NEWTOWN, Conn. -- Galileo satellites are being delivered into orbit, and ESA expects to declare the system operational within a year. Although the first two satellites were inserted into the wrong orbit due to a Soyuz launch vehicle anomaly, their orbits were eventually corrected enough to allow them to be valid parts of the overall constellation.
Original plans called for a total of 30 operational satellites to be built under three contracts with OHB System AG. Cost overruns caused the third contract (expected in late 2016) to be delayed until June 2017.
The first contract was awarded in January 2010 for EUR566 million, covering the production of 14 satellites. The second contract for eight satellites - worth €255 million - was awarded in February 2012. The third contract signed in June 2017 for €324 million is expected to deliver eight Full Operational Capability (FOC) satellites. Four months later, the European Commission exercised a contract option for four additional satellites.
The latest contracts enable ESA to surpass its goal of operating a network of 30 FOC satellites. All FOC satellites are expected to be delivered by 2021.
Along with OHB's four initial In-Orbit Validation (IOV) satellites, these contracts bring the total number of satellites under OHB contract to 38.
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 2024.
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