For its fourth launch of the year, Arianespace will orbit four more satellites (satellites 23 to 26) for the Galileo constellation. This mission is being performed on behalf of the European Commission under a contract with the European Space Agency (ESA).
For the third time, an Ariane 5 ES version will be used to orbit satellites in Europe’s own satellite navigation system; with all Galileo spacecraft having been launched to date by Arianespace. Ariane 6 will take over from 2020. Read more…
The last four Galileo satellites of the second FOC (Full Operational Capability) batch are scheduled for launch on 25 July at 11:25 GMT (13:25 CEST, 08:25 local time) from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on an Ariane 5 rocket, designated Flight VA244 by Arianespace.
This launch will be the third and last one using a customised Ariane 5 ES launcher, placing the next four Galileo satellites into the last of the three Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) circular orbits at an altitude of 23 222 km. Read more…
Europe’s next Galileo satellites have been put in place on top of the Ariane 5 launcher due to lift them from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana on Wednesday 25 July.
The launcher – appearing headless in the absence of its final payload – was moved from the BIL Launcher Integration Building, where it was assembled, to the BAF Final Assembly Building, ready for the Galileo satellites to be mated with it. Read more…
Europe’s next four Galileo satellites have been fuelled at Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, in preparation for their launch on 25 July.
The four satellites were placed into their protective containers to be transported from the S1A processing building to the S3B payload preparation building, where they were filled with the hydrazine fuel that will keep the satellites manoeuverable during their 12-year working lives. Read more…
The four Galileo satellites for Arianespace’s next Ariane 5 mission at the service of Europe’s navigation system are coming together in their flight configuration, while parallel preparations continue with the mission’s heavy-lift launcher.
During pre-flight activity in French Guiana at the Spaceport’s S1A processing facility, these FOC (Full Operational Capability) spacecraft have undergone their fit-checks with the dispenser system to be installed on Ariane 5. Read more…
Galileo satellites 25 and 26 have landed at Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, joining their two predecessors ahead of their 25 July launch by Ariane 5.
The pair left Luxembourg Airport on a Boeing 747 cargo jet on the morning of 1 June, arriving at Cayenne – Félix Eboué Airport in French Guiana that evening. Read more…