• The European Space Agency (ESA) is preparing for the inaugural launch of the Celeste LEO-PNT in-orbit demonstration mission with the first two satellites scheduled to lift off no earlier than 24 March, aboard Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket from the company’s Māhia Launch Complex in New Zealand. • Celestewill play a pioneering role in elevating the future of Europe’s satellite navigation capabilities. • As Europe’s first initiative for satellite navigation in low Earth orbit (LEO), the mission will be testing next-generation technologies and add new frequency bands for satellite navigation. • Celeste will demonstrate how a complementary layer flying closer to Earth can enhance Europe’s current Galileo system in medium Earth orbit (MEO), boosting the overall resilience, enhancing its performance and opening opportunities for new service capabilities directly from LEO. • The first two satellites successfully completed their test and qualification campaign and were formally declared ready for flight. • The satellites are currently being shipped to Rocket Lab’s launch complex in New Zealand, where they will undergo final testing and integration in the Electron rocket ahead of their launch no earlier than 24 March.

Article Summaries:

  • European Space Agency (ESA) has set a launch window for its Celeste low‑Earth‑orbit navigation demonstrator, with the first two satellites scheduled to lift off no earlier than 24 March aboard Rocket Lab’s Electron from New Zealand’s Māhia Launch Complex. Celeste will test next‑generation navigation signals and new frequency bands (L‑, S‑, C‑, UHF) to complement Galileo’s medium‑Earth‑orbit system, improving resilience, performance and enabling new services. The 12U and 16U CubeSats, developed by consortia led by GMV (Spain) and Thales Alenia Space (France), have completed qualification and are now in final integration. ESA plans eight additional satellites and a clock‑testing payload for future launches from 2027 onward, targeting applications from autonomous vehicles to IoT.

Sources: