Esrange Space Center opens an Arctic eye on Galileo

The inauguration of the Kiruna Galileo Ground Station took place today at SSC’s Esrange Space Center. The ceremony was performed by René Oosterlinck, ESA’s Director of the Galileo Programme and Navigation-related Activities, together with Paul Verhoef, Programme Manager of EU Satellite Navigation Programmes at the European Commission, and Lars Persson, President and CEO of the Swedish Space Corporation (SSC). 

“I am glad to inaugurate this station today”, commented Director Oosterlinck. “The ground segment of Galileo is getting ready in line with the space segment, the operations, and much more. I have worked on Galileo since its very beginning, and I am happy it is now taking shape”, says Mr. Rene Oosterlinck. 

"This is an important step for SSC”, says Mr. Lars Persson. “ We have provided satellite management services for Europe for many years and the Galileo ground station will further strengthen our position. For us the central value is the long horizon of this programme and Esrange is the ideal place for locating Galileo ground infrastructure in the North of Europe", Mr. Persson concludes. 

The advantage of Esrange Space Center is that due to the geographic location near the poles, one can contact each Galileo satellite on each of its orbits. The increase of security level at the site also enables further future Galileo infrastructure in an effective manner.