fueled for July 25 launch

    4 Galileo satellites fueled for July 25 launch

    Technicians in SCAPE (Self Contained Atmospheric Protection Ensemble) suits fill Galileo satellites 22-26 with hydrazine fuel. (Photo: ESA)

    Europe’s next four Galileo satellites have been fueled at Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, in preparation for their launch on July 25, according to the European Space Agency (ESA).

    The four satellites were placed into their protective containers to be transported from the S1A processing building to the S3B payload preparation building, where they were filled with the hydrazine fuel that will keep the satellites manoeuverable during their 12-year working lives.

    The next step is to fit the quartet onto the dispenser that holds them in place securely during launch and then releases them into space once the upper stage of the Ariane 5 rocket reaches its 22,922-kilometer-altitude target orbit.

    After that, the satellites plus dispenser will be fitted onto the upper stage then enclosed by the two sides of the protective launch fairing — one of which has had the mission logo added to it.

    Meanwhile, the Ariane 5 for this launch (Flight VA244) has undergone assembly inside the Spaceport’s Launcher Integration Building.

    Galileo’s Flight VA244 mission logo is attached to the Ariane 5 fairing ahead of the July 25 four-satellite launch. (Photo: ESA)
  • Orolia to supply clocks for 12 more Galileo satellites

    Orolia to supply clocks for 12 more Galileo satellites

    Orolia’s atomic clock solutions have been selected for the Galileo Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) under contracts totaling 26 million euros for an additional 12 Galileo satellites.

    This latest initiative builds on Orolia’s long-standing role in providing precise timing technology for satellite programs, including Galileo.

    Each satellite will carry two rubidium atomic clocks and two passive hydrogen masers, considered the most stable clock in the world. Under these contracts, Orolia will supply its Spectratime Rubidium Atomic Frequency Standard and its passive hydrogen masers physics package.

    Orolia's Space Rubidium Atomic Frequency Standard. (Photo: Orolia)
    Orolia’s Space Rubidium Atomic Frequency Standard. (Photo: Orolia)

    “We’re honored to continue supporting the European Commission with precise timing for Galileo,” said Orolia CEO Jean-Yves Courtois. “These new contracts further emphasize Orolia’s position as the world’s leading provider of resilient positioning, timing and navigation (PNT) solutions.”

    In addition to serving as Europe’s independent PNT source, Galileo can also serve as a secondary signal source for systems such as GPS, GLONASS or BeiDou in the event of service disruption. Galileo’s quadruple clock redundancy designed into each satellite ensures that even if a failure occurs, overall system performance will not be compromised.

    More than 150 Orolia Spectratime atomic clocks are flying to support Galileo, IRNSS, BeiDou, GAIA and other missions, some for more than 10 years. Orolia provides the expertise necessary to design solutions for highly reliable space applications.

    Orolia is a designer and manufacturer of a full range of high-performance, low-cost GNSS synchronized crystal solutions, rubidium and maser sources, smart integrated GNSS reference clocks, rugged PNT devices, GNSS simulation and clock testing systems. Orolia’s PNT solutions support a variety of critical applications including defense, government, space, maritime, enterprise networks, aviation and telecommunications.

  • Satellites Leadership Award presented to Wolfgang Paetsch

    For his leadership in setting up the routine production of the Galileo satellites leading to Galileo constellation deployment, including thequadruple Ariane 5 launch in November 2016, Wolfgang Paetsch was named the winner of the 2017 Satellites Leadership Award. Since he was unable to attend, Paul Verhoef, director of the Galileo Programme, accepted the award on his behalf at the GPS World Leadership Awards dinner. The award was presented by Rob Scott from Rockwell Collins, a co-sponsor of GPS World’s Leadership Dinner and Awards Ceremony.

  • Last Galileo satellite leaves ESA Test Centre

    Last Galileo satellite leaves ESA Test Centre

    Enclosed in its protective container, Galileo Full Operational Capability (FOC) Flight Model 21 (FM21) is seen departing ESA’s ESTEC Test Centre on Aug. 24. Photos courtesy of the European Space Agency

    News from the European Space Agency

    The last of 22 Galileo satellites has departed the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Test Centre in the Netherlands. This concludes the single longest and largest scale test campaign in the establishment’s history, ESA said.

    Cocooned in a protective container for its journey — equipped with air conditioning, temperature control and shock absorbers — the final Galileo satellite left the establishment by lorry on Aug. 24.

    ESA’s Test Centre at ESTEC in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, houses a collection of test equipment to simulate all aspects of spaceflight. It is operated for ESA by private company European Test Services (ETS) B.V.

    In May 2013, the Test Centre began testing the first of 22 Galileo “Full Operational Capability” (FOC) satellites, having previously performed the same function for the very first Galileo “In-Orbit Validation” satellite under a separate contract.

    Photo courtesy of the European Space Agency
    Pictured is a Galileo Full Operational Capability satellite being removed from the Phenix thermal vacuum chamber after a fortnight-long “hot and cold” vacuum test.

    The Galileo FOC satellites had their platforms built by OHB System AG in Germany, incorporating navigation payloads coming from Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. in the United Kingdom. They then traveled on to ESTEC to be subjected to the equivalent vibration, acoustic noise, vacuum and temperature extremes that they will experience for real during their launch and orbit, plus testing of their radio systems.

    With a steady stream of satellites coming off the production line, the challenge for the combined ETS and OHB team overseeing Galileo testing was to put them through all necessary tests on a rapid and efficient basis, while also keeping the Test Centre accessible to other European missions requiring its unique services.

    A total of 14 FOC satellites have since joined the first four IOV satellites in orbit, forming an 18-strong constellation that began Initial Services to global users on Dec. 15, 2016. The next four FOC satellites are scheduled for launch on an Ariane on Dec. 5.

    Photo courtesy of the European Space Agency
    Europe’s Galileo navigation satellites orbit 23 222 km above Earth to provide positioning, navigation and timing information all across the globe.

    “For the first time in more than four years, there are no Galileo satellites in the Test Centre, but hopefully this will not be the end of our association with the programme,” said Jörg Selle, managing director for ETS. “The contract for making the next eight Galileo satellites — known as Batch 3 — was also awarded to OHB last June, and ETS will be bidding for the contract to test these satellites too.”

    “The availability of the ETS facilities in ESTEC have substantially contributed to the programme,” said Paul Verhoef, ESA director of the Galileo Programme and navigation-related activities. “We thank ETS for their professionalism and support over this extended period.”

    The final Galileo travelled back to OHB in Germany for some final refurbishment ahead of its launch together with another three satellites in December.

  • How Galileo satellites are tested before launch

    How Galileo satellites are tested before launch

    A Galileo satellite in the Maxwell chamber

    Each Galileo satellite must go through a rigorous test campaign to assure its readiness for the violence of launch, the vacuum of space, and temperature extremes of Earth orbit, reported the European Space Agency.

    Each one is despatched to a unique location in Europe to ensure its readiness before launch: a 3,000-square-meter cleanroom complex nestled in sandy dunes along the Dutch coast, filled with test equipment to simulate all aspects of spaceflight.

    The test centre in Noordwijk — Europe’s largest satellite test site — is part of ESA’s main technical centre, but it is maintained and operated on a commercial basis on behalf of the Agency by a private company created for the purpose: European Test Services (ETS) B.V.

    “Our company was founded 2000 as a joint venture between two of Europe’s leading satellite environmental test companies, Intespace in France and IABG in Germany,” said Pierre Destaing, ETS test programme support manager for Galileo. “That business setup is a source of flexibility: there are 30–35 people working here throughout the year, but if extra specialists are needed for a given campaign, we can call on our parent companies.”

    ETS has been responsible for supporting many historic test campaigns – including space-certifying Europe’s 20-tonne ATV space truck and Envisat, the world’s largest civilian Earth-observing mission. But in terms of scale alone, its work with Galileo is the company’s greatest challenge.

    ETS is about to complete its contracts with OHB System AG, covering the environmental test of 22 ‘Full Operational Capability’ Galileo satellites, preceded by the testing of the very first of the first-generation ‘In-Orbit Validation’ Galileo satellites on a previous, separate contract.

    A Galileo FOC satellite is slid out of its transport container into the clean room at ESTEC. (Photo: ESA)

    The pressure has been steady to ensure satellites are available in time to meet Galileo’s launch schedule.

    “Traffic management is a big part of the job – it’s like a game of Tetris,” Pierre said. “We have a steady stream of Galileo satellites to accommodate, along with other missions such as the BepiColombo Mercury orbiter, Solar Orbiter, the Cheops exoplanet detector and currently the latest MetOp weather satellite, with a fixed set of test facilities. The biggest challenge is definitely ensuring that every project can have the access to the facility they need at the right time, which demands complicated logistics and security adherence.”

    ETS has built up to a steady rhythm with the OHB System team, typically accommodating multiple satellites in storage on site, at the same time as others undergo further active testing.

    “When each new satellite arrives, it is first unpacked within the carefully filtered and air conditioned Test Centre environment,” Pierre said.

    Moving a Galileo Full Operational Capability satellite between test facilities at ESA’s Test Centre in Noordwijk, the Netherlands. (Photo: ESA)