Europe’s first two Galileo satellites have reached their final operating orbits, opening the way for activating and testing their navigation payloads, it was reported by the European Space Agency on 4th November.

Marking the formal end of their LEOP (Launch and Early Operations Phase), control of the satellites was passed on 3rd November from the CNES French space agency centre in Toulouse to the Galileo Control Centre in Oberpfaffenhofen in Germany.

Oberfaffenhofen, operated by the German Aerospace Center DLR, will be in charge of the satellites’ command and control for the whole of their 12-year operating lives, it is understood.