The European Space Agency (ESA) will launch a new series of satellites into space starting March 24. The goal is to create a new layer of low-flying satellites that will make the European navigation system more robust, secure, and resilient, including against external attacks. But precision and speed should also improve, which is important for drones and self-driving cars.
Galileo, the European navigation system operational since 2016, currently consists of 28 satellites orbiting Earth at altitudes over 23,000 kilometers. The ‘Celeste’ mission aims to add eleven more to make Galileo even faster and more precise.
New Zealand
The new low-orbit satellites will move at about 500 kilometers. They will strengthen the system, amplify signals, improve accuracy and speed, and increase resistance to jamming (signal blocking), spoofing (sending fake signals), and cyberattacks.
The first two satellites of ESA’s Celeste LEO-PNT (Low Earth Orbit Positioning, Navigation, and Timing) mission are scheduled to lift off on March 24 from a platform in New Zealand.
Why is satellite navigation so important?
Navigation satellites are used for far more than maps. They provide positioning for smartphones, (self-driving) cars, ships, aircraft, and drones, and precise timing for telecom networks, internet synchronization, banking transactions, and electricity grids. Modern infrastructure depends heavily on these signals.
Satellite navigation works by measuring signal travel time. Because radio signals move at the speed of light, even tiny time errors create large position errors. For instance, a one-millisecond clock error can result in about 300 kilometers of navigation error.
Geopolitical conflicts
A robust navigation system can also help with blackouts (like the one in Spain and Portugal in April 2025), for example, by enabling switching between different networks. The additional satellite layer can also play a useful role in European defense. After all, the European navigation network regularly encounters jamming and manipulation.
In some regions, the risks are even higher due to military or geopolitical conflicts. Therefore, ESA wants to create a ‘multi-orbit system’ with multiple layers to make the entire network even more robust, resilient, and therefore more secure.
Global Positioning System
The American counterpart to Galileo, GPS (Global Positioning System), has been operational since 1995. GPS was originally designed for military use, while Galileo was designed from the start for civilian precision navigation.
Most devices today use multiple systems simultaneously. However, in Europe, people’s cell phones often rely heavily on the Galileo navigation system because its signals are stronger and more accurate, especially in urban environments. Because Europe built the system, the constellation geometry is optimized for European latitudes.
