On the night between Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 April 2024, at 3:34 Greek time, two new Galileo satellites were successfully launched into orbit, as part of the completion of the Galileo array.

The two satellites will enhance the reliability of the system and thus the positioning information, to the benefit of users. Today, almost half of the world’s population uses Galileo services. With this latest launch, the Galileo array already in orbit has been expanded to reach its full operational capacity, with 24 operational satellites in nominal positions and spare satellites in orbit.

For a decade now, the EU has been steadily strengthening the Galileo array to ensure the continuity of its economic activity. Many strategic sectors, such as agriculture, energy, aviation and defense, depend on the accuracy of positioning and timing information. 10% of the EU’s annual gross domestic product is based on satellite navigation, and this figure is expected to increase.

The satellites were launched just days after transmission of the new government service signals (PRS) began, resulting in enhanced resilience and flexibility. This encrypted navigation service is specially designed for authorized government users and sensitive applications.

Looking ahead, twelve 2nd generation (G2G) satellites are under construction. The first launch of these G2G satellites is expected in 2026 on the Ariane-6 launch system, following its successful maiden flight in 2024. The European Commission will order two additional Ariane-6 launches in the coming months.

Katerina Plati