ESA launches two new satellites for the Galileo navigation system

Shortly after noon, the ESA successfully launched two new satellites from French Guiana. The satellites are intended for the European navigation system Galileo. With this addition, twelve of the planned thirty satellites are now in orbit.

The launch was livestreamed on the ESA site. Using a Soyuz three-stage rocket, the Galileo 11 and 12 satellites reached low orbit. With a Frigate as the last stage, the satellites are then brought into a higher orbit, where they will eventually enter orbit at an altitude of 22,522 km.

The Galileo system is a European alternative to systems such as the American GPS, the Russian Glonass and the Chinese Beidou. It can be used in combination with GPS and Glonass and can thus offer higher precision. The development is taking place in a partnership between the ESA and the EU. The launch of the first two satellites took place on October 21, 2011.

Mobile phones can use Galileo if they are equipped with, for example, a BCM4774 chip from Broadcom or the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810. The Broadcom chip is not yet in use, but the Snapdragon 810 is used in a large number of devices. Those interested in the livestream can watch again at 16.25, then the broadcast will resume.