ESA launches first Celeste satellites to test complementary LEO navigation layer
The European Space Agency lifted the first two Celeste demonstration satellites from the Mahia launch site in New Zealand aboard a Rocket Lab Electron on 28 March, with liftoff recorded at 10:14 CET. The spacecraft, designated IOD‑1 and IOD‑2, separated from the booster roughly an hour later and entered a quasi‑polar low‑Earth orbit at an altitude of 510 km, where both units have already confirmed signal acquisition. ESA program manager Roberto Prieto‑Cerderia highlighted the need to meet a May 2026 deadline for frequency use, noting that Europe’s Vega‑C launcher was fully booked, prompting the selection of the New Zealand‑based vehicle.
The launch initiates an in‑orbit demonstration (IOD) phase intended to validate a complementary LEO navigation layer for the Galileo system. The two satellites will test core technologies, new L‑ and S‑band signals, and the operational use of the allocated frequencies. ESA’s roadmap calls for a total of twelve Celeste units—eleven on orbit and one ground spare—scheduled for deployment through the end of 2027. A subsequent batch of nine satellites, larger and equipped with expanded payloads and additional frequency bands, will be placed in a quasi‑polar orbit at 560 km later in the program. Development is split between two consortia: GMV Spain with OHB Germany as a core partner, and Thales Alenia Space France as prime contractor, supported by Thales Alenia Space Italy for the space segment, together involving more than fifty entities across Europe.
The Bremen Ministerial Council recently advanced Celeste from the IOD stage to the in‑orbit preparation phase, with ESA targeting operational deployment from 2028 onward. By adding a low‑orbit complement to Galileo and EGNOS, the program seeks to enhance EU navigation capabilities and maintain Europe’s leadership in precise positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) services. The initiative reflects a broader industry trend of integrating LEO constellations into existing GNSS architectures, offering redundancy and improved signal availability while responding to evolving user demands and regulatory timelines.
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