Esa, two new satellites into orbit under the Galileo program

Brussels – Today (April 29), ESA, the European Space Agency, has communicated to have successfully launched two new satellites that will join those already in orbit for the Galileo program. The satellites took off for Earth orbit yesterday (April 28) at 2:34 a.m. from the Kennedy Space Center (Florida) thanks to a Falcon 9 rocket from Elon Musk’s SpaceX company.

The new launch brings to 30 the number of satellites around the Earth in the European Union’s Galileo space program. Eight more are expected to be launched soon, thus completing the Galileo constellation. However, the European space program doesn’t stop here: the launch of second-generation satellites via the ESA-built Ariane 6 rocket is already scheduled for 2026.

Galileo is the most accurate satellite navigation system, serving more than four billion smartphone users worldwide since it became operational in 2016. Thanks to its accuracy, Galileo is making a difference in the rail, maritime, agricultural, and service sectors. The European Commission estimates that 10 per cent of the EU’s annual GDP depends on satellite navigation, a percentage set to increase. From wayfinding to supporting search and rescue activities, Galileo is an integral part of the daily lives of European citizens and beyond.