GALILEO PFM and FM2 were launched from the new European Spaceport at the Guiana Space Center (CSG) in Kourou, French Guiana on 2011 October 21. The Soyuz 2-1b rocket launched at 10:30 UT and carried two satellites, GALILEO FM2 and GALILEO PFM, the Galileo IOV-1 (In-Orbit Validation) payload, the first two operational satellites of the European Union's Galileo navigation program. The two satellites totaled 1.4 tons mass.
The Galileo satellites conducted maneuvers every 12 hours over the next two weeks to reach their test positions. Three months from launch, the satellites produced their first navigation signals. These two satellites were joined later by two other Galileo satellites that launched in 2012. The four satellites form the operational nucleus of the full 30-satellite constellation. The four joined together show whether the satellites and ground segment meet many of Galileo's requirements and will validate the system's design in advance of completing and launching the rest of the constellation.
Once this In-Orbit Validation (IOV) phase has been completed, the remaining satellites will be installed to reach the Full Operational Capability. The 30-satellite Galileo navigation system will provide high-quality positioning, navigation, and timing services to users across the whole world as a civil-controlled service offering guaranteed continuity of coverage. The system will begin to transmit signals to users in 2014 and will become fully operational in 2016. The satellite carries a payload consisting of two Passive Hydrogen Maser atomic clocks; two Rubidium atomic clocks; Clock monitoring and control unit; Navigation signal generator unit; L-band antenna for navigation signal transmission; C-band antenna for uplink signal detection; two S-band antennas for telemetry and telecommands; Search and Rescue antenna. The satellite has a design life of more than 12 years.
The initial orbital parameters were period = 846.78 minutes, apogee = 23,307.2 km, perigee = 23,234.2 km, inclination = 54.7 degrees on 2011 Nov 7 at 20:13:10 UTC.
Alternate Names
37846 = 2011-060A = Galileo IOV-1 = Thijs
37847 = 2011-060B = Galileo IOV-2 = Natalia
Facts in Brief
Launch Date: 2011-10-21
Launch Vehicle: Soyuz-2.1b
Launch Site: Kourou, French Guiana