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ESA - Navigation News

The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europes gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europes space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
ESA Satellite navigation
ESA Satellite navigation

ESA Satellite navigation

April 10th, 2026 03:04:00 EDT -0400 ESA’s Celeste broadcasts first navigation signal from low Earth orbit
ESA’s Celeste broadcasts first navigation signal

The European Space Agency has achieved a European first with Celeste, successfully transmitting a navigation signal from low Earth orbit, following the launch of the mission’s first satellites on March 28.

April 7th, 2026 04:45:00 EDT -0400 Galileo goes to the Moon
Blue Ghost lander on the Moon’s surface

Last year, history was made as a navigation receiver on the Moon determined its position in real time using signals from approximately 410 000 km away. The receiver, called the Lunar GNSS Receiver Experiment (LuGRE), acquired signals from four navigation satellites orbiting Earth: two Galileo satellites and two GPS satellites.

The mission also tested Galileo’s Emergency Warning Satellite Service (EWSS) on the Moon, demonstrating the robustness and reach of the planned service.

March 28th, 2026 07:07:00 EDT -0400 Celeste’s first satellites launched to explore LEO-based satellite navigation
Liftoff for Celeste on Rocket Lab's Electron rocket

On 28 March, the European Space Agency (ESA) took a major step forward in strengthening Europe's ambition for more resilient satellite navigation, as the first two satellites of the Celeste in-orbit demonstration mission lifted off from New Zealand aboard Rocket Lab’s Electron. Their mission is to begin testing a complementary low Earth orbit layer for Galileo.

March 28th, 2026 06:20:00 EDT -0400 Launch of ESA’s Celeste mission 1
Video: 00:03:15

At 10:14 CET on 28 March, the first two satellites of ESA’s Celeste LEO-PNT in-orbit demonstration mission lifted off aboard a Rocket Lab Electron rocket from Māhia, New Zealand.

Celeste is Europe’s first initiative to bring satellite navigation into low Earth orbit (LEO). By testing next-generation technologies and new frequency bands, it will help shape the future of positioning, navigation and timing services.

Flying closer to Earth, Celeste will demonstrate how a complementary LEO layer can strengthen Europe’s Galileo system in medium Earth orbit — improving resilience, enhancing performance and enabling new services.

March 27th, 2026 10:00:00 EDT -0400 Watch live: First Celeste launch
Celeste IOD-1 and 2 on Electron's kick stage (artist impression)

Update: Rocket Lab has announced the next launch attempt for its Electron rocket carrying ESA's first two Celeste satellites is 28 March at 10:14 CET.

 

On 28 March, the first two satellites of the Celeste LEO-PNT in-orbit demonstration mission will lift off aboard Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket from the company’s Māhia Launch Complex in New Zealand.

Coverage will start 9:53 CET with live commentary. The rocket is scheduled for liftoff at 10:14, with a launch window of about an hour.

March 23rd, 2026 12:00:00 EDT -0400 Celeste: Countdown to Launch 1
Video: 00:03:50

On 25 March, the first two satellites of the Celeste in-orbit demonstration mission will lift off aboard Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket from the company’s Māhia Launch Complex in New Zealand.

Celeste will play a pioneering role in elevating the future of Europe’s satellite navigation capabilities.

As ESA’s initiative for satellite navigation in low Earth orbit (LEO-PNT), the mission will be testing next-generation technologies and add new frequency bands for satellite navigation to inform the deployment of a future European operational navigation system in low Earth orbit. 

The mission will begin with two demonstrator satellites, IOD1-2, to secure and test the assigned frequency filings and transmit representative navigation signals until the end of the year.

The two satellites consist of two CubeSats (12U and 16U respectively), both developed by two consortia composed by a wide set of European players, one led by GMV (Spain) and the other led by Thales Alenia Space (France).

Learn more about Celeste: https://www.esa.int/Celeste/

March 20th, 2026 09:55:00 EDT -0400 Seven scientific benefits of ESA’s Genesis mission
ESA's Genesis satellite

Genesis is the European Space Agency’s (ESA) navigation mission to measure Earth down to the millimetre. This precise measurement of Earth will have wide-ranging benefits, from satellite navigation to orbit determination to Earth science.

March 12th, 2026 10:00:00 EDT -0400 CELESTE pre-launch media briefing
Video: 00:52:29

Watch the replay of the CELESTE pre-launch media briefing. The briefing covered the mission details of the ahead of the inaugural launch of ESA’s Celeste LEO-PNT in-orbit demonstration constellation. The first two satellites are scheduled to lift off no earlier than 24 March aboard Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket from New Zealand.

February 17th, 2026 03:47:00 EST -0500 Genesis satellite
Genesis satellite Image: Genesis satellite
February 16th, 2026 08:27:00 EST -0500 Genesis satellite
Genesis satellite Image: Genesis satellite
February 11th, 2026 11:00:00 EST -0500 ESA’s Genesis mission celebrates International Day of Women and Girls in STEM
Video: 00:02:42

On 11 February, International Day of Women and Girls in STEM, we are spotlighting the Genesis mission by speaking to Sara Gidlund, Head of the Genesis Project and Gaia Fusco, Genesis System and Operations Manager about the vision behind a mission for the world.
In this video, the women behind Genesis show how strong leadership drives technical innovation at ESA and inspire the next generation to lead with curiosity, vision and impact.
More on Genesis.

February 2nd, 2026 09:00:00 EST -0500 Jammertest: strengthening satellite navigation
Video: 00:03:39

Satellite navigation is essential to everyday life, from tracking your morning jog to landing air ambulances. But as reliance on satellite navigation grows, so do the risks associated with its interruption, natural or intentional. To strengthen European resilience in navigation, the European Space Agency (ESA) takes part annually in Jammertest.

Organised on the remote island of Andøya, Norway, Jammertest is the world’s largest open air testing campaign for jamming and spoofing resilience. In September 2025, ESA engineers attended Jammertest with ESA’s mobile navigation lab to test how different systems respond to interference. After this, the data are analysed to check which technologies perform the best against jamming and spoofing. 

By bringing together academia, industry and governmental organisations, Jammertest helps make satellite navigation better for everyone and protects European assets. 

More on Jammertest: ESA - Navigating through interference at Jammertest

December 8th, 2025 08:36:00 EST -0500 Galileo launch history
Galileo launch history Image: Galileo launch history
September 2nd, 2025 09:51:00 EDT -0400 Celeste mission patch
Celeste mission patch Image: Celeste mission patch
June 16th, 2025 08:19:00 EDT -0400 ESA teams up with Leonardo against satnav jamming

Press Release N° 36–2025

Uninterrupted access to satellite navigation is essential in our modern world, but it is threatened daily by external interference, such as jamming and spoofing. New technologies and concepts can help increase the resilience of our satellite navigation solutions. ESA and Leonardo are embarking on a joint project to explore smart antennas powered by Machine Learning to block unwanted signals.