Reliable precision satnav for aircraft is already a reality in European skies, thanks to the ESA-designed EGNOS service. France’s Toulouse-Blagnac Airport recently hosted a dedicated EGNOS Day, demonstrating the service in action, both on the ground and in the air.
Europe’s latest Galileo was unboxed at ESA’s technical centre in the Netherlands last month, bringing the total number of satellites at the site to four.
The ESA-developed EGNOS system for sharpening the accuracy of satnav across Europe has been adopted by a growing number of airports to enable satellite-guided landing approaches. The new Airbus A350 airliner, currently entering service, comes fitted with it as standard.
The next decade’s aircraft pilots will be able to rely on enhanced, reliable satellite navigation signals on a seamless basis across much of the world, thanks to decisions made at the latest gathering of worldwide satnav augmentation system providers and experts.
Students still have time to join the ESA International Summer School on Global Navigation Satellite Systems, which will take place in Barcelona, Spain, at the end of August.
Europe’s Galileo satellite navigation system, currently under construction, will affect many aspects of daily life. It also promises to be a valuable scientific yardstick – a new highly precise measuring system to apply to our planet and everything on it, and even to space-time itself.
Their systems performing well, Europe’s recently launched Galileo navigation satellites have carried out a set of manoeuvres that will take them down to their working positions in orbit.
The worldwide Ground Mission Segment providing all Galileo navigation messages has completed a full-scale hardware and software migration to version V2.0, and is now fully operational again.
The EU’s Galileo satellite navigation system now has eight satellites in orbit following the launch of the latest pair.
Thousands of engineers have worked on the seventh and eighth navigation satellites of Europe’s Galileo constellation in recent years, but last Friday marked the very last time the spacecraft were glimpsed by human eyes.
The seventh and eighth Galileo satellites, set for launch together in nine days’ time, have been fitted together onto the dispenser that will carry them during their flight to orbit.
The sixth Galileo satellite of Europe’s navigation system has now entered its corrected target orbit, which will allow detailed testing to assess the performance of its navigation payload.
All the elements for this month’s Galileo launch are coming together at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. As the two satellites undergo final testing and preparations, the first part of their Soyuz launcher has also been integrated.
In Roman times the milestone was the central method of navigation, with all distances fixed from a ‘golden milestone’ in the imperial capital. Today, navigation satellites have become the modern equivalent of milestones – but Rome still has a role to play.
Another two Galileo satellites have touched down in French Guiana ready to take their place in Europe’s satellite navigation constellation.
Galileo’s navigation messages will shortly stop being updated, in order to enable the migration of a new release for Galileo’s world-spanning ground mission segment.
ESA engineers unwrapped a welcome Christmas present: the latest Galileo satellite. The navigation satellite will undergo a full checkout in Europe’s largest satellite test facility to prove its readiness for space.
Galileo's fifth satellite – recently salvaged from the wrong orbit to begin navigation testing – has been combined with three predecessors to provide its very first position fix.
Europe’s fifth Galileo satellite, one of two delivered into a wrong orbit by VS09 Soyuz-Fregat launcher in August, has transmitted its first navigation signal in space on Saturday 29 November 2014. It has reached its new target orbit and its navigation payload has been successfully switched on.
A trio of stations has taken shape on three islands at the far corners of our continent, ready to pick up distress calls via satellite from all across Europe and its surrounding waters.
ESA’s fifth Galileo navigation satellite, one of two left in the wrong orbit this summer, will make a series of manoeuvres this month as a prelude to its health being confirmed.
A pair of fully functioning Galileo navigation satellites was recently delivered to its operators, as preparations get underway for the next round of launches.
A pair of fully functioning Galileo navigation satellites was recently delivered to its operators, as preparations get underway for the next round of launches.
A pair of fully functioning Galileo navigation satellites was recently delivered to its operators, as preparations get underway for the next round of launches.
Aircraft employ satellite navigation too: Europe’s EGNOS augmentation system sharpens the accuracy and reliability of GPS signals so they can safely be used for landing approaches across a growing number of European airports. But aviation is a global enterprise – so the aim is to develop a seamless network of augmentation systems in future.
Aircraft employ satellite navigation too: Europe’s EGNOS augmentation system sharpens the accuracy and reliability of GPS signals so they can safely be used for landing approaches across a growing number of European airports. But aviation is a global enterprise – so the aim is to develop a seamless network of augmentation systems in future.
The fifth and sixth Galileo satellites have been in a safe state since 28 August, fully under control from ESA’s centre in Darmstadt, Germany, despite having been released on 22 August into lower and elliptical orbits instead of the expected circular orbits.
The fifth and sixth Galileo satellites have been in a safe state since 28 August, fully under control from ESA’s centre in Darmstadt, Germany, despite having been released on 22 August into lower and elliptical orbits instead of the expected circular orbits.
The fifth and sixth Galileo satellites have been in a safe state since 28 August, fully under control from ESA’s centre in Darmstadt, Germany, despite having been released on 22 August into lower and elliptical orbits instead of the expected circular orbits.
Operations continue smoothly for Galileo Sat 5-6. Both satellites now have both sets of their solar arrays fully deployed and generating power.
Operations continue smoothly for Galileo Sat 5-6. Both satellites now have both sets of their solar arrays fully deployed and generating power.
Operations continue smoothly for Galileo Sat 5-6. Both satellites now have both sets of their solar arrays fully deployed and generating power.
Work at ESA’s ESOC control centre continues relentlessly on the two Galileo satellites.
Work at ESA’s ESOC control centre continues relentlessly on the two Galileo satellites.
Work at ESA’s ESOC control centre continues relentlessly on the two Galileo satellites.
Following the announcement made by Arianespace on the anomalies of the orbit injection of the Galileo satellites, the teams of industries and agencies involved in the early operations of the satellites are investigating the potential implications on the mission.
Following the announcement made by Arianespace on the anomalies of the orbit injection of the Galileo satellites, the teams of industries and agencies involved in the early operations of the satellites are investigating the potential implications on the mission.
The next pair of Galileo satellites, Galileo 5 and 6, has been successfully delivered into orbit today. This launch marks the start of a new phase in the European satellite navigation programme where the full constellation will be deployed with short intervals between launches.
Arianespace has announced the next launch attempt for Soyuz VS09 with Europe's fifth and sixth Galileo satellites is 22 August at 12:27 GMT, 14:27 CEST.
Arianespace has announced the next launch attempt for Soyuz VS09 with Europe's fifth and sixth Galileo satellites is 22 August at 12:27 GMT, 14:27 CEST.
Arianespace has decided to postpone the launch of Soyuz flight VS09 carrying Europe's fifth and sixth Galileo satellites. This is due to unfavourable weather conditions over the Guiana Space Centre.
Lift-off for Galileo satellites 5 and 6 is set for Thursday, 21 August, at 12:31 GMT (14:31 CEST) on a Soyuz rocket from the Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana.
Just 9 minutes and 23 seconds later, the Fregat upper stage carrying the payload will separate from the Soyuz third stage, and conduct a pair of engine burns separated by an approximately three-hour ballistic coast phase.
Three hours and 47 minutes after launch, the Galileo satellites will separate into free-flight orbit, 23 522 km above Earth. On board each satellite, an automatic sequence will be triggered, switching the spacecraft on, booting up the onboard software, deploying a pair of solar arrays and orienting the spacecraft toward the Sun.
Lift-off for Galileo satellites 5 and 6 is set for Thursday, 21 August, at 12:31 GMT (14:31 CEST) on a Soyuz rocket from the Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana.
Just 9 minutes and 23 seconds later, the Fregat upper stage carrying the payload will separate from the Soyuz third stage, and conduct a pair of engine burns separated by an approximately three-hour ballistic coast phase.
Three hours and 47 minutes after launch, the Galileo satellites will separate into free-flight orbit, 23 522 km above Earth. On board each satellite, an automatic sequence will be triggered, switching the spacecraft on, booting up the onboard software, deploying a pair of solar arrays and orienting the spacecraft toward the Sun.
Lift-off for Galileo satellites 5 and 6 is set for Thursday, 21 August, at 12:31 GMT (14:31 CEST) on a Soyuz rocket from the Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana.
Just 9 minutes and 23 seconds later, the Fregat upper stage carrying the payload will separate from the Soyuz third stage, and conduct a pair of engine burns separated by an approximately three-hour ballistic coast phase.
Three hours and 47 minutes after launch, the Galileo satellites will separate into free-flight orbit, 23 522 km above Earth. On board each satellite, an automatic sequence will be triggered, switching the spacecraft on, booting up the onboard software, deploying a pair of solar arrays and orienting the spacecraft toward the Sun.
Europe’s latest two Galileo satellites have been placed on top of their Soyuz launcher, ready for their ride to orbit tomorrow.
Europe’s latest two Galileo satellites have been placed on top of their Soyuz launcher, ready for their ride to orbit tomorrow.
Europe’s latest Galileo satellites have been sealed within their launch fairing, atop the Fregat upper stage that will carry them into their final orbit.
Final functional testing of Europe’s twin Galileo navigation satellites has been completed at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, on track for launch this Thursday.
The special significance of next Thursday's launch for the Galileo system as a whole is highlighted in a new ESA video, including an interview with Didier Faivre, the Agency's Director of the Galileo Programme and Navigation-related Activities.
The next satellites in Europe’s Galileo satellite navigation system will be launched on 21 August, ushering in the system deployment phase and paving the way for the start of initial services. Media are invited to take part in an audio briefing on Wednesday, 20 August.
Galileo’s post-launch team at ESA have finalised their preparations for taking control of the twin satellites being launched next month.
Europe’s Galileo satellite navigation system – the combination of satellites in space and stations on the ground – forms a planetary scale timepiece. Current testing shows it keeping very good time indeed – around 10 billionths of a second on average.
Billions of satnav position fixes are performed daily, but determining your place in the world using Europe’s Galileo system is quite new. So ESA offered to issue certificates for the very first 50 Galileo fixes – provoking responses from across the whole world.
Students still have time to join the ESA International Summer School on GNSS, taking place in the Czech Republic this July. The 10-day course will cover all aspects of satellite navigation, up to and including the creation of a satnav-based business.
Europe’s two latest Galileo navigation satellites touched down today at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, ready for their joint launch this summer.
Europe’s latest Galileo navigation satellite has arrived at the Agency’s technical centre in the Netherlands for testing, as the previous two satellites are prepared for shipping to French Guiana for launch this summer.
Results are being processed from the first Galileo maritime trials outside of mainland Europe. The long-range, high-latitude testing spanned the North Sea, following the same historical sailing route that Viking dragon-ships used 1200 years ago.
Future Galileo navigation satellites might adopt electric propulsion to reach their final orbits, with the weight savings offering larger payloads and a broader range of services in the 2020s.
The latest addition to Galileo’s worldwide ground infrastructure has been made in the mid-Atlantic, on Portugal’s Santa Maria island in the Azores.
As they bathe the ground below them in test navigation messages, Europe’s Galileo satellites are kept alive by the Sun.
To mark the first anniversary of Galileo’s historic first satnav positioning measurement, ESA plans to award certificates to groups who picked up signals from the four satellites in orbit to perform their own fixes.
Plans to harness Galileo and other satnav systems for next-generation satellite augmentation systems for aviation and other high-performance uses took a significant step forward at the latest gathering of worldwide operators and experts.
With the first Galileo services set to begin this year, ESA is working directly with European manufacturers of mass-market satnav chips and receivers to ensure that their products are Galileo-ready.
The in-orbit validation of Galileo has been achieved: Europe now has the operational nucleus of its own satellite navigation constellation in place – the world’s first civil-owned and operated satnav system.
ESA’s Galileo satellites have achieved their very first aerial fix of longitude, latitude and altitude, enabling the inflight tracking of a test aircraft.
ESA’s newest Galileo satellite has emerged from five weeks of simulated space conditions: Friday saw a hatch slid open to end its thermal-vacuum test, a milestone on the way to orbit.
As Galileo takes shape, as well as offering precision navigation and timing services around the world it is also shaping up to become a promising tool for science.
Europe’s next pair of Galileo satellites have been the focus of a busy autumn at ESA’s technical centre in the Netherlands, continuing a full-scale campaign to ensure their readiness for space.
A small but revolutionary motion sensor worn by athletes has scored a big win in this year’s European Satellite Navigation Competition. Proposed by the ESA Business Incubation Centre start-up company Kinexon, it provides accurate, realtime information on an athlete’s condition.
ESA’s completion of a pair of dedicated ground stations at opposite ends of Europe has enabled Galileo satellites in orbit to participate in global testing of the Cospas–Sarsat search and rescue system.