GALILEO UPDATE

Seventh and eighth satellites join the Galileo constellation

Two new Galileo satellites have been successfully placed in orbit, joining the existing six probes in the constellation. The operation went off without a hitch – something that can’t be said for the troubled assent of the fifth and sixth Galileo satellites.

The two new satellites were launched into orbit on March 27 from Europe’s spaceport in French Guinana. All stages of the Soyuz rocket assent vehicle were performed as planned, with the probes being released at their target altitude of 23,500 km (14,600 miles), some 3 hours and 48 minutes after liftoff. ESA

EU to launch 4 more Galileo satellites in 2015

Four more Galileo satellites will be launched this year following the successful launch of two satellites recently. The next launch of Galileo satellites was scheduled for September 2015, the European Commission (EC) stated, according to a Xinhua report. http://gadgets.ndtv.com

Galileo NAGU announces completion of ground upgrade

The European GNSS Service Centre has issued Notice Advisories to Galileo Users announcing the completion of a ground segment upgrade and system testing as of 1 April 2015. The three fully operational Galileo satellites (GSAT0101, GSAT0102, and GSAT0103) have been declared available from 1 April 2015 at 00:00 UTC.

• GSAT0101 (ID:11) payload on PHM clock

• GSAT0102 (ID:12) payload on RAFS clock

• GSAT0103 (ID:19) payload on PHM clock

• GSAT0104 (ID:20) is still considered unavailable as it only transmits an E1 signal.

• GSAT0201 (ID:18) and GSAT0202 (ID:14), although now in improved orbits, have not been declared available.

Meanwhile, the two recently launched satellites (GSAT0203 and GSAT0204) are slowly drifting to their assigned orbits. They are not yet transmitting standard L-band signals.

Honeywell technology approved for use on ESA Galileo program

Honeywell announced that its Global Tracking solution has passed the final acceptance test for use on Galileo search and rescue program. Honeywell Global Tracking, part of Honeywell’s scanning and mobility business, is working in partnership with the aerospace and defense division of Capgemini, the prime contractor for the Galileo search and rescue program, to deliver a high-precision positioning system that is fully compatible with the international Cospas-Sarsat standard. http://www.satellitetoday.com

Fifth Galileo Colloquium Planned for October

The fifth International Colloquium on Scientific and Fundamental Aspects of the Galileo Programme will be held in Braunschweig, Germany, Oct. 27–29. Since 2007, the worldwide scientific community has met every two years to discuss the scientific possibilities of Galileo and other GNSS