Europe orders eight more Galileo satellites

The European Commission on Friday issued a contract worth some US$330 million for eight more satellites for its Galileo satellite-navigation network, bringing the total number in production by a German-UK consortium to 22 and keeping the programme on track to be fully operational by the end of the decade.
March 19, 2012 Read time: 1 min

The 2465 European Commission on Friday issued a contract worth some US$330 million for eight more satellites for its Galileo satellite-navigation network, bringing the total number in production by a German-UK consortium to 22 and keeping the programme on track to be fully operational by the end of the decade.

So far, the project launched two in-orbit validation (IOV) satellites last October and plans to put another two validation satellites into orbit  this year to prove the system. The first of the 22 fully functioning satellites on order will be launched to provide planned initial satellite navigation services in 2014, with full global operation of the system by 2019, when the expected full 30-satellite constellation is in orbit.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Do we need satellites for accurate navigation?
    April 24, 2012
    Dr Michael Milford from Queensland University of Technology's (QUT) Science and Engineering Faculty in Australia has revealed details of research that dispenses with GPS satellites and uses cameras instead to make road navigation a far cheaper and simpler task. "At the moment you need three satellites in order to get a decent GPS signal and even then it can take a minute or more to get a lock on your location," he said. "There are some places geographically, where you just can't get satellite signals and ev
    Read More
  • Highway 99 revisited
    March 6, 2024
    David Arminas recently returned to Seattle for an inside look at some of the features of the now-complete SR99 tunnel that was a World Highways key project report in November 2017.
    Read More
  • Massenza’s new vision for 2014
    March 12, 2014
    Massenza has started 2014 with a new approach to its range of bitumen emulsion plants, streamlining its four larger models into two, and adding a smaller plant. This has allowed Massenza to optimise the design and components for each size of plant, which in turn allows the company to offer its customers a more competitive deal. At the same time, Massenza has made three major technical improvements to the plants: a new type of material for the water tank which resists corrosion; a new dosing system for th
    Read More
  • Champlain Bridge set to open by end of year, says SNC-Lavalin
    May 14, 2018
    The Canadian city’s replacement Champlain Bridge will open on schedule at the end of the year. Montreal, one of Canada’s largest cities, will have a well-earned Christmas present in December when the new Champlain Bridge opens after 42 months of construction. The new bridge, part of a six-lane 6km corridor including roads, is being built alongside the original bridge over the Saint Lawrence River and Seaway canal system. The new bridge, 3.4km long, runs from the île des Soeurs to Brossard, immediately dow
    Read More

Highlighted Content