The spacecraft has four clocks, two of each type. Should the maser clock fail, however, the operating rubidium clock will take over instantaneously and the two reserve clocks will start up. Space is becoming a new economic frontier, as it is vitally linked to a growing number of sectors and driving their profound modernisation. Each satellite will take about 14 hours to orbit the Earth. Galileo Status • Four Galileo In-Orbit Validation (IOV) satellites in orbit - E11 and E12 launched in October 2011 - E19 and E20 launched in October 2012 • First FOC satellite dual launch planned for August 2014 The fifth and sixth Galileo satellites, launched together on 22 August 2014, ended up in an elongated orbit travelling out to 25 900 km above Earth and back down to 13 713 km.

Interoperability with the Once the In-Orbit Validation (IOV) phase was completed, the remaining satellites are being placed in orbit at regular intervals to reach Full Operational Capability (Subsequent FOC satellites were launched as follows:The Galileo FOC satellites provide the same capabilities as the previous IOV satellites, but with improved performance, such as higher transmit power.With 22 Galileo satellites in Orbit (4 IOV plus 18 FOC satellites), the constellation is on track to reach completion in 2020.The GIOVEs were aimed at testing Galileo positioning system technologies in orbit.GIOVE-A, was launched in December 2005, its primary goal being to claim the frequencies allocated to Galileo by the International Telecommunications Union (GIOVE-A was the first European satellite to be launched into medium Earth orbit (MEO). Now with a constellation of 26 satellites, the EU’s global satellite navigation system will provide a more precise signal across a range of valuable services.Galileo has been providing positioning and timing services to around 400 million users Space may be far away but its technology, data and services have become indispensable in our daily lives, be it in rescue searches, connected cars, smart watches, farming or plane navigation. The altitude chosen also ensures a high visibility of the satellites. The Galileo Space Segment will comprise a constellation of a total of 30 Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellites, of which 3 are spares, in a so-called Walker 27/3/1 constellation. In addition, the orbits are angled relative to the equator less than originally planned. The antennas, shown on the underside of the body in the picture, always point towards the Earth. The fifth and sixth Galileo satellites, launched together on 22 August 2014, ended up in an elongated orbit travelling out to 25 900 km above Earth and back down to 13 713 km. The orbit errors of Galileo satellites that run in a nominal orbit are 0.249 m, 0.242 m and 0.174 m in the along-track component, cross-track component and radial component, while the orbit accuracy of FOC-1 and 2, which is run in the wrong elliptical orbit, is worse by a factor of 2–3. You have already liked this page, you can only like it once!Galileo satellites are placed in medium orbits, at 23 222 km altitude along three orbital planes so that a minimum of four satellites will be visible to user receivers at any point on Earth once the constellation is complete. Although still operational (by prime contractor Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd of Guildford, UK, to gather radiation data and performance results from a GPS receiver), it was officially retired on 30th June 2012, having been successfully operating for much more than double its design life.After launch in April 2008, early orbit operations and platform commissioning, GIOVE-B's navigation payload was switched on and signal transmission commenced.Key facilities in the testing of GIOVE-B signals include the GIOVE-B Control Centre at Telespazio's facilities in Fucino, Italy, the Galileo Processing Centre at GIOVE-B was retired from service on 23rd July 2012 after more than 4 years of service, and began raising its orbit to an “graveyard” orbit, where there is no danger of it interfering with the other operational satellitesAccording to the legislation on data protection, the treatment of your personal data for the purposes in subject can happen subject to your free, specific, informed and unambiguous consent.

The fully deployed Galileo system will consist of 24 operational satellites plus six in-orbit spares, positioned in three circular Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) planes at 23 222 km altitude above the Earth, and at an inclination of the orbital planes of 56 degrees to the equator. Third launch of Galileo FOC satellites. Under normal conditions, the operating maser clock produces the reference frequency from which the navigation signal is generated. Once the constellation reaches 30 satellites in 2020, Galileo will be fully operational and independent, meaning that a position could be established autonomously everywhere and anytime using Galileo satellites only.Merci Jacques for your message. One satellite in each plane will be a spare, on stand-by should any operational satellite fail.From most locations, six to eight satellites will always be visible, allowing positions and timing to be determined very accurately to within a few centimetres. The orbit of the satellites is now elliptical rather than the intended circular orbit. The rubidium clock will then go on stand-by or reserve again. It carries two environmental monitors that have been in operation almost continuously since launch, gathering vital data about the Galileo intermediate circular orbit environment and helping in the design of the full constellation.GIOVE-A was designed and sized for a 27 month mission. When Galileo, Europe's own global satellite navigation system, is fully operational, there will be 24 satellites plus spares in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) at an altitude of 23 222 kilometres. Each satellite will take about 14 hours to orbit the Earth. In addition, the orbits are angled relative to the equator less than originally planned. Operational satellites The complete Galileo constellation will comprise satellites spread evenly around three orbital planes inclined at an angle of 56 degrees to the equator. The introduction of the extended empirical CODE orbit model (ECOM2) to the CODE MGEX solutions in early 2015 resulted in a significant improvement of the Galileo products.

The spacecraft body will measure 2.7 m x 1.1 m x 1.2 m and the deployed solar arrays span 13 m. One satellite in each plane will be a spare, on stand-by should any operational satellite fail. With this launch, one-third of the Galileo constellation is now in space. We share your view of this project being big and complex.