Galileo pathfinder GIOVE-A achieves five years in orbit
ESA's GIOVE-A satellite - the first prototype of Europe's Galileo satellite navigation system - is still working well after five years in space. The first 'Galileo In-Orbit Validation Element', GIOVE-A, was launched on 28 December 2005 by a Soyuz rocket from Baikonur in Kazakhstan, carrying a prototype rubidium atomic clock designed for the Galileo constellation. Read more
The contract to operate the satellites that will form Europe's version of GPS has been awarded to Spaceopal. The 194m euro (£170m) contract is the fourth of six "work packages" to be announced as efforts continue to roll out the Galileo sat-nav project. Read more
Europe's Galileo satellite-navigation system has passed a major milestone in its development. The payload for the first spacecraft in the operational constellation leaves its Portsmouth, UK, factory on Monday for final preparations in Italy. Proto-flight Model 1 includes all the equipment needed to generate and transmit location and timing data to users on the ground and in the air. The final works and testing in Rome will get it ready for launch next year. Read more
Yesterday, Mr René Oosterlinck, ESA's Director of the Galileo Programme and Navigation-related Activities, signed the first three contracts for the Galileo full operational capability phase. This event marks the start of building the Galileo operational infrastructure. Read more
Arianespace to launch the first ten satellites in the Galileo constellation
Jean-Yves Le Gall, Chairman and CEO of Arianespace, and René Oosterlinck, Director of the Galileo Program and Navigation-related Activities at the European Space Agency (ESA), today signed the launch contract for the first ten FOC (Full Operational Capability) satellites in Europe's planned Galileo satellite positioning system at ESTEC (European Space Research & Technology Centre) in Noordwijk, the Netherlands. The contract is managed by ESA on behalf of the European Union. Also present at the contract signing ceremony were Matthias Ruete, Director General of the Energy and Transport Directorate General in the European Commission, and Jean-Jacques Dordain, Director General of ESA. These ten satellites will be placed in a circular orbit at an altitude of 23,000 kilometres. They will be launched in pairs starting in December 2012, using five Soyuz launchers operated from the Guiana Space Centre. The satellites will be built by the team of OHB Technology of Germany and Surrey Satellite Technology, Ltd. of the United Kingdom. Arianespace Press Release
European Commission announces the award of major Galileo contracts
Antonio Tajani, European Commission Vice-President in charge of Transport, has announced today the award of three of the six contracts for the procurement of Galileo's initial operational capability. Read more
Galileo, Europe's much delayed and costly satellite-navigation project, takes a major step forward on Thursday. The first contracts are being awarded to the companies that will start to build the operational network. The European Commission will purchase spacecraft, rockets and system management in deals totalling more than half a billion euros. Read more
SSTL celebrates 4th anniversary of first Galileo satellite launch
Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) is today (28/12/2009) celebrating the 4th anniversary of the launch of its historic GIOVE-A satellite - the first step in Europe's visionary Galileo satellite navigation programme - on December 28th 2005. During the past 4 years, SSTL and GIOVE-A have contributed significantly to the testing and validation of technologies vital to the now imminent operational constellation of satellites. The 660 kg GIOVE-A satellite was built by SSTL for ESA in just 30 months at a cost of just 28m Euros. Read more
GIOVE-A satellite orbit raised GIOVE-A, the first Galileo test satellite in orbit, has been moved to a higher orbit to ensure that it does not cross the operational Galileo constellations orbits for more than 100 years.
Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) has successfully completed the planned repositioning of the first Galileo test satellite, GIOVE-A, to a higher orbit to make way for the operational satellites of Europes satellite navigation constellation. From the GIOVE-A operational headquarters in Guildford, UK, SSTLs operating team executed a series of precisely planned manoeuvres during July and August that have repositioned the satellite 113km above the orbit that the 27 operational Galileo navigation satellites will occupy.