Galileo constellation expands with two new satellites

Photo: SpaceX

SpaceX has launched the latest pair of Galileo satellites from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carried satellites 31 and 32 (FM26 and FM32) to their designated orbits.

This launch, number 13 in the Galileo program, marks a crucial milestone in the constellation’s development. The addition of these satellites completes the designed constellation, with the required operational satellites plus one spare per orbital plane. The new pair will undergo testing at their final altitude of 23,222 km before becoming operational.

European Space Agency (ESA) Director of Navigation Javier Benedicto highlighted the importance of this launch, stating that the remaining six Galileo First Generation satellites are scheduled for deployment in 2025 and 2026.

These additional satellites are designed to enhance the system’s performance and reliability further, ensuring uninterrupted delivery of highly precise navigation services.

At ION GNSS+ 2024, Eric Châtre, head of EU GNSS exploitation and evolution at the European Commission, and Miguel Manteiga, Galileo project manager at ESA, participated in a panel titled “Status of GPS, Galileo, BDS, QZSS, KPS and NavIC.” They shared how 2024 has been a particularly eventful year for the Galileo program. In April, satellites 29 and 30 were launched and entered service in September. The new Public Regulated Service (PRS) signals began broadcasting, offering encrypted navigation for authorized governmental users. A significant upgrade of Galileo’s ground segment was completed without impacting users.

The Galileo system continues to evolve, with the development of Second Generation (G2) satellites underway. These satellites will feature fully digital navigation payloads, electric propulsion and inter-satellite link capacity.