Galileo Launch 14: a European effort across four key sites
On 17 December 2025 at 06:01 CET (02:01 local time), two new Galileo satellites, designated SAT-33 and SAT-34, lifted off from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.
These Copernicus Sentinel-2 images show the four cities which play a central role in the EU Space Programme and Galileo, highlighting the institutional and operational infrastructure supporting the launch. Brussels, Belgium, hosts the European Commission, which provides political leadership, coordination for the Programme at EU level, and manages its budget. Paris, France, is home to the European Space Agency (ESA), which provides technical expertise in satellite design, procurement, launch, and operations. Prague, Czechia, hosts the EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), responsible for operations, service provision, and fostering market uptake. Kourou, in French Guiana, completes the set as the launch site at Europe’s Spaceport, from which the satellites began their journey into orbit.
Galileo provides highly accurate and reliable positioning, navigation, and timing services, supporting sectors including autonomous mobility, precision agriculture, and next-generation surveying technologies. Together with Copernicus, it forms the backbone of the EU’s space capabilities, delivering key data and services for science, industry, and public policy.
