Bremen/Kourou, December 17, 2025 – Two new satellites of the European Galileo navigation system were successfully launched into space today at 06:01 CET (02:01 local time) from the spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. With this launch, the number of Galileo FOC satellites (FOC = Full Operational Capability) in orbit, manufactured by OHB as the prime contractor, rises to 30.
A noteworthy aspect of this launch: For the first time, the Ariane 6 heavy launcher was used to place European navigation satellites into orbit. The remaining four satellites from the final batch (Batch 3) of the first generation of Galileo satellites are also set to launch with this rocket. This underlines Europe’s sovereignty and autonomy in the Galileo program.
"The outcome of the ESA Ministerial Council has once again confirmed that Europe is serious about having its own independent navigation infrastructure," says Marco Fuchs, CEO of OHB. "The member states have allocated a total of 969 million euros for the ESA navigation programs. This will allow all proposed initiatives to move forward. OHB plays a key role in this: As the prime contractor with the European Space Agency for 34 satellites, we have made a significant contribution to the success of Galileo, building up in-depth expertise over the course of more than a decade. We can now bring this expertise to bear on future navigation programs."
Galileo: the world's most accurate navigation system
With an accuracy of better than twenty centimeters in the so-called High Accuracy Service, Galileo is the world's most precise Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). It is based on a constellation of satellites in medium Earth orbit, circling the Earth at an altitude of 23,222 kilometers, providing reliable positioning, navigation, and timing. This data forms the basis for numerous applications – ranging from everyday navigation services to precision agriculture and synchronization of power grids. In addition, Galileo also offers a global Search and Rescue (SAR) service.
“Galileo has been providing reliable positioning and timing information for years,” says Manuel Czech, Director Navigation at OHB. “When it comes to satellite navigation, most people think of GPS, but the accuracy of Galileo’s location data is more than twice as high. There are already over four billion users worldwide, including all owners of modern smartphones.”
An important milestone for the Galileo program
“This new launch is crucial for the continuation of the Galileo program,” says Pedro Sanchez, OHB Project Manager for Galileo Batch 3. “Each satellite is expected to have a service life of around twelve years. However, this is only a statistical value – there is no technical limitation on their lifespan.”
Next steps
Following the successful launch, the satellites will now enter the commissioning phase overseen by EUSPA (EU Agency for the Space Program), during which they will reach their final orbital positions and undergo extensive functionality tests. The official commissioning will take place after the successful completion of these tests, which is expected within a few weeks.
Disclaimer
The Full Operational Capability phase of the Galileo program is managed and funded by the European Union. The European Commission, ESA and EUSPA (the EU Agency for the Space Programme) have signed an agreement by which ESA acts as design authority and system development prime on behalf of the Commission and EUSPA as the exploitation and operation manager of Galileo/EGNOS. On behalf of the Commission, ESA has awarded various contracts for the development, integration, and testing of a total of 34 first-generation Galileo satellites to OHB System AG as the prime contractor.
The views expressed in this press release can in no way be taken to reflect the opinion of the European Union and/or ESA.
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