Airbus and Thales Alenia Space secure Galileo satellite contracts

Airbus and Thales Alenia Space have been awarded contracts to build additional second-generation Galileo satellites for the European Union’s global navigation system. The European Space Agency (ESA), acting on behalf of the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) and the European Commission, issued these orders to expand the constellation.

Airbus will construct two new satellites, adding to an existing order of six. These second-generation (G2) satellites will feature enhanced navigation antennas and fully digital, in-orbit reconfigurable payloads to improve positioning precision and support European security and defense.

Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales and Leonardo, has also secured a contract for two additional satellites. This brings the company’s total contribution to eight satellites within the Galileo G2 constellation. These units will include digitally-configurable antennas, inter-satellite links, and cybersecurity protections, with a projected operational lifetime of 15 years.