The first two nanosatellites of the Celeste constellation for future satellite navigation are now in orbit.
On Saturday, two satellites of the Celeste demonstrator mission were launched aboard the Electron rocket from the American company Rocket Lab in New Zealand. The two satellites will complement the current Galileo navigation system in medium Earth orbit. One of the two satellites, named IOD-2, was built by Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%).
The European constellation, funded by the European Space Agency (ESA), aims to demonstrate how the low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite will enhance and diversify existing and future GNSS systems in medium Earth orbit (MEO), improving resilience and enabling the development of new services in environments that current navigation satellites (satnav) cannot reach, such as deep urban areas, dense vegetation, polar regions, and indoor environments.
“With Celeste, Europe aims to strengthen the resilience of the Galileo constellation,” notes La Tribune. The launch of the two satellites represents “a further step towards Europe’s autonomy and resilience in the field of satellite navigation,” the French daily emphasizes.
Furthermore, the mission contributes to one of the three pillars of the new “European Resilience from Space” (ERS) initiative, approved by the ESA 2025 ministerial, which addresses the security and resilience needs of member states.
All the details.
THE LAUNCH AND THE START OF THE MISSION
On March 28, 2026, at 10:14 CET, two satellites of the Celeste demonstrator mission were successfully launched from the Māhia Peninsula in New Zealand. About an hour after launch, the satellites separated from the launcher, marking the beginning of the initial operational phase during which control teams prepare the systems for full activity in orbit.
One of the two satellites, named IOD-2, was built by Thales Alenia Space.
FEATURES OF THE IOD-2 SATELLITE
IOD-2 is a CubeSat the size of a suitcase, weighing about 30 kilograms. The satellite plays a central role in validating the Celeste system, enabling early signal transmission and contributing to the reduction of technological risks.
Once deployed in orbit, it will operate for at least six months. The other four IOD satellites, currently in development, will be larger and twice the mass of IOD-2, equipped with additional payloads to test innovative signals on different frequency bands and demonstrate new functionalities.
THE OBJECTIVES OF THE CELESTE CONSTELLATION
The Celeste mission consists of a constellation of 11 microsatellites in low Earth orbit (LEO), built by two main European contractors, including Thales Alenia Space, which is constructing five of them. The goal is to demonstrate how LEO-PNT systems can expand the resilience of current and future medium Earth orbit (MEO) navigation services and significantly improve their performance.
With further launches starting in 2026 to complete the Celeste demonstrator fleet, ESA will be able to assess how a low Earth orbit navigation layer (LEO) can operate alongside Galileo and other medium Earth orbit (MEO) navigation systems. Flying closer to Earth, the Celeste mission satellites offer the possibility of obtaining more robust signals and accessing new frequencies, La Tribune insists.
A MULTI-ORBIT SYSTEM FOR NEW PERFORMANCE
In particular, Celeste intends to validate a multi-orbit architecture capable of offering centimeter-accurate positioning, greater robustness and resistance to interference and spoofing, as well as very low latency thanks to ultra-fast acquisition signals.
This approach will allow integration between low orbit satellites and existing systems, expanding the overall capabilities of European satellite navigation.
FUTURE APPLICATIONS
Thus, the mission will pave the way for new applications, including highly autonomous vehicles, the Internet of Things, unmanned aerial and maritime systems, and services in complex environments such as dense urban areas, polar regions, dense vegetation, and indoor spaces.
Additionally, it will contribute to the synchronization of terrestrial 5G and 6G telecommunication networks, broadening the scope of satellite navigation technology applications.
THE ROLE OF THALES ALENIA SPACE
The Celeste mission builds on Thales Alenia Space’s consolidated experience in navigation, from the Egnos and Galileo Second Generation programs to positioning and connectivity programs such as Native Positioning System, Moonlight, Argos, Angels, Kineis, and Omnispace.
“I would like to thank the European Space Agency for its renewed trust, as well as everyone who contributed to this launch, which marks a significant milestone in the history of satellite navigation in Europe,” said Hervé Derrey, President and CEO of Thales Alenia Space. “As the demand for precise positioning increases, space-based navigation systems such as Galileo need to be integrated with multi-frequency satellites in low Earth orbit. ESA’s Celeste program represents an important step forward, paving the way for next-generation applications that require robustness and integrity, while also creating new opportunities in export markets.”
