ESA Switches Galileo Controls to Germany

Officials at the European Space Agency (ESA) announce that the controls for the first two Galileo satellites have been switched to the Galileo Control Center (GCC), in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany. The installation was built specifically for this job.

The maneuver, which took place on November 4, marked the end of the Launch and Early Operations Phase (LEOP) of the mission, which was managed by the CNES French space agency Center, in Toulouse.

The next phase in the mission is activating and testing the navigation payloads on both satellites. The GCC will control the spacecraft for the remaining of their 12-year planned lifespans. The next two Galileo satellites will be launched next year.