A typical Galileo satellite – photo © ESA

On 24th March the European Space Agency (ESA) introduced the solar arrangements for Europe’s Galileo satellites currently testing navigation messages.

Sun simulator for flash testing – photo © ESA

A pair of 5 metre-long solar arrays supply 1.9 kilowatts of power – about the same as an average household’s consumption, it is understood. These arrays are sourced from the Dutch Space company in The Netherlands.

Inspecting solar wings – photo © ESA

Solar wings on Galileo satellite – photo © ESA