Galileo satellite system adds two new operational satellites

The European Galileo navigation constellation has incorporated two new satellites, designated SAT 33 and SAT 34, expanding the system’s capacity, resilience and autonomy. Both spacecraft were launched on an Ariane 6 vehicle from the French Guiana spaceport on 16 December and achieved the most precise orbital insertion to date for the programme.

After launch, the Galileo Control Centre in Germany carried out the initial checkout, orienting the satellites toward Earth and commencing the drift to their designated 23 222 km orbits. Over the following months, the navigation payloads, transponders and atomic clocks were configured and validated. The EU Space Programme Security Accreditation Board authorised the entry into service of SAT 33 in May and SAT 34 on 23 July, bringing the constellation closer to full deployment of its first generation.

The addition of these satellites supports billions of users worldwide, delivering high‑accuracy positioning services with horizontal accuracy of up to 20 cm. Ongoing work on the next‑generation Galileo satellites will introduce inter‑satellite links, electric propulsion and improved atomic clock redundancy.