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ICT Spring - 2022

Arianespace to launch eight more Galileo satellites

Galileo satellite. Credit: ESA

Edinburgh, 10 December 2022. – ESA and the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) chose Arianespace to launch eight Galileo satellites to add to the constellation. 

The company will deploy the first two satellites this year, which will lead to the full operational capability of the Galileo open service. The three successive launches will be on board of Ariane 62 rockets in 2023, 2024 and 2025. 

The Galileo constellation is Europe’s own global positioning and navigation satellite system, providing services under civilian control.

These launches will finalize the deployment of the first generation of Galileo satellites while increasing the constellation’s resilience. The Galileo missions will be the 13th to 16th by Arianespace, having orbited all other satellites in the constellation as well.

Each of the satellites under this order were built by OHB System and will weigh less than 730 kg. The spacecraft will join the 28 Galileo satellites already in orbit and a further two to be orbited in early 2022. The launches will take place from the Guiana Space Center, Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.

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