Europe’s Ariane 6 rocket successfully launches two new navigation satellites into orbit

Europe demonstrated its space autonomy yet again on December 17, with its Ariane 6 rocket successfully placing two more satellites into orbit for the Galileo navigation network. Lift-off from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana took place at 06:01 CET, and after a four-hour flight, the satellites separated from the launcher, according to the ESA.

Mission controllers confirmed the spacecraft was in good health and had deployed their solar arrays by 10:51 CET. The two new additions, known as SAT 33 and SAT 34, are now undergoing performance tests. When they enter full service in about three months, the Galileo fleet will expand to 29 active satellites. Since its first appearance in 2016, Galileo has become a world leader in accuracy. Its premium “High Accuracy Service” can currently locate objects with a horizontal accuracy of 20 centimeters and vertical accuracy of 40 cm. 

The flight was a double triumph for the ESA: it marked the maiden voyage of a Galileo mission aboard the Ariane 6 rocket and the heavy-lift launcher's fifth successful flight overall. "Today, Europe is more resilient than it was yesterday," said Josef Aschbacher, the ESA Director General. He said the launch demonstrates that Europe has the industrial muscle to build and put into space its own critical infrastructure without any reliance on outside partners. 

The Ariane 6 itself is the backbone of this strategy for space autonomy. Built by ArianeGroup, this rocket features a modular design, apt for everything from small Earth-observation missions to deep-space exploration. In this particular mission, the rocket used two boosters in order to provide the initial thrust needed to escape Earth's gravity. The core stage that provides thrust for the first phase of flight, along with the boosters, has a Vulcain 2.1 engine powering it.

As for the upper stage, this is powered by a specialized Vinci engine, which, like the Vulcain 2.1, is also powered by liquid oxygen and hydrogen. The firing of the upper stage was done twice to place the satellites into their correct orbits. To keep space clean, the rocket did one final maneuver after the satellites had been released, moving itself into a "graveyard orbit" safely away from other functioning spacecraft. 

Looking ahead, it will be a period of busy transition for the European Space Agency. Two more launches in the near term will complete the "First Generation" Galileo fleet, while work is underway on "Second Generation" satellites promising even more advanced positioning and timing features. With this mission, Ariane 6 has established itself as the "reference launcher for Galileo," according to Toni Tolker-Nielson, the ESA director of Space Transportation.

But beyond mere technological accuracy, Galileo has become integral to life in the modern world. An estimated more than five billion smartphone users around the world use it daily, and each new smartphone sold in the European Single Market is compatible with the system. Beyond phone navigation, which many people know, the service acts as a backbone for infrastructure globally. It provides critical data for search and rescue operations, it helps to stabilize financial timing services, and it makes farming, shipping, and rail transport even more efficient.

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