04/09/2025
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Following the announcement of the upcoming launch of LEO-PNT’s first satellites, ESA has now unveiled the identify of the mission. Celeste, because it has been formally designated, will check the potential of a brand new, low Earth orbit layer of satellites to boost Galileo’s resilience and complement its capabilities.
Over the previous three a long time, European satellite tv for pc navigation programs have change into integral to our society. Galileo and EGNOS are an enormous success right this moment, powering the whole lot from smartphones to essential infrastructure. Now, ESA’s Low Earth Orbit Positioning Navigation Timing (LEO-PNT) mission, Celeste, is working to make sure these programs stay strong, safe and obtainable.
Galileo and Celeste, a narrative of help and resilience
The identify Celeste is a symbolic wink to the scientific previous on which satellite tv for pc navigation is based. Maria Celeste was Galileo Galilei’s daughter, and the 2 shared a robust emotional and mental bond. She additionally honoured her father’s love for astronomy. Based mostly on historic letters between father and daughter, we all know how a lot Galileo valued his daughter and trusted her judgement.
Now, Celeste turns into the identify of ESA’s LEO-PNT mission that can ‘mediate’ between Galileo and the remainder of the world. The mission goals to exhibit in orbit new capabilities for added resilience, representing a brand new dimension of power for Europe’s navigation capabilities.
Celeste contains a constellation of ten satellites that can fly near Earth to check revolutionary alerts throughout varied frequency bands. The primary two Celeste satellites, inbuilt parallel by GMV and Thales Alenia House, are set to launch in the approaching months.
Celeste joins Europe’s satellite tv for pc navigation household with one other symbolic identify that hyperlinks the previous to the current, and the longer term. Europe’s world satellite tv for pc navigation system is known as Galileo, in honour of the well-known Italian scientist Galileo Galilei and in recognition of his pioneering function in astronomy, physics and time measurement, all foundational to specific satellite tv for pc navigation.
The demonstrator satellites for Galileo, launched in 2005 and 2008, have been known as GIOVE, after the Italian phrase for Jupiter. This identify additionally paid tribute to Galileo’s achievements in discovering the planet’s 4 largest Moons which have been used to find out longitude from wherever on Earth.
About Celeste (LEO-PNT)
ESA’s LEO-PNT (Low Earth Orbit Positioning Navigation and Timing) mission Celeste is in its in-orbit demonstrator part and contains a constellation of 10 satellites plus two spares that can fly in low Earth orbit to check revolutionary alerts throughout varied frequency bands. Its objective is to advance satellite tv for pc navigation ideas for resilient positioning and timing providers.
The mission was accepted at ESA’s Council at Ministerial Degree of 2022 and is supported by Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. Two parallel contracts to develop the fleet have been awarded in 2024 to 2 consortia involving over 50 entities from 14 nations.
The in-orbit demonstrator consists of end-to-end definition, growth of area and check consumer section, launch, floor section and operations, experimentation, demonstration of providers and satellite tv for pc disposal. For extra data, go to www.esa.int/LEO-PNT
