{"id":739605,"date":"2026-06-16T06:47:12","date_gmt":"2026-06-16T06:47:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/739605\/"},"modified":"2026-06-16T06:47:12","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T06:47:12","slug":"work-progressing-on-second-generation-galileo-satellites","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/739605\/","title":{"rendered":"Work progressing on second-generation Galileo satellites"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"335\" width=\"597\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/G2_satellites_in_clean_room_625.jpg\" alt=\"A simulated view of second-generation Galileo satellites in a clean room\" class=\"wp-image-46646\"  \/>A simulated view of second-generation Galileo satellites from two different manufacturers: Airbus Defence and Space (foreground) and Thales Alenia Space. Credit: ESA<\/p>\n<p>The second generation of Galileo GNSS satellites will feature radio links that will let the satellites talk to each other.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The inter-satellite radio communication links will enable signals to be sent between the satellites during times when one or more of them are out of sight of ground stations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This mean that a signal can be sent from a ground station to one satellite, which will then pass it on to another spacecraft in the constellation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In order to do this, each of the satellites will need to be equipped with two small, steerable dish antenna units made rugged and reliable enough to work flawlessly for a decade and a half.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The steering units for those antennae have recently been put through their paces here on Earth to test their reliability.<\/p>\n<p>Tested 15 million times without failure<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Amazingly, these steerable units will need to reorientate themselves every 40 seconds for 15 years \u2014 that\u2019s 12 million reorientations over the satellites\u2019 lifetimes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of the units recently completed a seven-month-long test in Switzerland, successfully reorientating itself 15 million times without failure.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"428\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Thales_Alenia_Space_s_antenna_pointing_mechanism_for_Galileo_second_generation_satellites_article.gi.gif\" alt=\"A video of a small dish antenna rotating on a platform inside an anechoic chamber\" class=\"wp-image-46645\"\/>Thales Alenia Space\u2019s antenna pointing mechanism for second-generation Galileo satellites, being put through its paces. Credit: ESA\u2013A. Conigli<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A separate test unit has successfully passed vibration and electromagnetic compatibility testing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first two antenna pointing units from Airbus Defence and Space have been delivered to TESAT in Germany, and will now be incorporated into the communications link module and, eventually, a full Galileo satellite.<\/p>\n<p>Second-generation Galileo navigation satellites<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The work to deliver the 12, second-generation <a href=\"https:\/\/www.esa.int\/Applications\/Satellite_navigation\/Galileo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Galileo<\/a> satellites has been spilt into two, with six-satellite contracts being allocated to Thales Alenia Space and Airbus Defence and Space.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The modernised Galileo spacecraft will feature a range of upgrades and improvements over the earlier satellites, including:<\/p>\n<p>The aforementioned inter-satellite radio links<\/p>\n<p>Electric propulsion \u2014 slower but more efficient<\/p>\n<p>Improved signals<\/p>\n<p>Reconfigurability in orbit<\/p>\n<p>Six atomic clocks instead of four<\/p>\n<p>Expected lifetimes of 15 years instead of 12<\/p>\n<p>A new generation of atomic clocks for Galileo<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The current <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spatialsource.com.au\/latest-galileo-navigation-satellites-launched\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">first-generation<\/a> Galileo satellites are equipped with four atomic clocks \u2014 two passive hydrogen maser clocks and two rubidium atomic frequency standard clocks.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But atomic clock technology has moved on since the Galileo system was first defined, and that\u2019s why the new satellites will carry newer technologies.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"335\" width=\"449\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Iodine_Optical_Clock_by_SpaceTech_500.jpg\" alt=\"An iodine optical clock prototype on a testbed, being a contender for use on second-generation Galileo satellites\" class=\"wp-image-46648\"  \/>An iodine optical clock prototype on a testbed. Credit: SpaceTech<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are three new clocks from three different companies currently under development, shortlisted from seven original contenders:<\/p>\n<p>Leonardo is already working on a rubidium pulsed optically pumped clock, which will first fly as an experimental unit aboard a second-generation Galileo.<\/p>\n<p>SpaceTech is developing an idodine optical clock which, too, will fly in an experimental configuration.<\/p>\n<p>And Safran Timing Technologies has begun work on a mercury ion clock.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once the clocks have been tested in space, a decision will be made as to which clock or clocks get the nod for roll-out across the entire new constellation.<\/p>\n<p>Safer satellite laser ranging for Galileo<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To ensure the orbit of each Galileo satellite is known with the highest accuracy, ground stations bounce lasers pulses off retroreflectors fitted to the satellites.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The current generation of laser systems pose hazards, however, to aviation, due to the potential for damage to pilots\u2019 eyesight should an aircraft somehow fly through the beam.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s why a new \u2018eye safe\u2019 laser system using a different wavelength is under development.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"335\" width=\"496\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Prototype_satellite_laser_ranging_station_500.jpg\" alt=\"A sunset view of two observatory domes \" class=\"wp-image-46644\"  \/>The Galileo \u2018eye safe\u2019 laser ranging station prototype located at Matera in Italy. Credit: DiGOS<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Already, a new ground station prototype has been developed by German company DiGOS and commissioned at Matera in Italy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Due to the eye-safe wavelength, there will not be any need to co-ordinate ranging campaigns with aviation authorities.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The system will also be far more automated, dramatically cutting down on the current human operator-intensive operations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A testing campaign will be conducted this year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A simulated view of second-generation Galileo satellites from two different manufacturers: Airbus Defence and Space (foreground) and Thales&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":739606,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[173188,64,63,78600,103576,73795,20410,128,127394],"class_list":["post-739605","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-science","tag-airbus-defence-and-space","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-galileo","tag-gnss","tag-navigation","tag-satellites","tag-science","tag-thales-alenia-space"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/739605","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=739605"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/739605\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/739606"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=739605"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=739605"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=739605"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}