Two new Galileo satellites, SAT 33 and SAT 34, have entered service, the European Space Agency (ESA) announced on Friday. These satellites are now adding capability, resilience, and autonomy to Europe’s Galileo satellite navigation constellation.
Arianespace launched the two satellites in December of 2025 on an Ariane 6 rocket with two boosters, providing what ESA called the “most precise orbital injection ever achieved for Galileo.”
Since that launch, the satellites have been in commissioning phase including in-orbit testing with satellite operations led by Galileo Control Centre in Germany (GCC-D). ESA designed the test cases and payload configurations executed throughout the test campaign.
ESA reported that teams configured and validated the navigation payload, atomic clocks, transponders, and security functions. In addition, operators maneuvered the satellites to their precise orbital slots.
SAT 33 entered service in May, and SAT 34 entered service on July 23.
There are four more Galileo First Generation satellites set to be launched. A pair are set to be launched by the end of the year.
