05.11.2021

Galileo Control Centre extension inaugurated in Italy

A new building that extends the Galileo Control Centre (GCC) has been inaugurated on 3 November 2021 at the Fucino Space Centre, in Italy.

The new infrastructure covers a surface area of about 1400 square meters, bringing the GCC to a total area of 6000 square meters. In this new configuration, which is already operational, the Italian GCC has now 30 control rooms and 40 equipment rooms. At full capacity, the control centre will be operated by approximately 200 specialists.

“The evolution of Galileo’s Hosting services, which we have celebrated on 3 November with the inauguration of the new building of the Italian GCC, is one of the many expressions of the multi-year agreement through which Spaceopal, with great commitment and pride, is delighted to support EUSPA in successfully conducting a programme as important as Galileo. This evolution marks a further step towards the system’s full operational capacity. My heartfelt thanks go to EUSPA for the trust placed in us and to Telespazio for the valuable contribution provided”. Marco Folino, CEO of Spaceopal.

The ceremony of the new structure was attended by Rodrigo da Costa, Executive Director of the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), Luigi Pasquali, Coordinator of Leonardo’s Space Activities and CEO of Telespazio, Marco Folino, CEO of Spaceopal and local authorities.

 

Galileo keeps growing

The creation of new control rooms and operational areas at GCC-I has become necessary as a result of the growth Galileo programme, the European satellite navigation and positioning system.

Spaceopal on behalf of EUSPA, is responsible for operation and integrated logistics of the entire Galileo system, managed through two satellite Control Centers (in Oberpfaffenhofen, Bavaria, Germany and in Fucino), the GNSS Service Center in Torrejón de Ardoz (Spain), the management of the global communication network as well as the Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP) starting with the launch of the next two satellites.

“With billions of users of the European Union satellite navigation system, Galileo and its central role for the sustainable development of the EU, it is essential to maintain and develop Galileo reliability and efficiency. It is our mission in EUSPA as an operational agency of the European Union together with our partners. This new extension in Italy is part of Galileo development thus it is essential.” Rodrigo da Costa, Executive Director of EUSPA