Four-satellite constellation
EU–(ENEWSPF)–10 February 2014. The in-orbit validation of Galileo has been achieved: Europe now has the operational nucleus of its own satellite navigation constellation in place – the world’s first civil-owned and operated satnav system.
In 2011 and 2012 the first four satellites were launched into orbit. Four is the minimum number needed to perform navigation fixes.
In the following year, these satellites were combined with a growing global ground infrastructure to allow the project to undergo its crucial In-Orbit Validation phase: IOV.
“IOV was required to demonstrate that the future performance that we want to meet when the system is deployed is effectively reachable,” says Sylvain Loddo, ESA’s Galileo Ground Segment Manager.
“It was an intermediate step with a reduced part of the system to effectively give evidence that we are on track.”
