PARIS - Four of the latest set of Galileo navigation satellites will be launched on Ariane 6 rockets. The agreement marks the first official contract between ESA and ArianeGroup to use the new launch vehicle.
The launches are scheduled between the end of 2020 and mid-2021, using two Ariane 62 rockets. The Ariane 62 is the smaller variant of the Ariane 6, utilizing two side-mounted boosters. The Ariane 62 will largely replace the Europeanized Soyuz in Arianespace's lineup of launch vehicles, making it well suited to carrying the 750-kilogram Galileo satellites to their orbits at 23,222 kilometers.
Increasing competition in the launch industry, particularly from U.S.-based SpaceX, is creating a need for change in the Ariane lineup. While the Ariane 5 currently used in Europe has a longer record of success than new entrants like SpaceX, the launch vehicle is much more expensive.
To improve their competitive standing, European nations have approved a number of changes to the launch industry. A new launch vehicle, called the Ariane 6, is being developed. It will be produced in two variants, the above mentioned Ariane 62 that will replace the Soyuz, and the Ariane 64, which will replace the Ariane 5. The two variants will have common components, increasing economies of scale and reducing production costs of each rocket.
Galileo satellites are being delivered under three contracts. The latest contract, signed in June 2017, enables ESA to reach its goal of operating a network of 30 full operational capability (FOC) satellites. All 30 FOC satellites are expected to be delivered by 2020. With an expected 12-year lifespan, aging, in-orbit Galileo satellites will start to need replacement early in the next decade. Replacement deliveries are expected to begin around 2023.
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