Galileo satellites ready for launch
Above:
Galileo IOV satellites attached to their launch dispenser and encapsulated beneath the fairing of their Soyuz ST-B launcher.
Credit: ESA - P. Carril.
The UK has made a considerable investment in the project and is involved at every level in developing this next generation of satellite navigation technologies. This follow-up launch, scheduled for 18:15 GMT (20:15 CEST) on Friday 12 October, marks a major step for Europe’s own satellite navigation system.
Four is the minimum number of satellites needed to achieve a navigational fix on the ground, with one satellite each to measure latitude, longitude, altitude and provide a time reference.
So once this second pair of satellites has been commissioned and tested, the quartet will form a completely operational mini-constellation that will be used to validate the Galileo system.
Above:
The two Galileo In-Orbit Validation satellites are protected during their launch by Soyuz by a launch fairing. Once the Soyuz has passed most of the way through the atmosphere, this fairing can then be ejected.
Credit: ESA - P. Carril.
These two new satellites are also the first to carry search and rescue antennas to pinpoint aircraft and ships in distress as part of the international Cospas–Sarsat system.
A joint initiative of the European Commission (EC) and the European Space Agency (ESA), Galileo is the European Union’s answer to the American global satellite navigation system GPS. It is designed to provide a highly accurate global positioning system under civilian control with worldwide coverage and is one of the biggest space projects ever initiated in Europe.
