Galileo 9 (FOC FM5, Alba)

Spacecraft nº:

ESA spacecraft nº: 95

Launch data: Designation  40889 / 15045A Launch date  11 Sep 2015 - 02:08 UT Launch site  CSG, ZLS Launch vehicle  Soyuz-STB/Fregat-MT Mission  Navigation Earth orbit: Perigee / Apogee  23545 x 23610 km Eccentricity   Inclination  57.4 deg Period  844.7 min

Description:

• An Arianespace Soyuz rocket will launch on a mission from the Guiana Space Center in South America. The Soyuz will carry two Galileo full operational capability satellites for Europe's Galileo navigation constellation. The Soyuz 2-1b rocket will use a Fregat-MT upper stage. Arianespace will oversee the launch.
• The FOC satellites have a mass of 733 kg full 660 kg dry and are built by OHB (Bremen) with navigation payloads by SSTL (Guildford) and a propulsion system from Moog ISP (Niagara Falls) with eight 1N MONARC-1 hydrazine thrusters. (Moog ISP is the former Bell Aerospace, which built the Agena engine). The earlier IOV test satellites were partly owned by ESA, but the FOC satellites are owned by the European Union's GSA (Global Navigation Satellite Systems Agency), based in Prague. The FOC satellites carry two rubidium and two hydrogen maser atomic clocks and broadcast on L-band; they also carry the MEOSAR search and rescue transponder payload.
• GSAT 0205 (GALILEO 9) or "Alba" is a navigation satellite targeting Plane A of the Galileo constellation. The spacecraft carries L-band navigation payloads built by Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. of the United Kingdom, which is also responsible for supplying highly-accurate atomic timepieces for the satellites.

External links:

• Satellite tracking: Real time satellite tracking