Surrey Satellites’ Components Help European Sat Navs

Published on: 16 Sep, 2024
Updated on: 17 Sep, 2024

Four Galileo satellites pillars

Two new Galileo Satellites carrying payloads assembled by Guildford-based Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) are now in service.

Galileo is currently the world’s most precise satellite navigation system, serving over four billion smartphone users around the globe since entering Open Service in 2017. All smartphones sold in the European Single Market are now guaranteed Galileo-enabled. In addition, Galileo is making a difference across the fields of rail, maritime, agriculture, financial timing services and rescue operations.

The UK no longer participates in the EU Galileo programme.

The satellites were launched on a Falcon 9 SpaceX rocket earlier this year into a medium earth orbit close to their final on-station position 23,000 km above earth. This was reached at the end of June after a drift phase and over the subsequent months the Mission Control Team instigated the commissioning and in-orbit testing protocols necessary to ensure the satellites had survived intact from the severe launch conditions.

Following analysis of the on-board clocks, towards the end of August, the satellites were deemed fit for use and the ultimate green light was given by the EU SAB (Security Accreditation Board) to commence service.

Members of the SSTL team at Guildford.

The addition of every satellite to the system further improves the precision, availability and robustness of the Galileo signal. The next two satellites are planned for launch in the coming weeks, also from Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, and the entire system is only a launch away from final completion of all three orbital planes.

Andrew Cawthorne, Managing Director, SSTL said “It is always satisfying for us at SSTL when additional Galileo payloads manufactured here in Guildford are brought into service. Especially so for our core team who support the navigation payloads through commissioning and in-orbit operations. Galileo – still SSTL’s largest ever single contact – remains an important part of both our legacy and current operations.”

SSTL’s Martin Sweeting and Andrew Cawthorne watching the launch at SSTL HQ in Guildford with UK Space Command’s Chris Page and Rachel Spicer and Dave Luney of Defence Equipment & Support, MOD

SSTL’s latest launch was in August this year of TYCHE – an optical imaging microsatellite, the UK MOD’s first sovereign Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) satellite for UK Space Command, a joint Command established in 2021, located at RAF High Wycombe. The Command is responsible for space operations, space workforce and space capability.

Historically, users in the UK used US military satellites for navigation.

For more info about Galileo: https://www.usegalileo.eu/EN/