Galileo ground stations undergo systemwide migration

Galileo ground stations undergo systemwide migration
by Erica Marchand
Paris, France (SPX) Feb 06, 2025

In a significant technological milestone, ESA has commenced the large-scale migration of Galileo's Control Centres, a complex endeavor that engaged over 200 experts from ESA, industry partners, and the EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA). This marks the start of a comprehensive modernization effort aimed at upgrading Galileo's Ground Segment, a globally dispersed network of operational sites.

The Ground Segment plays a crucial role in ensuring Galileo's accuracy and reliability, managing satellite synchronization, monitoring system integrity, and processing essential navigational data. Each station within this network is now set to receive new hardware and software enhancements to bolster system resilience, reinforce cybersecurity, and prepare for the implementation of the Public Regulated Service (PRS), which will deliver secure, high-precision encrypted signals for authorized government users.

As the lead system development authority, ESA has spearheaded these upgrades in collaboration with five European companies: Thales Alenia Space, GMV, Telespazio Belgium, Thales SIX, and Indra. Together, they successfully completed the modernization of three pivotal sites-Redu (Belgium), Reunion (a French overseas territory in the Indian Ocean), and Jan Mayen (Norway)-representing diverse station configurations.

These initial site upgrades serve as prototypes, guiding EUSPA and industry partners as they proceed with the migration of the remaining 11 sites. The entire upgrade process is expected to extend through most of 2025.

Addressing Technical and Logistical Challenges

Each site upgrade presented unique technical and logistical challenges, from coordinating multiple contractors to managing the complexities of remote locations. Operations had to be paused temporarily without impacting Galileo's overall performance, a feat achieved through meticulous planning, precise coordination, and robust support from the Galileo Control and Security Monitoring Centres.

Redu: A Key Test Site

The first migration took place at Redu, Belgium, located within ESA's European Space Security and Education Centre (ESEC). This facility hosts a Galileo sensor station, a telemetry, tracking, and command station, and an in-orbit test centre. As the first station to undergo migration post-Control Centre upgrades, Redu served as an ideal test case due to its relatively straightforward operational profile and accessible location. A small, specialized team successfully completed the migration within a few days, setting the stage for more complex operations.

Reunion: A Complex Deployment

Following the success at Redu, the team moved to the more intricate Reunion site, which integrates a sensor station, telemetry, tracking, and command station, and an uplink station. This location also became the first to deploy an advanced cybersecurity monitoring system designed to detect and mitigate cyber threats.

Over a six-week period, a team of 12 ESA and industry experts worked in shifts to implement the upgrades, successfully overcoming the site's technical and logistical complexities.

Jan Mayen: Overcoming Arctic Isolation

The third site, Jan Mayen, a remote Norwegian island in the Arctic, posed significant logistical hurdles. While the site itself hosts only a sensor station, its extreme isolation made operations challenging. Poor weather conditions initially prevented the transport aircraft from landing, delaying the mission by a day. Despite these difficulties, the upgrade was successfully completed, ensuring continued system stability in this strategic location.

This large-scale migration represents the most extensive upgrade to Galileo's Ground Segment since operational services commenced a decade ago. The improvements not only secure the current system's robustness but also lay the groundwork for the future transition to Galileo Second Generation (G2) in the coming years.