Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) are delighted to see that two new Galileo Satellites have completed the second of the three constellation planes and are now in service.
Carrying payloads assembled by SSTL, Galileo Satellites 29 & 30 were launched on a Falcon 9 SpaceX rocket earlier this year into a medium earth orbit close to their final on-station position 23,222 km above earth. This was reached at the end of June after a drift phase and over the subsequent months the Mission Control Team instigated the commissioning and in-orbit testing protocols necessary to ensure the satellites had survived intact from the severe launch conditions. Satellite manufacturer OHB then assessed the platform and antenna’s and SSTL analysed the clocks. Towards the end of August ESA, OHB and SSTL concluded the satellites were fit and the ultimate green light was given by the EU SAB (Security Accreditation Board) to commence service.
The completion of the second of Galileo’s three orbital planes and the addition of every satellite to the system further improves the precision, availability and robustness of the Galileo signal. The next two satellites are planned for launch in the coming weeks, also from Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, and the entire system is only a launch away from final completion of all three orbital planes.
Andrew Cawthorne – Managing Director, SSTL said “It is always satisfying for us at SSTL when additional Galileo payloads manufactured here in Guildford are brought into service. Especially so for our core team who support the navigation payloads through commissioning and in-orbit operations. Galileo – still SSTL’s largest ever single contact – remains an important part of both our legacy and current operations.”
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