Galileo, global navigation satellite system (GNSS), European Union

Satellite positioning has become a vital part of our daily lives and is a key for farming, science, precise timing and emergency response. We use it on our phones, cars, planes, trains, ships and thousands of other applications. In 2016, Galileo, the European Global Navigation system launched its initial services.

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Europe’s own satellite navigation system, Galileo, has become the world’s most precise, delivering metre-level accuracy, available anywhere on Earth. It is also saving lives, relaying distress calls for search and rescue. Today there are 26 Galileo satellites in orbit 23 222 km over our heads; the first of them were launched on 21 October 2011, with nine more launches in the following years. The satellites in space are supported by a globe-spanning ground segment. The system as a whole is set to grow, with the first of 12 ‘Batch 3’ about to join the current satellites in orbit and new ‘Galileo Second Generation’ satellites in development.

Galileo has been financed by the EU and developed by ESA, with services delivered by EUSPA.

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A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the Galileo L12 mission, two Galileo satellites (Galileo FOC-M10 25 & 27, SAT 29-30), to medium Earth orbit from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on 28 April 2024, at 00:34 UTC (27 April, at 20:34 EDT). Falcon 9’s first stage (B1060) previously supported 19 missions: Transporter-2, GPS-III Space Vehicle 03, Turksat-5A, Intelsat G-33/G-34, Transporter-6, IM-1and 13 Starlink missions. Due to the additional performance required to deliver the payload to medium Earth orbit, Falcon 9’s first stage was not planned to be recovered.

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Falcon 9 launches Galileo L13 and Falcon 9 first stage landing

Sep 18, 2024

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the Galileo L13 mission, two Galileo satellites (Galileo FOC FM26 & FM32), to medium Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, on 17 September 2024, at 22:50 UTC (18:50 EDT). Following stage separation, Falcon 9’s first stage landed on the “Just Read The Instructions” droneship, stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. Falcon 9’s first stage (B1067) previously supported 21 missions: CRS-22, Crew-3, Turksat-5B, Crew-4, CRS-25, Eutelsat HOTBIRD 13G, O3b mPOWER-a, PSN SATRIA-1, Merah Putih 2 and 12 Starlink missions.

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