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ESA Navigation @navigation.esa.int · 25/09/2026

@esa.int and the @ec.europa.eu are joining forces with Museo Galileo on a new exhibition to explore the fascinating links between Galileo Galilei and the European satellite navigation system bearing his name. Read more about the exhibition, set to open in December 2027 👇

esa.int

ESA and the EU partner with Museo Galileo on new exhibition

The European Space Agency (ESA), Italy’s Museo Galileo - Institute and Museum of the History of Science, and the European Commission (EC) have partnered to uncover the surprising and far-reaching conn...

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ESA Navigation @navigation.esa.int · 18/09/2026

🗺️ 📍 We’ve come to trust maps without question. But maps can lie. Over the past week, we’ve watched ourselves disappear from the map, only to reappear out at sea. In reality, we never left Andøya, a Norwegian island that hosts the world's largest open campaign for GNSS resilience: Jammertest.

A photos showing fourteen smartphones arranged in two rows sitting next to a window that overlooks a grassy field dotted with satellite navigation equipment.

Close up photo of a person in a high visibility jacket pointing at a computer screen showing two different locations.

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ESA Navigation @navigation.esa.int · 17/09/2026

🆕 Galileo achieves first position fix using encrypted Signal Authentication Service (SAS) signals. At #Jammertest, test signals from five operational satellites enabled a receiver to establish its location under spoofing conditions, unlocking a new level of protection against interference.

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ESA Navigation @navigation.esa.int · 16/09/2026

Everyday, countless people rely on the little blue dot 🔵 in their navigation app to get them safely to their destination. But what happens when that dot disappears or leads us astray? Satellite navigation can be disrupted in several ways ⬇️

A close-up photo showing a person holding two smartphones, each displaying a different location to demonstrate what can happen when satellite navigation is interfered with.

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ESA Navigation @navigation.esa.int · 14/09/2026

Greetings from the Arctic! After covering thousands of kilometres, @esa.int's team and its office on wheels have arrived in Andøya, Norway. This remote island is about to become one of the most heavily attacked GNSS environments in the world, but in a controlled way and for a good reason.

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Josef Aschbacher @josefaschbacher.esa.int · 10/09/2026

Will we be passengers or pilots? Customers or service providers? Tenants or architects? At the International Space Summit, I argued that Europe must take steps now to shape its own future in space. Read my full speech 🧑‍🚀🚀 esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/corpora... #ParisSpaceSummit

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Josef Aschbacher @josefaschbacher.esa.int · 09/09/2026

Last night we brought together astronauts, ministers, industry leaders and space enthusiasts to celebrate the imagination, innovation and cooperation that define Europe's journey in space. From Earth orbit to deep space, we were reminded that today's ambitions become tomorrow's achievements.

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ESA Navigation @navigation.esa.int · 04/09/2026

⌛The countdown is on! ESA’s navigation lab on wheels is setting off for Andøya, Norway, home to the world’s largest satellite navigation resilience test where hundreds of interference scenarios challenge receivers tracking satellite navigation systems. Stay tuned for updates from the field!

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ESA Navigation @navigation.esa.int · 03/09/2026

🏙️ It's World Skyscraper Day! Did you know that skyscrapers can affect your phone's positioning app? In cities, satellite navigation signals can bounce off tall buildings, leading to positioning errors. Fortunately, ESA is working to improve urban navigation. 📸 EUSPA

An illustration showing satellite navigation signals bouncing off of buildings in an urban area, demonstrating how buildings can cause positioning errors.

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ESA Navigation @navigation.esa.int · 28/08/2026

⛵ 🛰️🏛️ What would have happened if Odysseus had Galileo when he set sail for Ithaca after the Trojan War? A ten-year journey completed in a matter of weeks…but then we wouldn't have The Odyssey. How does modern satellite navigation relate to Odysseus’s journey? Find out below⬇️

A comparison of two satellite images of Europe centred on the Mediterranean Sea showing two routes (one circuitous and one direct) with red dashed lines.

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ESA Navigation @navigation.esa.int · 25/08/2026

🛰️ Satellite navigation is an invisible backbone for everyday life. It's also vulnerable to interference. ESA is working to ensure satellite navigation is resilient, in part by detecting interference. Here are three recent ways NAVISP supported interference detection 👉 www.esa.int/Applications...

A photo of a smartphone mounted inside a vehicle showing with the screen open to GNSSLogger showing satellite navigation signals being jammed.

A close-up photo of a smartphone in a person's hands, open to a map that is showing a spoofed location.

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ESA Navigation @navigation.esa.int · 24/08/2026

A look back at some highlights from the past months 🎥 1️⃣ Galileo satellites arriving at the Ariane 6 launch pad, December 2025. 2️⃣ Integration of Celeste IOD satellites at Rocket Lab’s Māhia Launch Complex, March 2026. 3️⃣ESA Academy's Navigation Training Course in Redu, Belgium, June 2026.

Two photos showing a transport vehicle carrying a white rocket fairing towards the Ariane 6 launch facility in a green, grassy landscape, comparing the image in 35 mm and IMAX.

Two photographs showing team in cleanroom coats, hairnets, gloves, and shoe covers gathered around a satellite, comparing the image in 35 mm and IMAX.

Two photos of a group of students gathered around an antenna in Redu, Belgium comparing the image in 35 mm and IMAX.

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ESA Navigation @navigation.esa.int · 13/08/2026

🛰️ Satellite navigation on holidays: Picking up a souvenir? Banks use Galileo's nanosecond-level timing to authenticate transactions, allowing you to make purchases and withdraw money, even when on holiday. ℹ️ www.euspa.europa.eu/gnss-timing-...

Photo of a gold cylindrical atomic clock mounted on a platform in a laboratory, surrounded by rings of black, grey and white.

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ESA Connectivity and Secure Communications @esaconnectivity.esa.int · 08/08/2026

#OTD in 2000, the first telecoms 🌐, navigation🧭 and earth observation🌍️ satellite system was used in an emergency to help during the Thynne Mountain forest fire in British Columbia, Canada🍁 @navigation.esa.int @esaearth.esa.int

REMSAT backpack, enabling fire fighters to connect and navigate through satellites.

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ESA Navigation @navigation.esa.int · 07/08/2026

🛰 Satellite navigation on holidays: "How far are we from the museum?" As you plan your route this summer, Galileo is probably helping you get there. Billions of smartphone users worldwide rely on Galileo for positioning, navigation and timing. ℹ️ www.usegalileo.eu/accuracy-mat... 📷 Unsplash

A close-up photo of a phone showing a map of an Italian city with hands pointing to different points on the map.

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ESA Navigation @navigation.esa.int · 06/08/2026

🛰️ Satellite navigation on holidays: Enjoying a boat trip? Galileo is here to keep you safe at sea. It contributes to international search and rescue operations through the COSPAS-SARSAT system. ℹ️ www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed... 📷 ESA–I. Stojkovic

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ESA Navigation @navigation.esa.int · 05/08/2026

🛬 Satellite navigation on holidays: Flying somewhere for your summer holidays? Did you know that EGNOS helps guide safe aeroplane landings in over 500 airports and helipads across Europe? Find out more about EGNOS 🔗 egnos-user-support.essp-sas.eu 📷: GSA

Photo from below showing the underside of an aeroplane against a blue sky as it comes in for landing.

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ESA Navigation @navigation.esa.int · 24/07/2026

🛰️Two new Galileo satellites enter service Two new satellites, SAT 33 and SAT 34, have now officially joined Europe’s Galileo satellite navigation constellation, strengthening its capabilities, resilience and autonomy. www.esa.int/Applications...

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ESA Navigation @navigation.esa.int · 22/07/2026

The Earth emoji is doing its best 🌍 🛰️ But let's not forget the satellites orbiting overhead, powering positioning, navigation and timing, and so much more.

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ESA Navigation @navigation.esa.int · 10/07/2026

What has ESA been up to these past months? Propelling people around the Moon, making discoveries about comet 3I/ATLAS and sending a mission to the Sun. 📍 Closer to Earth, our Celeste satellites broadcast their first navigation signals in April. esamultimedia.esa.int/multimedia/p...

A round mission patch for ESA's Celeste mission, featuring an image of the Earth with the symbols for positioning, navigation and timing orbiting it.

A group photo of people smiling and showing thumbs-up as they stand in front of a computer screen with the first Celeste navigation signals displayed.

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ESA Navigation @navigation.esa.int · 08/07/2026

🛰️Revealing OpSTAR's patch! OpSTAR is our bright new demonstrator mission, aimed at showcasing how optical technologies can reshape the architecture of satellite navigation, enable greater accuracy and strengthen resilience. Can you spot all the hidden elements? www.esa.int/Applications...

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ESA Navigation @navigation.esa.int · 12/06/2026

🛰️ Galileo's second generation will feature intersatellite links, which will allow the satellites to ‘talk’ to one another in orbit. Read more about the test campaign to get the intersatellite links ready for life in space here: 🔗 @esa.int @euspa.bsky.social @ec.europa.eu

esa.int

Conversations in the sky: Galileo’s intersatellite links tested

The second generation of Galileo, Europe’s satellite navigation constellation, is being built. These satellites will feature reconfigurable payloads, provide more robust and reliable positioning, navi...

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ESA Navigation @navigation.esa.int · 05/06/2026

🛰️ We're putting the pieces together for Galileo second generation. Here, the electric propulsion system is being lowered onto the satellite platform of the Airbus Defence and Space satellite family. 🔗 www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed... @esa.int @euspa.bsky.social @ec.europa.eu

View inside a cylindrical spacecraft structure, showing a circular opening at the center, metallic interior panels, and evenly spaced fasteners radiating outward.

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ESA Navigation @navigation.esa.int · 02/06/2026

The global geodesy supply chain underpins modern satellite functioning by providing the reference data satellites need to know where they are and where to point. Read about how ESA is strengthening the global geodesy supply chain 👉 www.esa.int/Applications... 📸: UN-GCCE

Colourful infographic of a stylized Earth with hills, roads, buildings, and a lake, surrounded by satellites and ground stations, illustrating the flow from observations and data to analysis and geodetic products.

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ESA Navigation @navigation.esa.int · 16/05/2026

Thirty years ago, Europe set out to build an independent navigation system. “Finding Our Way: Inside the Galileo Project” goes behind the signal that guides us all. 📅 Save the date: 11.06.2026 🔗 www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2bL... @esa.int @euspa.bsky.social @ec.europa.eu @designdatagmbh.bsky.social

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ESA Navigation @navigation.esa.int · 06/05/2026

April was a busy month for @esa.int! 🛰️ We’re particularly proud of the Celeste IOD satellites, which broadcast their first navigation signals. Check out this moment and other highlights from April 👇 www.youtube.com/watch?v=50eD...

youtube.com

What happened this month at European Space Agency (April 2026)

YouTube video by European Space Agency, ESA

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ESA Navigation @navigation.esa.int · 05/05/2026

🧭 What's it like to attend a navigation conference? Last week, we were at the European Navigation Conference in Vienna, Austria. While there, we dived into the future of navigation with partners from industry, academia and government. Follow us through a day at the conference here ⬇️

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ESA Navigation @navigation.esa.int · 17/04/2026

🛰️ Good morning Celeste, we hear you loud and clear! Last night, ESA’s second Celeste satellite sent its first dual-frequency navigation message in the L- (🔴) and S-band (🔵) from low Earth orbit. Congratulations to the teams around Europe that connected in the early hours to make this happen!

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ESA Navigation @navigation.esa.int · 10/04/2026

🛰️ A European first! ESA’s Celeste broadcasts first navigation signal from low Earth orbit. Sent from Celeste IOD-1, the signal is the first dual-frequency navigation message in the L- and S-band, the first sent from a European satellite in low-Earth orbit. www.esa.int/Applications...

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ESA Connectivity and Secure Communications @esaconnectivity.esa.int · 07/04/2026

During #Artemis II's Moon flyby there were around 40 minutes without contact back to Earth📶 🌍️ @esa.int 's Moonlight aims to fill this gap by deploying a constellation of communication and navigation satellites around the Moon to never lose connection when most needed 🌑 @navigation.esa.int

Artemis II "Earthset" image.

Credits: NASA

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ESA Navigation @navigation.esa.int · 07/04/2026

Galileo signals reach all the way to the Moon! 🛰️🌙 Last year, a joint ASI and NASA mission determined its position on the Moon using Galileo and GPS satellites and tested Galileo's Emergency Warning Satellite Service on the Moon. 🔗 www.esa.int/Applications... 📸 @firefly-aerospace.bsky.social

Photo of a lunar lander, featuring metallic struts and cylinders wrapped in silver foil, mounted on a blue platform in a cleanroom.

A close-up photo of a white panel with an array of white squares on it mounted on a larger structure in a laboratory setting.

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ESA Connectivity and Secure Communications @esaconnectivity.esa.int · 02/04/2026

#Artemis II is taking us closer to the Moon... but the surface awaits! 🌙 For future lunar missions, @esa.int 's Moonlight programme aims to power communications and navigation across the lunar surface 🛰️🧭 Find out more 👉 connectivity.esa.int/moonlight @navigation.esa.int

Artemis II launching from Cape Canaveral on 1 April 2026.
Credits: S. Corvaja

Artist impression of the Moonlight programme; a constellation of satellites for reliable communications and navigation on the Moon.

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ESA Navigation @navigation.esa.int · 01/04/2026

🚀 Did you miss our first Celeste launch? Watch the replay! Last Saturday, the first two satellites of our new satellite navigation in-orbit demonstration mission flew into space aboard Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket from the Māhia Launch Complex in New Zealand. www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed...

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ESA Navigation @navigation.esa.int · 30/03/2026

💫 ABSOLUTELY CELESTIAL! This Saturday, @rocketlabcorp.com took the first two Celeste satellites into orbit. They are alive and well. This is a major step forward in strengthening Europe's ambition for more resilient satellite navigation. www.esa.int/Applications... 📷 Rocket Lab, ESA–D. Ducros

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Josef Aschbacher @josefaschbacher.esa.int · 28/03/2026

Celeste is in orbit!🚀 ESA’s first two #Celeste demo satellites have successfully launched on RocketLab’s Electron from New Zealand, starting tests of a complementary #LEO layer for #Galileo to boost resilience and unlock new PNT services. www.esa.int/Newsroom/Pre...

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ESA Navigation @navigation.esa.int · 28/03/2026

Lift-off! The Electron rocket is blasting in the New Zealand sky. Separation is expected in about an hour. Go Celeste!

Photo of a rocket lifting off from a launch pad at night.

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European Space Agency @esa.int · 28/03/2026

🔴 #LiveNow: join for our first #Celeste launch! watch.esa.int/Two/

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ESA Navigation @navigation.esa.int · 28/03/2026

🚀 #JoinUsLive this morning for the first Celeste launch! This morning, starting 9:53 CET, join us live for the inaugural launch of ESA’s Celeste LEO-PNT in-orbit demonstration mission, taking place aboard @rocketlabcorp.com’s Electron rocket from New Zealand. www.esa.int/Applications...

A 3D rendering of the upper stage of a rocket carrying two payloads, shown orbiting Earth.

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European Space Agency @esa.int · 27/03/2026

🚀 #WatchLive tomorrow for our first Celeste launch! The next launch attempt for @rocketlabcorp.com is 28 March at 9:14:GMT/10:14CET. More details here 👉https://www.esa.int/Applications/Satellite_navigation/Watch_live_First_Celeste_launch @navigation.esa.int @thalesaleniaspace.bsky.social

RocketLab's Electron rocket on the launch pad

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ESA Navigation @navigation.esa.int · 25/03/2026

Rocket Lab has decided to postpone the launch of its Electron rocket carrying ESA's first two Celeste satellites. This is due to unfavourable weather conditions over the Māhia Launch Complex in New Zealand. We will keep you informed as soon as a next target launch date has been set.

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ESA Navigation @navigation.esa.int · 24/03/2026

🚀 Celeste: The rocket is out! The Electron rocket was rolled out at Rocket Lab’s Māhia Launch Complex. Waiting inside the rocket, the two Celeste spacecraft are ready for their journey to power next-generation satellite navigation technologies from low Earth orbit! www.esa.int/Applications...

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ESA Navigation @navigation.esa.int · 23/03/2026

🚀 Celeste: Countdown to Launch 1 On 25 March, the first two satellites of the Celeste in-orbit demonstration mission will lift off aboard @rocketlabcorp.com's Electron rocket and play a pioneering role in elevating the future of Europe’s satellite navigation capabilities. youtu.be/zFgJbFPkEfM

youtu.be

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ESA Navigation @navigation.esa.int · 23/03/2026

🚀 #JoinUsLive on 25 March for the first Celeste launch! On Wednesday morning, starting 9:53 CET, join us live for the inaugural launch of ESA’s Celeste LEO-PNT in-orbit demonstration mission, taking place aboard @rocketlabcorp.com’s Electron rocket from New Zealand. www.esa.int/Applications...

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ESA Navigation @navigation.esa.int · 21/03/2026

Where am I? I ask Galileo finds the way I am lost no more. #WorldPoetryDay

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ESA Navigation @navigation.esa.int · 19/03/2026

🟢 The ESA Celeste mission patch is packed with meaning, highlighting the mission's ambition. Can you find all the elements hidden in the design? 👀 www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed...

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ESA Navigation @navigation.esa.int · 18/03/2026

🛰️Next time the Celeste satellites see the Sun, they will be in space. The first two Celeste satellites have been placed inside @rocketlabcorp.com ‘s Electron rocket fairing ahead of their planned launch on 24 March. www.esa.int/Applications...

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ESA Navigation @navigation.esa.int · 18/03/2026

The two Celeste satellites have been integrated on the dispenser of the @rocketlabcorp.com’s Electron rocket. From this point onward, they will travel as single unit through the final steps of launch preparation. Follow the launch campaign here 👉 www.esa.int/Applications...

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ESA Navigation @navigation.esa.int · 17/03/2026

📏 Is Celeste ‘fit’ for flight? Yes, it is! The team performed a fit check, verifying that the satellites correctly mated with the launcher adapter that will secure them during ascent. www.esa.int/Applications...

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ESA Space Transport @transport.esa.int · 13/03/2026

A look back at 2025 for Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana: www.esa.int/Enabling_Sup...

ESA’s state-of-the-art Biomass satellite was launched aboard a Vega-C rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. The rocket lifted off on 29 April 2025 at 11:15 CEST (06:15 local time).

Europe’s first MetOp Second Generation, MetOp-SG-A1, weather satellite – which hosts the Copernicus Sentinel-5 mission – has launched aboard an Ariane 6 rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. The rocket lifted off on 13 August at 02:37 CEST (12 August 21:37 Kourou time).

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