CAPE CANAVERAL—With Europe’s Ariane 6 rocket yet to debut, U.S. competitor SpaceX took on the mission of delivering two new members of Europe’s Galileo global navigation satellite system into orbit on April 28.
The European Union last year signed a contract with SpaceX worth nearly $200 million for a pair of Falcon 9 launches, each of which would carry two Galileo spacecraft into orbits about 14,000 mi. above the planet.
The launch marked the first time Galileo satellites have flown from the U.S. All previous missions were launched on Russian-built Soyuz rockets or Europe’s Ariane 5. Neither booster is currently available; the Ariane 5 was retired last year, and Soyuz rocket launches are banned under European trade sanctions stemming from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Hours after the SpaceX Falcon 9 lifted off with the Galileo satellites, Ariane 6 manufacturer Arianespace announced that the European Commission and the European Union Agency for the Space Program (EUSPA) had selected its new rocket for a pair of launches to carry the first four next-generation Galileo satellites into orbit in 2026 and 2027. Ariane 6 had already been selected for three missions to complete the first-generation constellation.
“I would like to thank the European Commission and EUSPA for once again demonstrating their trust in Arianespace for the deployment of their satellite-based global navigation system. Ariane 6 is reaching the final milestones leading up to its first flight this summer, which enables us to envisage resumption of deployment of the Galileo constellation from Europe’s spaceport in French Guiana in 2025.
“In this context, the decision by the European Commission and EUSPA is a strong commitment to Europe’s future heavy launcher. Arianespace reaffirms its commitment to guaranteeing reliable and sovereign access to space for Europe,” Arianespace CEO Stephane Israel said in a statement.
Carrying the Galileo satellites, which weigh about 1,543 lb. each, to their intended targets did not leave enough propellant for SpaceX to land the booster’s first stage. So the rocket, which was making its 20th flight—tying the Falcon fleet record—was not recovered.
“The last time a first stage was expended during a Falcon 9 mission was 146 flights ago in November 2022,” SpaceX noted on its website. The company added that it was in the process of qualifying Falcon boosters and payload fairings for up to 40 missions each.
Launch took place at 8:34 p.m. EDT from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A.
SpaceX’s second mission for the Galileo program is expected this summer.
Galileo is not the only European program that has had to turn to SpaceX for rides. In July 2023, a Falcon 9 carried the European Space Agency’s Euclid telescope into orbit. SpaceX is also on contract to launch Europe’s EarthCARE (Clouds, Aerosols and Radiation Explorer) spacecraft in May and the Hera mission to the asteroid Didymos in October.
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2024-04-30 00:45:00Z
CBMiamh0dHBzOi8vYXZpYXRpb253ZWVrLmNvbS9hZXJvc3BhY2UvY29tbWVyY2lhbC1zcGFjZS9zcGFjZXgtZGVsaXZlcnMtZXUtZ2FsaWxlby1uYXZpZ2F0aW9uLXNhdGVsbGl0ZXMtb3JiaXTSAQA
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