The Independent Inquiry Board formed to analyze the causes of the anomaly occurring during the orbital injection of satellites in the Galileo constellation by a Soyuz rocket launched from the Guiana Space Center on August 22 announced its definitive conclusions on Tuesday, October 7, 2014 following a meeting at Arianespace headquarters in Evry, near Paris. Read more…
On Aug. 22 the first two Galileo FOC satellites launched by Soyuz-STB Fregat-MT rocket were placed into the wrong orbit (https://galileognss.eu/galileo-foc-fm1-and-fm2-status-update/). European government officials said that the hydrazine fuel line was installed too close to a supercold helium line on the Fregat upper stage.
The installation caused the hydrazine to freeze long enough to upset the Fregat stage’s orientation and cause the two satellites’ release into an orbit that is both too low and in the wrong inclination, officials said. Read more…
The GNSS Service Centre (GSC), based within Madrid’s National Institute of Aerospace Technology (INTA), is an integral part of the European GNSS infrastructure. Inaugurated in 2013, it is responsible for providing the single interface between the Galileo system and the users of the Galileo Open Service (OS) and the Galileo Commercial Service (CS). Read more…
Together with market development and security accreditation, the operation of the Galileo Security Monitoring Centre (GSMC) is one of the core activities entrusted to the GSA (European GNSS Agency) in its Founding Regulation. In particular, the GSMC fulfils a key role in ensuring the security of the Galileo system. Read more…
Doresa and Milena, the fifth and sixth Galileo satellites, have been in a safe state since 28 August, fully under control from ESA’s centre in Darmstadt, Germany, despite having been released on 22 August into lower and elliptical orbits instead of the expected circular orbits.
The potential of exploiting the satellites to maximum advantage, despite their unplanned injection orbits and within the limited propulsion capabilities, is being investigated. Read more…
Rockwell Collins, a pioneer in the development of commercial and military navigation technology over the past 35 years, has successfully received and tracked a Galileo satellite signal using a prototype Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver designed for secure military use.
“This milestone reinforces our belief that Rockwell Collins is uniquely positioned to produce a navigation receiver that will meet global needs,” said John Borghese, vice president of the Advanced Technology Center for Rockwell Collins. Read more…
The Soyuz launch vehicle family has provided reliable and efficient launch services since the start of space exploration. Soyuz rockets, which launched both the first artificial satellite and the first man into space, have been credited with more than 1,825 launches to date. Today, Soyuz is used for manned and unmanned flights to the International Space Station, as well as Russian government launches, and commercial launches with Arianespace as launch operator. Read more…