With 26 Galileo satellites in orbit around Earth, delivering services to users worldwide, what comes next? The ESA programme generating exciting new ideas for navigation technology is hosting its first Industry Days at the Agency’s technical heart in the new year – and companies from ESA Member States are invited to attend.
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s a High-Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) — an uncrewed airship, plane or balloon watching over Earth from the stratosphere. Operating like satellites but from closer to Earth, HAPS are the ‘missing link’ between drones flying close to Earth’s surface and satellites orbiting in space.
Global satellite navigation systems are continuously bathing Earth in satnav signals. As well as helping in our daily lives, these signals are also tools for cutting-edge science. A new ESA facility, based at ESA’s astronomy centre near Madrid, is championing their use for everything from Earth monitoring to fundamental physics.
Europe’s 26 navigation satellites in orbit are providing Galileo Initial Services – available to users around the globe since 2016 – and a new ESA contract signing means these services will be delivered on a more accurate basis and more securely than ever.
Students and research trainees across Europe are invited to take part in ESA’s new Galileo smartphone app competition – to develop an app capable of performing fixes using raw Galileo satnav measurements.
Run by ESA in collaboration with the European Global Navigation Satellite Systems Agency – GSA – plus the European Commission with the support of Google, this Galileo app competition is open to all students from European universities and trainees in posts at European research and development organisations.
An app that lets your smartphone work directly with Galileo and check performance from raw satellite signal measurements is now available for download from the Google Play Store.
With Europe’s Galileo constellation in space now expanded to 26 navigation satellites – and Galileo Initial Services available to users worldwide – the infrastructure on the ground that controls them is undergoing a corresponding expansion.
If you’ve taken a flight in Europe recently, then the chances are growing that you’ve been a pioneer EGNOS user. Satellites in orbit would have guided your airliner’s descent, rather than signals beamed from the ground. You wouldn’t have felt any difference – except for possibly a smoother ride.
Four more Galileo satellites were launched today by an Ariane 5. Their arrival in orbit brings the Galileo constellation to 26 satellites, extending the global coverage of the constellation.
The last four Galileo satellites of the second FOC (Full Operational Capability) batch are scheduled for launch on 25 July at 11:25 GMT (13:25 CEST, 08:25 local time) from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on an Ariane 5 rocket, designated Flight VA244 by Arianespace.
Europe’s next Galileo satellites have been put in place on top of the Ariane 5 launcher due to lift them from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana on Wednesday 25 July.
Europe’s next four Galileo satellites have been fuelled for launch at Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, in preparation for their launch on 25 July.
Europe’s next four Galileo satellites have been fuelled at Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, in preparation for their launch on 25 July.
Europe’s satellite navigation system Galileo is already in use worldwide, usable by itself or in combination with the US Global Positioning System (GPS). Now a combined Galileo–GPS positioning fix has been achieved in space – aboard the International Space Station – through an ESA–NASA collaboration.
ESA challenged its young graduate and national trainees to develop a smartphone app to perform satnav fixes using only Galileo satellites. Three teams developed apps in their spare time, presenting their results to a jury of experts from ESA, the European Global Navigation Satellite Systems Agency (GSA) and Google.
Galileo satellites 25 and 26 have landed at Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, joining their two predecessors ahead of their 25 July launch by Ariane 5.
Members of the United Nations technical group supporting global cooperation in satellite navigation toured ESA’s technical centre in the Netherlands, to see key facilities used to develop Europe’s Galileo system.
The next two satellites in Europe’s Galileo satellite navigation system have arrived at Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, ahead of their planned launch from the jungle space base in July.
Radio astronomers and satellite navigation engineers are focusing their attention on the same point of the sky, looking into methods of improving both satnav accuracy and radio astronomy.
This year’s ESA–Joint Research Centre International Summer School on Global Navigation Satellite Systems is taking place in July, in the spa resort of Loipersdorf, Austria.
The 10-day course will cover all aspects of satellite navigation, up to and including the development of a potential satnav-based business.
Participants will receive a full-spectrum overview of satellite navigation, starting from the theoretical basis of Global Navigation Satellite Systems, their signals and processing by receivers, and how the final ‘position–navigation–time’ solution is worked out. On the practical side, exercises will include receiving signals from Galileo and its fellow satnav systems.
Galileo’s initial services have been running for more than 15 months now: signals from the satellites in space are routinely serving users all across the world. The functioning of Galileo is dependent on a global network of ground stations, its current extent shown in the map here.
With Europe’s Galileo satellite navigation system is only one launch away from full global coverage, representatives of European industry gathered at ESA’s centre in the Netherlands to discuss the transition towards the future Galileo Second Generation.
The next generation of Europe’s satellite navigation overlay service, EGNOS, will combine use of GPS and Galileo signals to improve accuracy and robustness of navigation for air traffic and other uses where lives are at stake.
Europe has four more Galileo navigation satellites in the sky following their launch on an Ariane 5 rocket. After today’s success, only one more launch remains before the Galileo constellation is complete and delivering global coverage.
Europe’s next four Galileo navigation satellites are in place atop their Ariane 5, ready to be launched next Tuesday.
The next four Galileo satellites are scheduled for launch on 12 December at 18:36 GMT (19:36 CET, 15:36 local time) from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana atop an Ariane 5 rocket.
ESA is considering extending its activities to a new region of the sky via a novel type of aerial vehicle, a ‘missing link’ between drones and satellites.
Europe’s next four Galileo navigation satellites and the Ariane 5 rocket due to lift them into orbit are being readied for their 12 December launch from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
Two more Galileo satellites have reached Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, joining the first pair of navigation satellites and the Ariane 5 rocket due to haul the quartet to orbit this December.
Europe’s next two Galileo navigation satellites have touched down in Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana ahead of the launch of a quartet by Ariane 5 at the end of this year.
Four of the latest set of Galileo navigation satellites will be launched on Ariane 6 rockets – ESA’s first contract to use Europe’s new vehicle.
Four of the latest set of Galileo navigation satellites will be launched on Ariane 6 rockets – ESA’s first contract to use Europe’s new vehicle.
The last of 22 Galileo satellites has departed ESA’s Test Centre in the Netherlands – concluding the single longest and largest scale test campaign in the establishment’s history.
Each Galileo satellite must go through a rigorous test campaign to assure its readiness for the violence of launch, airlessness and temperature extremes of Earth orbit.
After four years of work, the ESA team tasked with keeping the world informed on the status of the Galileo satellite navigation system has formally passed on its responsibility to a European Union agency.
Europe’s Galileo navigation constellation will gain an additional eight satellites, bringing it to completion, thanks to a contract signed today at the Paris Air and Space Show.
The invisible signals that Europe’s Galileo satellites are beaming down to the world are officially award-winning: the team behind their design has won the European Inventor Award, run by the European Patent Office.
ESA is seeking ideas for innovative future navigation concepts and products from European industry and academia – join us at the ESA pavilion at the Paris Air & Space Show on 19–20 June to talk with the team overseeing the new programme seeking to drive Europe’s state-of-the-art in finding one’s way.
Two further satellites have formally become part of Europe’s Galileo satnav system, broadcasting timing and navigation signals worldwide while also picking up distress calls across the planet.
ESA has signed a contract with Thales Alenia Space for an upgrade of Europe’s EGNOS satellite navigation augmentation system, which underpins the safety-critical use of satnav across our continent.
Europe’s Galileo satellite navigation system has undergone its first performance report since it started work at the end of last year – passing with flying colours.
The engineering team behind the signal technology underpinning Europe’s Galileo satellite navigation system has reached the final of this year’s European Inventor Award.
The engineering team behind the signal technology underpinning Europe’s Galileo satellite navigation system has reached the final of this year’s European Inventor Award, run by the European Patent Office.
Upgrades to the monitoring stations underpinning Europe’s EGNOS satnav augmentation system will support its evolution.
Europe’s Galileo satnav network does more than let us find our way – it is also helping to save lives. Today sees a spotlight cast on Galileo’s Search and Rescue service, which pinpoints people in distress on land or sea.
A leading authority and advocate of Europe’s Galileo satellite navigation system has been named as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for services to science.
This year’s ESA–Joint Research Centre International Summer School on Global Navigation Satellite Systems will be held in Longyearbyen, Svalbard-Spitsbergen, Norway, on 4–15 September, close to the world's northernmost Galileo station.
As first reported last November, anomalies have been noted in the atomic clocks serving Europe’s Galileo satellites.
As first reported last November, anomalies have been noted in the atomic clocks serving Europe’s Galileo satellites.
Anomalies have occurred on five out of 18 Galileo satellites in orbit, although all satellites continue to operate well and the provision of Galileo Initial Services has not been affected.
Brad Parkinson, hailed as the father of GPS, has visited ESA’s technical heart to meet the team behind Europe’s Galileo satellite navigation system.
Last week’s start of Galileo’s initial services is a boon not just for people worldwide but also the scientific community. A precise yardstick is now freely available to study Earth and everything on it, along with the laws of physics.
Europe’s own Galileo satellite navigation system has begun operating, with the satellites in space delivering positioning, navigation and timing information to users around the globe.
Galileo satellites 13 and 14 have begun transmitting navigation signals as fully operational members of Europe’s satnav constellation.
With Europe’s Galileo satnav constellation soon to provide initial services, ESA is looking further ahead: its next-stage navigation research programme received strong backing during last week’s Council at Ministerial level.
The multi-agency team behind the ESA-designed EGNOS augmentation system – making it possible for European aircraft to safely rely on satnav signals – has received a prestigious award from France’s national aerospace academy.
Technology developed as part of Europe’s satellite navigation-augmenting EGNOS system has been sold to South Korea to serve its national equivalent system.
An Ariane 5 rocket has launched four additional Galileo satellites, accelerating deployment of the new satellite navigation system.
An Ariane 5 rocket has launched four additional Galileo satellites, accelerating deployment of the new satellite navigation system.
Europe’s next four Galileo navigation satellites are together on their dispenser atop the Ariane 5 launcher due to launch them next Thursday from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.
This month, a single Ariane 5 rocket is set to propel four Galileo satellites into orbit for the navigation constellation’s first-ever quadruple launch. Mission controllers are training intensively for the complex space delivery.
This month, a single Ariane 5 rocket is set to propel four Galileo satellites into orbit for the navigation constellation’s first-ever quadruple launch. Mission controllers are training intensively for the complex space delivery.
The maiden commercial flight of the new Bombardier CS100 airliner this summer made use of the EGNOS satnav augmentation system for landing at Europe’s largest mainland airport.
A panel of satnav experts at last week’s US Institute of Navigation’s annual Global Navigation Satellite System meeting has recognised ESA’s previous Director of the Galileo Programme and Navigation-related Activities for the work done to establish Galileo during his tenure.
A transatlantic flight delivered four Galileo satellites to French Guiana on Tuesday, in preparation for a shared launch this November by Ariane 5 – the first for Europe’s satnav constellation.
A transatlantic flight delivered four Galileo satellites to French Guiana on Tuesday, in preparation for a shared launch this November by Ariane 5 – the first for Europe’s satnav constellation.