GPS World

Tag: Galileo Second Generation

  • Three ways R&D has shaped Galileo Second Generation

    Three ways R&D has shaped Galileo Second Generation

    News from the European Space Agency

    Dedicated research and development, funded by European Union (EU) and European Space Agency (ESA) programs over the years, has played a key role in Galileo Second Generation. 

    Among the innovations that will benefit the new satellites are the development of new atomic clocks, links that allow the satellites to “talk” to one another in orbit and a prototype ground station that can precisely pinpoint satellites in the sky. These advanced technologies will ensure Galileo continues to provide world‑class positioning, navigation and timing to users worldwide.

    The importance of R&D

    Satellite navigation is constantly evolving, with new technologies being deployed. But before a technology can fly on a satellite, it must be derisked and qualified. This is where research and development (R&D) comes in, laying the groundwork for new technologies long before they see the light of day. 

    Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe are R&D programs funded by the EU. A significant budget from these programmes is delegated to ESA for R&D to derisk new technologies for evolutions of Europe’s Galileo and EGNOS systems.  

    Complementing these EU R&D programs, ESA programs such as the General Studies Programme (now Discovery and Preparation), General Support Technology Programme and the former European GNSS Evolution Program (EGEP) have also performed R&D for future satellite navigation technologies.  

    R&D spurs the innovation that allows Galileo and EGNOS to modernise and develop new applications and services. Several activities funded through these programmes have contributed to Galileo Second Generation (G2). Some of these technologies will already fly on the G2 satellites when they are launched in the coming years. 

    New ways of keeping time

    Iodine Optical clock by SpaceTech, Germany
    Galileo relies on highly precise onboard atomic clocks to ensure accurate global positioning and timing. Here, an iodine optical clock by SpaceTech, Germany (Credit: ESA)

    Galileo delivers world-class positioning and timing, and its onboard clocks are the key to its performance. Each first generation Galileo satellite carries two passive hydrogen maser and two rubidium atomic frequency standard clocks. These clocks, developed by Leonardo and Safran Timing Technologies, respectively, are currently Galileo’s only space-qualified clocks.

    Rubidium Pulsed Optically Pumped (Rb POP) clock by Leonardo, Italy
    A rubidium pulsed optically pumped (Rb POP) clock by Leonardo, Italy. (Credit: ESA)

    To keep up with the latest technologies and allow for a broader diversity of European qualified clocks, R&D activities have encouraged European companies to develop new types of space-worthy atomic clocks. This investment is critical due to the time and expertise it takes to develop such complex and sensitive technologies. These activities aimed to develop alternative atomic clocks for Galileo that can improve performance and robustness and support Europe’s place as a leader in satellite navigation.

    Mercury Ion clock (MIC), Safran Timing Technologies, Switzerland
    A Mercury ion clock (MIC) from Safran Timing Technologies, Switzerland. (Credit: ESA)

    Seven innovative clock technologies were developed by European companies from France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland. After initial development activities, three of these clocks — proposed by Leondardo, SpaceTech and Safran Timing Technologies — were selected to progress to hardware development in preparation for a first flight.  

    Leonardo’s Rubidium Pulsed Optically Pumped clock is currently under development and planned to fly as an experimental clock on a Galileo Second Generation satellite. The Iodine Optical clock developed by SpaceTech is undergoing early development and shows potential for future use as an experimental clock on Galileo satellites. The Mercury Ion clock by Safran Timing Technologies recently launched its development activities.  

    Following an analysis of the clocks’ eventual in-orbit performance, a programme decision by the European Commission will be made before starting the operational phase of these new clock technologies.

    Conversations in the sky

    Intersatellite link transceiver by Thales Alenia Space
    An intersatellite link transceiver by Thales Alenia Space. (Credit: ESA)

    The Galileo system currently relies on links between satellites and ground stations to monitor and control the satellites and to determine the onboard clock skew. Clock skew occurs when a clock signal reaches different parts of a system at different times, which can cause errors in position calculations. 

    Galileo Second Generation will introduce inter-satellite links (ISL), allowing the satellites to ‘talk’ directly to one another in orbit. This will enable additional time synchronisation and ranging measurements that will improve knowledge of the satellites’ orbit and clock skew.  

    ISL will also allow faster data dissemination. If a particular satellite is not visible to a ground station, information can be sent to a different satellite and then passed on instead of waiting for the satellite to be visible. 

    Intersatellite link transceiver by Airbus Defence and Space
    An intersatellite link transceiver by Airbus Defence and Space. (Credit: ESA)

    Two early models of ISL transceivers that are essentially identical to those which will fly on the Galileo Second Generation satellites were designed and developed. The transceivers, which can both send and receive signals, were developed by Thales Alenia Space (Spain) and Airbus Defence and Space (Germany).  

    One of these transceivers is about to enter the formal testing phase, while the other has undergone successful environmental qualifications. After the transceivers have completed their qualifications and testing, they will be ready for their trip to space.

    Precisely pinpointing satellites

    Accurate positioning, navigation and timing relies on knowing precisely where satellites are in their orbits. Galileo satellites are located by tracking their L-band antenna transmissions from the ground. Each satellite also has a laser retroreflector, which allows measurement of their orbit to within a few centimeters. Known as satellite laser ranging (SLR), this method measures the time it takes for a laser pulse to make the trip from a ground station, called an SLR station, to the satellite and back, then uses these measurements to determine the satellite’s orbit.  Presently, SLR stations are owned and operated by scientific community users and serve multiple space missions.  

    One of the challenges of current SLR is the fact that the lasers are not safe for human eyes and cannot be used if an aircraft is flying nearby as the lasers could blind the pilots. This means SLR stations must coordinate with civil aviation and may not be allowed to use all parts of the sky. SLR stations also have limited availability due to local atmospheric conditions (clear skies are key), and low levels of automation (intensive need for human operators).

    Prototype satellite laser ranging station in Matera, Italy
    A prototype satellite laser ranging station in Matera, Italy. (Credit: ESA)

    To mitigate these limitations, a modernized, eye-safe SLR station prototype for Galileo satellites has been developed by DiGOS (Germany) and commissioned in Matera, Italy. Due to the station design and laser wavelength used, there will be no need to coordinate with civil aviation. The station’s new technologies also explore increased automation using a predefined schedule to reach satellites. Although human operators are still needed, their workload is reduced. 

    A field campaign of the prototype SLR station is planned for this year as part of the Galileo Second Generation System Test Bed tasks. It will evaluate the potential benefits of SLR as a complement to L-band ground ranging. If the station is added to the Galileo ground segment, it could enhance the system’s robustness by providing an independent means of determining the satellites’ locations. In this case, interface design adjustments would need to be made to allow operational use of the station.     

    Beyond providing another method for determining Galileo satellite orbits, this station could also help contribute to the Galileo Terrestrial Reference Frame and could support ESA navigation scientific missions such as Genesis.  

  • Thales partners with ESA on Galileo cybersecurity and enhancements

    Thales partners with ESA on Galileo cybersecurity and enhancements

    From left to right: Sylvain Loddo, director of the Galileo ground segment program at ESA, Ennio Guarino, head of the EGNOS and Galileo programs at ESA, Lionel Salmon, director of cybersecurity for information systems at Thales, and Alexandra Porez, director of cybersecurity for satellite systems at Thales. (Image: Thales)
    From left to right: Sylvain Loddo, director of the Galileo ground segment program at ESA, Ennio Guarino, head of the EGNOS and Galileo programs at ESA, Lionel Salmon, director of cybersecurity for information systems at Thales, and Alexandra Porez, director of cybersecurity for satellite systems at Thales. (Image: Thales)

    Thales and the European Space Agency (ESA) will be working together on the cybersecurity aspects of the Galileo Second Generation (G2G) program.

    Under the partnership, Thales’ scalable and flexible architecture, and security equipment will enable the G2G program to strengthen its ability to detect and respond to new cyberthreats. The end-to-end solution Thales proposed will contribute to the development of greater security and resilience of satellites.

    In addition, Thales Alenia Space has partnered with the ESA to design and build the G2G ground mission segment, as well as support system engineering and technical assistance activities. The company also will provide six of the 12 satellites of the constellation.

    The second-generation ground mission segment is designed to generate and connect the navigation services to the Galileo satellites and to keep the satellites synchronized with a common time reference. The first version will arrive in time for the launch of the first second-generation satellites and for the validation of the system’s in-orbit capabilities. The second version will be responsible for the missions of both the first- and second-generation Galileo satellites.

    The new ground mission system, which includes several major technological innovations, will provide more than four billion users worldwide with improved performance in terms of positioning, navigation and synchronization.

  • GMV secures contract with ESA for G2G ground segment

    GMV secures contract with ESA for G2G ground segment

     

    Contract ceremony in Madrid, Spain, on June 22. (Image: GMV)
    Contract ceremony in Madrid, Spain, on June 22. (Image: GMV)

    GMV has been awarded a major contract by the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop the ground control segment for the in-orbit validation (IOV) system of the Galileo Second Generation (G2G). The primary objectives of G2G are to introduce new services and technologies; improve existing services and technology; increase the accuracy and robustness of the system; strengthen security; and reduce the system’s maintenance costs.

    The ground segment will be responsible for controlling the two new second-generation satellite platforms, which are currently in the design and production phase. A total of 12 satellites are expected to be launched over the next three years. The new ground control system is scheduled to come into operation in 2

    025, coinciding with the launch of the first satellite of this second generation.

    The new contract signed between GMV and ESA is worth over €200 million. This includes the contracting of core G2G activities, for a value of around €155 million. These activities will be carried out over a period of 42 months, from mid-2023 until the end of 2026, with options for extension until 2028.

    Galileo currently serves more than four billion users worldwide, delivering global positioning, navigation, and clock synchronization services with a positioning accuracy of up to 20 cm.

  • Galileo second gen enters full development phase

    Galileo second gen enters full development phase

    Image: Galileo_Second_Generation.jpg
    Image: ESA

    On May 31, the European Space Agency (ESA) announced the main procurement batch of Galileo Second Generation (G2), initiated in summer 2022, has been finalized. The system is now ready for its on-orbit validation development phase.

    Following the opening session of the European Navigation Conference (ENC), Javier Benedicto, director of navigation for the ESA, invited Thales Alenia Space, Airbus Defence and Space, and Thales Six GTS  to sign contracts commencing system engineering support for the next generation of Europe’s navigation satellite system.

    Satellite-building contracts were awarded in May 2021 to Thales Alenia Space and Airbus Defence and Space to create two independent families of satellites amounting to 12 G2 satellites in total. Separate contracts were also awarded to Safran Electronics and Defence-Navigation and Timing and Leonardo to provide the ultra-precise atomic clocks carried aboard.

    Employing electric propulsion for the first time, and hosting a higher-strength navigation antenna, the G2 satellites will incorporate six (rather than four) enhanced atomic clocks as well as inter-satellite links to communicate and cross-check with one another. They will be controllable with an increased data rate to and from the ground and will operate for 15 years on orbit.

    In addition, G2’s fully digital payloads are being designed to be easily reconfigured on orbit, enabling them to respond to the evolving needs of users with novel signals and services.

    There are 28 Galileo satellites on orbit, making it the most precise satellite navigation system —providing meter-level accuracy to more than four billion users around the globe. There are 10 Galileo satellites due to be launched, after which the first of the G2 satellites with enhanced capabilities are expected to join the constellation in the next few years.

  • First Fix: Arrivals and Departures

    First Fix: Arrivals and Departures

    Matteo Luccio
    Matteo Luccio

    As we begin 2023, GNSS development continues apace, as described in this issue’s annual “Directions” section by representatives of Galileo, GLONASS, and BeiDou. We plan to publish a similar update on the GPS program soon.

    Galileo’s user base now stands at more than 3.5 billion, and the services it provides continue to improve and expand. Beginning early this year, free precise point positioning (PPP) corrections for Galileo and GPS (single- and multi-frequency) will improve real-time user position by up to 10 times. While the discontinuation of Soyuz launch services from the Kourou Space Centre in French Guiana, due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, delayed the two Galileo launches that had been planned for last year, 2022 was a key year for the development of Galileo Second Generation (G2G) satellites. They will provide, among other innovations, a reconfigurable fully digital navigation payload, point-to-point connection between satellites, and advanced jamming and spoofing protection mechanisms.

    On Nov. 29, 2022, Russia launched the 51st Glonass-M satellite, about 20 years after launching the first one. Currently, 13 of these satellites are operating beyond their guaranteed lifetime, with an average orbit lifetime of more than 10 years. Starting this year, the constellation will be renewed by Glonass-K and Glonass-K2 satellites, which provide CDMA signals to users.

    Currently, 45 BDS satellites are operational in orbits, including 15 BDS-2 satellites and 30 BDS-3 satellites. The constellation says that it has reached a continuity of 99.996% and an availability of 99%, with a global positioning accuracy better than 1.5 meters horizontally and 2.5 meters vertically (95% confidence).

    Tracy Cozzens, who has been a pillar of this magazine for 17 years, is retiring this month. We will miss her journalistic acumen, dedication to clarity and style, attention to detail, and wealth of institutional knowledge. We wish her a well-deserved retirement. At the same time, we welcome aboard Maddie Saines, our new managing editor, who is near the beginning of her career.

    I am pleased to announce that Rob VanBrunt has joined GPS World’s Editorial Advisory Board. In mid-December, the board of directors of Spirent Federal Systems, a provider of PNT test solutions for the U.S. government and contractors, appointed him as the company’s president/CEO-designate, a role he will assume when the onboarding process is complete.

    VanBrunt began his career at Spirent Communications in 1990 as product developer and manager, and then held posts of increasing responsibilities, moving to director and vice president roles focused on management, strategy and mergers and acquisitions. Most recently, he was executive vice president in the Office of Business Excellence. VanBrunt has a B.S. in electrical and electronics engineering from Rutgers University.

    Spirent Communications is a global provider of automated test and assurance solutions for networks, cybersecurity and positioning. In July 2001, the company formed Spirent Federal Systems as a wholly owned subsidiary and U.S. proxy company. Spirent Federal markets and sells Spirent Communications’ products in North America. It also provides value-added features and ongoing customer support.

    On Jan. 1, I lost my beloved mother, Maristella “Mimi” Luccio. She was 87.

    Matteo Luccio | Editor-in-Chief
    [email protected]

  • ESTEC says goodbye to Galileo 1st Generation satellites

    ESTEC says goodbye to Galileo 1st Generation satellites

    Screenshot: ESA video
    Screenshot: ESA video

    ESTEC Test Centre, Europe’s largest satellite testing facility, said goodbye on Nov. 14 to the final satellite in the Galileo First Generation series, as it departed to OHB in Germany. There, it will rest in storage until ready to be sent for launch.

    In a new European Space Agency (ESA) video, the people responsible for readying the satellites for space have gathered to reflect on the end of an era.

    The work on Galileo began two decades ago with two test Galileo In-Orbit Validation (GIOVE) satellites, followed by a series of operational launches. The two GIOVE satellites and all 34 Galileo Full Operational Capability satellites were tested at ESTEC.

    Next will come the Galileo Second Generation satellites, already in development.

  • Galileo Second Generation technology tested in ESA labs

    Galileo Second Generation technology tested in ESA labs

    News from the European Space Agency (ESA). Europe’s first generation Galileo constellation is already the world’s most precise satellite navigation system — delivering meter-scale positioning to more than 3.5 billion users worldwide. The Galileo Second Generation will enable even better performance and an expanded range of services.

    Essential elements of the G2 system are being evaluated in ESA laboratories, including key algorithms to synchronize satellite timing and determine orbits, as well as test versions of a GNSS receiver and emergency beacon.

    Two independent families of satellites, totaling 12 G2 satellites, are being procured by Thales Alenia Space in Italy and Airbus Defence & Space in Germany. With their first launches due in the middle of this decade, G2 satellites will be much larger than existing Galileo satellites, and they represent a major technical step forward.

    Backwards-compatible with the current constellation, the G2 satellites will incorporate numerous technology upgrades, developed through EU and ESA research and development programs. They will employ electric propulsion for the first time and host an enhanced navigation antenna. Their fully digital payloads are being designed to be easily reconfigured in orbit, enabling them to actively respond to the evolving needs of users with novel signals and services.

    The GNSS antenna farm on the ESTEC roof for live signal reception. (Photo: ESA)
    The GNSS antenna farm on the ESTEC roof for live signal reception. (Photo: ESA)

    Algorithms at the heart of G2

    At the heart of satellite navigation is the ability of the satellites to determine where they are in space and the precise time down to a few billionths of a second as they transmit their navigation signals. The greater the precision of these factors, the greater the accuracy of the positioning for users, because Galileo receivers take the time between the signals being transmitted and received and turn it into a measurement of distance. Signals from four or more satellites are used to pinpoint the receiver’s location.

    The Advanced Orbit Determination and Time Synchronisation (ODTS) Algorithms Test Platform evaluates the advanced software that will perform these calculations for G2. Developed by Thales Alenia Space through an EU Horizon 2020 project coordinated by ESA, the platform is now installed and running in ESA’s Navigation Laboratory. The laboratory is based at ESA’s technical heart, the ESTEC establishment in the Netherlands, where it is helping simulate how the G2 satellites will operate in practice.

    “This platform represents a dynamic, highly-performing environment for algorithm experimentation in both real-time and post-processing modes, using either real or simulated data,” said Francisco González, the project’s technical officer. “It contains the algorithmic core of Navigation for Earth Orbit Determination and Identification Segment, NEODIS, which is the suite of algorithms developed by Thales Alenia Space for precise orbit determination of the satellite constellation. These algorithms allow the real-time estimation of orbits and clocks, as well as the generation of Galileo navigation messages, with an estimated accuracy in the tens of centimeters.”

    “Important evolutions aimed at improving the estimation of clocks and orbits are being incorporated,” said Gustavo Lopez-Risueno, head of ESA’s Galileo G2 System Engineering Unit. These improvements include:

    • integration of composite clock algorithms for a stable and robust reference timescale
    • the dynamic modeling of satellite and station clocks based on their known behavior
    • the processing of auxiliary measurements such as laser range measurements, in which lasers are reflected off of satellites to measure their orbital position, delivering a ranging accuracy down to under a centimeter —significantly better than the half-meter or so available from radio ranging
    • intersatellite links.

    The first G2 receiver prototype "breadboard" is now running in ESTEC's Navigation Lab. (Photo: ESA)
    The first G2 receiver prototype “breadboard” is now running in ESTEC’s Navigation Lab. (Photo: ESA)

    First G2 receiver up and running

    Another outcome of ESA-led H2020 research is also up and running in the lab: the first G2 receiver prototype “breadboard,” developed by GMV.

    “Its development has been key to supporting the fine-tuning and assessment of some signal design options we are considering,” said Jose A. Garcia-Molina, who leads the G2 signal-in-space design at ESA. “Representative mass-market receiver processing architectures and techniques have been considered to assess the final benefits a user would receive.”

    “This first G2 receiver breadboard allows us to better understand the performance G2 can achieve in different user conditions, such as the urban environments in which many Galileo users are based today,” said Miguel Manteiga Bautista, who leads ESA’s G2 Programme.

    Meanwhile, two parallel activities have been started for development of the G2 test user receiver. The receiver will be taken outside the lab for various test activities ahead of the first G2 launches, and then again for in-orbit testing and validation.

    Arctic Mass Rescue Operation in 2021 tested the rescue of 200 cruise-ship passengers using Galileo SAR. (Photo: EUSPA)
    Arctic Mass Rescue Operation in 2021 tested the rescue of 200 cruise-ship passengers using Galileo SAR. (Photo: EUSPA)

    Search-and-rescue system also being updated

    Nearby, in ESTEC’s Telecommunications Lab, is the G2 search and rescue test beacon simulator, now operational following site acceptance testing.

    Like their first-generation predecessors, the G2 satellites will pick up emergency signals from beacons on Earth and relay them to a ground station, which will forward them to local emergency services. This contributes to emergency response saving more than 2,000 lives annually.

    Emergency position-indicating radio beacon (EPIRB). (Photo: ESA)
    Emergency position-indicating radio beacon (EPIRB). (Photo: ESA)

    The new simulator to model the performance of these emergency beacons was developed over three years by Thales Alenia Space, under ESA leadership through a G2G System Engineering Technical Assistance Activity.

    “Equipped with state-of-the-art signal generation and processing capabilities, coupled with a 200 W amplifier, this new simulator offers several enhanced functionalities over first-generation simulators, including the transmission of the new G2 beacons developed by the Cospas-SARSAT organization and the simulation of complex operational scenarios of up to 15 parallel distress beacons,” said Eric Bouton, ESA’s Galileo search and rescue engineer.

    “Its development is really a crucial step to gaining a better understanding of the in-orbit behavior of Galileo’s First and Second Generation search-and-rescue payloads with the new waveforms of the G2 beacons and with the growing beacon population and associated alert traffic,” Bouton said. “It will be used for an initial test campaign already in preparation, and in the future to support the commissioning of all new Galileo search-and-rescue systems.”

  • Orolia introduces mRO-50 Ruggedized, a robust mini-rubidium oscillator

    Orolia introduces mRO-50 Ruggedized, a robust mini-rubidium oscillator

    Latest atomic clock designed for commercial, military and aerospace operations; launch webinar scheduled for July 7

    Photo: Orolia
    Photo: Orolia

    Orolia has introduced an upgraded edition of its low size, weight, power and cost (SWaP-C) miniaturized rubidium oscillator product line, the mRO-50 Ruggedized, to meet the latest military and aerospace requirements where time stability and power consumption are critical.

    The mRO-50 Ruggedized provides a one-day holdover below 1 µs and a retrace below 1E-10 in a form factor (50.8 x 50.8 x 20mm) that takes up only 51 cc of volume (about one-third of the volume compared to standard rubidium oscillators) and consumes only 0.36 W of power, which is about 10 times less than existing solutions with similar capabilities, the company said.

    For in-depth mRO-50 Ruggedized product details, applications and technical information, register for Orolia’s Launch Webinar on July 7.

    With these competitive advantages, the new mRO-50 Ruggedized miniaturized rubidium oscillator provides accurate frequency and precise time synchronization to mobile applications, such as military radio-pack systems in GNSS-degraded or denied environments. Its wide-range operating temperature of -40°C to 80°C is also suitable for a wide range of applications such as underwater, military communications, radars, low Earth orbit, electronic warfare, airborne and unmanned vehicles.

    “Our dedication and innovative design have contributed to the most accurate GNSS systems in service today,” said Jean-Charles Chen, Orolia Atomic Clocks Product Line director. “Orolia launched the mRO-50 in 2020, bringing the best rubidium technologies into one small form factor and ultra-portable packaging.”

    The mRO-50 Ruggedized enhances this breakthrough technology with modifications providing wider thermal range, quicker lock and higher stability.

    Orolia’s timing solutions support space agencies and research institutes worldwide, including the European Space Agency (ESA), NASA, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, SpaceX, Blue Origin, the Centre National d’Étude Spatiales (CNES France), the National Physics Laboratory (NPL UK), Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR Germany) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

    ESA awarded Orolia two contracts to provide atomic clocks for the first 12 satellites for the Galileo Second Generation System. Each of the new satellites, designed to provide unprecedented accuracy worldwide, will contain three Orolia Rubidium Atomic Frequency Standards (RAFS) and two Orolia atomic clock physics packages integrated with Leonardo’s Passive Hydrogen Masers (PHM).

    Image: Orolia
    Image: Orolia

  • Airbus completes design review for Galileo 2-gen satellites

    Airbus completes design review for Galileo 2-gen satellites

    Galileo second-generation satellites will be constructed at the Integrated Technology Centre (ITC) at Friedrichshafen, Germany. (Photo: Airbus)
    Galileo second-generation satellites will be constructed at the Integrated Technology Centre (ITC) at Friedrichshafen, Germany. (Photo: Airbus)

    Airbus satellite design passes important project milestone, preparing for industrialized manufacturing concept

    Airbus has successfully completed the preliminary design review (PDR) for its system concept for the second-generation Galileo navigation satellites. During this important milestone, Airbus’ proposed preliminary design and the customer’s system requirements have been fully reviewed and agreed upon. Galileo is managed and funded by the European Union.

    This milestone paves the way for further verification, acceptance and qualification at the equipment and module levels. Verification at the payload level is already in full swing, with the critical design review (CDR) for the satellite structure due shortly.

    In parallel, the Airbus site in Friedrichshafen, on Lake Constance, is preparing for an industrialized production line for six second-generation Galileo satellites. The satellite integration center is being upgraded to meet requirements for these satellites.

    Galileo Second Generation Batch#1B satellites. (Image: ESA).
    Galileo Second Generation Batch#1B satellites. (Image: ESA).

    Airbus is bringing to the project more than 200 highly skilled space engineers. The first Galileo second-generation satellites are expected to launch in 2024.

    The second-generation Galileo satellites will make the Galileo service more accurate, secure, dependable and adaptable. Weighing 2.3 tons, each satellite is designed to operate for about 15 years. The all-electric medium-Earth-orbit (MEO) platform from Airbus reuses building blocks from the company’s telecoms and Earth observation programs. The flexible and modular navigation payload is also based on telecom elements for beam forming and signal generation.

  • Directions 2022: Galileo FOC, G2 on the horizon

    Directions 2022: Galileo FOC, G2 on the horizon

    Galileo Second Generation Batch#1A satellites. (Image: ESA).
    Galileo Second Generation Batch#1A satellites. (Image: ESA).

    Successful European Cooperation

    Galileo is Europe’s civil global satellite navigation constellation and a major success, being the world’s most precise satnav system and offering meter-scale accuracy to more than two billion users around the globe.

    The signature of the Financial Framework Partnership Agreement (FFPA) on June 22, 2021, further strengthened effective cooperation between the European Commission (EC), the European Union Agency for the Space Program (EUSPA), and the European Space Agency (ESA) — key to successfully achieving a crucial EU Space Program component like Galileo in the current EU Multi Financial Framework (2021–2028).

    The EC is the program manager, with EUSPA acting as the exploitation manager and ESA as the system development prime.

    Stable Service Performance

    Galileo continues to deliver excellent service performance every month in a safe, secure and seamless manner. Delivery of Galileo services is managed by EUSPA, as the Galileo service provider, with industrial partner SpaceOpal, the Galileo service operator prime contractor. The performance of Galileo services is independently monitored by the Galileo Reference Center (GRC) and regularly published on the GNSS Service Center (GSC) web portal at www.gsc-europa.eu — both agencies were developed by GMV. The security of the Galileo System is monitored by the Galileo Security Monitoring Centers (GSMC), operated by EUSPA.

    With 22 satellites in service, the open service is already delivering more than 99% availability of PDOP <= 6 worldwide. This, together with the excellent ranging accuracy, suggests that most Galileo dual-frequency users are typically experiencing positioning accuracy in the order of only 2 to 3 meters.

    Timing users also continue to receive accurate (in the order of 5 ns) access to Galileo System Time, which they can trace to Universal Coordinated Time (UTC) through the corresponding offset parameters transmitted by the satellites.

    The SAR/Galileo service, contributing to COSPAS/SARSAT, continues to deliver both the Forward Link Service (FLS) and the Return Link Service (RLS) with more than 99% availability, allowing users in distress not only to issue an alert and be located within a few minutes, but also be notified that the alert was successfully processed and rescue is on the way. The SAR/Galileo control center is located in Toulouse (France) and operated by CNES under the authority of EUSPA. The excellent performance of the service has been demonstrated both through several rescue exercises and real-life emergencies.

    Galileo Launch 11

    Soyuz launcher VS-26 lifted off from French Guiana with the first pair of Galileo Batch 3 satellites on Dec. 5, 2021, at 01:19 CET. This marks the 11th Galileo launch of operational satellites in 10 years: a decade of hard work by Europe’s Galileo partners and European industry. With these satellites, the robustness of the constellation has increased, guaranteeing a higher level of service.

    Thanks to an upgrade of the Ground Control Segment, the Launch and Early Orbit Phase has been for the first time conducted directly from the Galileo Control Center, rather than requiring an external mission control site. This version of the ground segment increases overall reliability and cybersecurity and opens the way to significant expansion of the Galileo constellation, allowing command and control of up to 38 satellites. The development has been performed by an industrial consortium led by GMV, harnessing state-of-the-art technology using the latest solutions on the market.

    Galileo launch 11 from Europe’s spaceport in French Guyana. (Photo: ESA)
    Galileo launch 11 from Europe’s spaceport in French Guyana. (Photo: ESA)

    On Route to Full Operational Capability

    This year will pave the way toward Full Operational Capability of Galileo services.

    Industrial prime contractor OHB Systems has nearly completed production of the additional 10 recurrent satellites belonging to Galileo Batch 3. Six of them are undergoing final acceptance testing at the ESA satellite test center, and the other four are under integration at the satellite prime facilities.

    Preparation for Launch 12 has already started, with the satellites’ acceptance for a launch date planned in the first months of 2022, followed by Launch 13 in autumn. This is leading toward completion of the Galileo constellation, providing an increased availability of the Galileo signal in space for both GNSS and search-and-rescue users.

    From 2023 onward, the remaining 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 launcher is undergoing the final stages of development, led by prime contractor ArianeGroup.

    The Galileo Ground Mission Segment will undergo a complete technological refresh, including hardware virtualization and porting of several million lines of code, performed by an industrial consortium led by Thales France. A series of improvements will be introduced to increase system resilience, including an extended mode of operation to improve service continuity and robustness.

    Cybersecurity monitoring of all the ground assets will be introduced as an overlay to the current ground infrastructure. The upgrade will undergo a rigorous level of qualification testing followed by worldwide deployment in a seamless way in both Galileo control centers, in both Galileo security monitoring centers, and at all remote locations without affecting continuity of service.

    The service facilities that contribute to the delivery of Galileo services (the European GNSS Service Center, the Galileo Reference Center, and the SAR data service providers) will also evolve to support not only the transition from Initial Services to Full Operational Capability, but also the early roll-out of service evolutions. In this regard, extensive work is ongoing to deliver an exciting set of improvements, some of which are already in development or testing, to reach the users in the year to come:

    • Improvements of the I/NAV signal to increase robustness and time-to-first-fix, while assuring full backward compatibility with legacy receivers.
    • OS Navigation Message Authentication (OS-NMA) to support applications that require trust in the authenticity of the data transmitted by the Galileo satellites (a public observation campaign was launched in November 2021 to engage stakeholders and collect their feedback before moving to the initial service provision).
    • An initial phase of the High Accuracy Service, delivering corrections in the Galileo E6 signal and over terrestrial network to allow users to perform precise point positioning over Europe; test signals were already transmitted with promising results.
    • A Search and Rescue Beacon Command Service complementing the SAR Return Link, providing improved capabilities to timely locate beacons under authorized emergency situations (such as the disappearance of Flight MH370 in the Indian Ocean in 2014).
    • A first implementation of an Emergency Warning Service over Europe, allowing the authorized national emergency-management authorities of the EU Member States to relay alert messages through Galileo signals, which can reach target areas even in case of disrupted terrestrial communications (such as due to floods or earthquakes).

    Galileo worldwide ground segment. (Credit: ESA)
    Galileo worldwide ground segment. (Credit: ESA)

    Second Generation in the Making

    The FFPA will bring Galileo to the next level with the development of the second generation, a further step forward with the use of many innovative technologies to guarantee the system’s unprecedented precision, robustness and flexibility.

    In parallel to the completion of the first generation of Galileo, Europe has conducted in recent years preparation activities for the Second Generation (G2). Elaborating on market, user and exploitation needs collected by EUSPA, ESA identified a number of system evolution scenarios, which were discussed among relevant EU stakeholders to select the second-generation mission and services baseline to build the system infrastructure.

    The evolution of Galileo capabilities will not only provide better services through advanced technical solutions identified by ESA, but will also ensure continuity of service and backward compatibility for
    first-generation legacy users.

    Two parallel contracts to develop and manufacture each of the six Galileo Second Generation Batch#1 satellites were kicked off in the first half of 2021 with Thales Alenia Space (Italy) and Airbus Defence & Space (Germany). The new G2 satellites will be constructed on a short time scale, with their first launch via Ariane-62 expected in less than four years, allowing them to commence operations in space as soon as possible. Both contracts have already undergone preliminary design reviews.

    Development of the G2 satellites is supported by the Galileo Payload Test Bed, which provides an early proof-of-concept of the advanced G2 payload architecture. These satellites will provide, among others, the following key innovations:

    • Reconfigurable fully digital navigation payload.
    • Point-to-point connection between satellites by Inter-Satellite-Link for command and control and ranging functionalities.
    • Electric propulsion for orbit-raising capabilities.
    • Advanced jamming and spoofing protection mechanisms to safeguard Galileo signals.

    System and Ground Segment definition studies, together with the associated technology pre-developments, have been performed, leading to the definition of the preliminary design and technical requirement baseline for the G2 system, a project involving most of Europe’s space industrial partners.

    The G2 In-Orbit Validation Ground Segment and System Test Bed have been defined and relevant procurement procedures are ongoing, with these objectives:

    • G2 Batch#1 satellites launch and early orbit phase, in-orbit testing and enhanced legacy services provision.
    • G2 new capabilities in-orbit validation, including prototyping and validation of all the novel technologies that can exploit the full capabilities of the G2 Batch#1 satellites.

    Galileo Second Generation Batch#1B satellites. (Image: ESA).
    Galileo Second Generation Batch#1B satellites. (Image: ESA).

    Definition activities for the G2 Initial Orbit Capability (IOC) are progressing well and are expected to converge in the first half of 2022, in order to establish the future roadmap for new G2 services provision in the years to come.

    2022 will be a key year for the evolution of Galileo Second Generation activities, through the consolidation of the first batch of G2 satellite design and development activities and the start of development of associated G2G IOV Ground Segment and System Test Beds.

    A bright future awaits Galileo, both through the completion of its Final Operational Capability and the start of evolution towards Galileo Second Generation.

    Guerric Pont is Galileo Exploitation Program manager for the European Union Agency for the Space Program (EUSPA).

    Marco Falcone is Galileo First Generation Project manager for the European Space Agency (ESA).

    Miguel Manteiga Bautista is Galileo Second Generation Project manager for the European Space Agency (ESA).

  • Video celebrates 10 years of Galileo

    Video celebrates 10 years of Galileo

    A new video celebrates the first decade of Europe’s satellite navigation system Galileo, which celebrates its 10-year anniversary on Oct. 21.

    Galileo delivers meter-level accuracy anywhere on Earth. It is also saving lives, by relaying distress calls for search and rescue. Today, 26 Galileo satellites orbit 23,222 km above the Earth. The first was launched on Oct. 21, 2011; nine more launches followed to create the constellation.

    The satellites in space are supported by a globe-spanning ground segment. The system as a whole is set to grow, with the first dozen Batch 3 about to join the current satellites in orbit and Galileo Second Generation satellites in development.

    Galileo is financed by the European Union and developed by the European Space Agency. Services are delivered by the EU Agency for the Space Programme.

    Illustration: Thales Alenia Space
    Illustration: Thales Alenia Space

  • Orolia wins €70M in Galileo atomic clock contracts

    Orolia wins €70M in Galileo atomic clock contracts

    Orolia has been awarded €70 million in two contracts to provide atomic clocks for the first 12 satellites of the Galileo Second Generation System (G2S). The first was from the European Space Agency (ESA) and the second from Leonardo.

    Each of the new G2S satellites, designed to provide unprecedented accuracy worldwide, will contain three Orolia Rubidium Atomic Frequency Standards (RAFS) and two Orolia atomic clock physics packages integrated with Leonardo’s Passive Hydrogen Masers (PHM).

    “We are truly honored to be selected by the European Commission, ESA and Leonardo to continue to supply our advanced space atomic clocks for the next generation of Galileo,” said Jean-Yves Courtois, CEO of Orolia. “Our dedication, hard work and innovative design for all the clocks in the current Galileo constellation have contributed to the most accurate GNSS system in service today. We look forward to continuing to support the Galileo program with the most advanced GNSS timing technology available in the world.”

    Orolia’s RAFS is an ultra-stable rubidium atomic clock able to deliver a frequency stability of about 2 x 10-14 over averaging intervals of 10,000 seconds. The Leonardo PHM, with its excellent frequency stability performance, is the master clock for the Galileo satellite payload. The maser technology embedded on Galileo offers superior stability compared to all other types of clocks onboard navigation satellites, according to Orolia.

    The RAFS Flight Model atomic clock will fly aboard the second generation Galileo satellites. (Photo: Orolia)
    The RAFS Flight Model atomic clock will fly aboard the second generation Galileo satellites. (Photo: Orolia)

    Orolia has delivered more than 140 RAFS Flight Models worldwide, with 114 flying on GNSS satellites. In addition, 100 PHM Flight Models have been delivered worldwide, and 56 are flying on the current Galileo constellation.

    According to ESA, the G2S satellites will revolutionize the Galileo constellation, joining the 26 first-generation satellites currently in orbit. They will be much larger than the existing Galileo satellites, use electric propulsion for the first time, and feature a more powerful navigation antenna. The G2S constellation should achieve decimeter-scale positioning precision.

    In May, the European Commission and ESA announced the selection of Orolia to provide its Skydel GNSS signal simulation core engine for the G2S radiofrequency constellation simulator.

    The Galileo program is managed and funded by the European Union. The European Commission, ESA and EUSPA have signed an agreement by which ESA acts as design authority and system development prime on behalf of the commission and EUSPA as the exploitation and operation manager of Galileo.