ESA extends Galileo G2 contracts to add four satellites

Contracts and fleet

The extensions add two satellites per company, taking each prime's G2 order to eight from six ordered in 2021. The Thales Alenia Space contract was signed in Rome and the Airbus contract in Ottobrunn. ESA extended the contracts on behalf of the EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), Galileo's service provider, for the European Union, which owns the system. ESA did not disclose a contract value.

The four extra satellites are due for delivery in 2031, with launch to follow immediately after, ESA said. They will be identical to the G2 spacecraft already under development. The G2 fleet will rise to 16 satellites from 12.

Schedule

The first 12 G2 satellites are well under way, with development and qualification work nearing completion. System integration and compatibility testing is in full swing, clearing the way for integration and flight testing of the first satellites in 2027 and the first G2 launch in 2028.

Constellation

The 16 G2 satellites will join 38 first-generation satellites. ESA says all but four of those 38 have already been launched. Satellite Today reports that Galileo currently has 36 satellites in orbit, with two remaining to launch. The two accounts differ on how many first-generation satellites are already up. The combined planned total is 54 satellites: 38 first-generation and 16 G2.

Galileo has been in operation since 2016. ESA calls it the world's most precise satellite navigation system. It serves billions of users, and all smartphones sold in the European Single Market are guaranteed to be Galileo-enabled, according to ESA. The system is used in rail, maritime, agriculture, financial timing and rescue operations.

What the G2 satellites add

ESA says the G2 satellites will carry fully digital navigation payloads, an improved navigation antenna, inter-satellite links and an advanced atomic clock configuration. The agency says they will provide more reliable positioning, navigation and timing. The two generations will work together to sustain Galileo's capabilities and support new services, ESA said. The extra four support the rollout of new services and increase the constellation's resilience, according to the agency.

Airbus says the satellites will have anti-jamming and anti-spoofing capabilities to protect Galileo's signals, weigh more than two tonnes each and operate in orbit for 15 years. Their digital payloads can be reconfigured in orbit to introduce new signals and services as user needs change. Airbus will draw on sites in Backnang, Friedrichshafen, Getafe, Ottobrunn and Toulouse for manufacturing, integration and testing.

Why ESA says it matters

"With these contracts, ESA and European industry are safeguarding the continuity of Europe's satellite navigation services, responding to the evolving needs of users, and strengthening Europe's strategic autonomy," said Laurent Jaffart, ESA director of resilience, navigation and connectivity. He said the contracts are an investment in Europe's ability to navigate its own future independently and with confidence.

Thales Alenia Space CEO Hervé Derrey said the award reaffirms confidence from the European Commission, EUSPA and ESA and called the programme a cornerstone of Europe's strategic autonomy. Airbus head of space systems Alain Fauré said the satellites are vital to augment navigation capabilities for European security and defence and wider societal benefits.