On 17 December 2025, two Galileo satellites will lift off from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. This mission marks the fifth flight for Ariane 6, Europe’s new modular heavy-lift launcher.
The Galileo satellites will be deployed into Medium Earth Orbit at an altitude of approximately 22,922 kilometres, with spacecraft separation scheduled to occur 3 hours and 55 minutes after lift-off. Subsequently, both satellites will gradually reach their operational orbit at an altitude of 23,222 kilometres.
This deployment will enhance the constellation of first-generation Galileo satellites, boosting the precision, availability, and robustness of Europe’s global navigation satellite system, Galileo. Renowned for its best-in-class performance, Galileo delivers real-time positioning accuracy down to the meter range globally. It offers innovative capabilities for professional users, including signal authentication and high-accuracy services, along with dedicated governmental services.
As a flagship component of the EU Space Programme, Galileo is owned by the European Union and managed by the European Commission. Since its inception, the European Space Agency (ESA) has led the design, development, and qualification of both space and ground systems and managed launch procurement. In addition, ESA is responsible for research and development activities within the EU programme for Research and Innovation, Horizon Europe, preparing for future Galileo evolutions. The EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) acts as the service provider, overseeing market and application needs and engaging with users.
Galileo is not just a system of satellites – it is Europe’s response to evolving global navigation demands and the critical need to avoid dependence on another continent for services that are critical to infrastructure and daily life. Providing highly accurate positioning, navigation, and timing services, free of charge and under civilian control, Galileo is one of the four existing Global Navigation Satellite Systems, the other three being the US GPS, the Russian GLONASS, and the Chinese Beidou.
Read more about Galileo here.
