SpaceX launched the Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center, carrying the Galileo satellites GM25 and FM27 for the European Union Space Program Agency (EUSPA). The web broadcast of the launch ended after confirmation of payload fairing separation, and no video was provided after the first stage separation.
The European Commission and the European Space Agency did not publicize the launch in advance, which is unusual. EU Commissioner Thierry Breton posted on social media about the successful launch of the new Galileo satellites and highlighted the importance of these launches for Galileo’s applications.
The launch on the Falcon 9 reveals part of the secrecy surrounding the operation, especially in light of the crisis Europe faces due to a lack of launch capabilities. With the inability to access the Russian Soyuz rocket and delays in the Ariane 6 rocket, Europe is in dire need of its own means for satellite launches.
Breton announced a deal with SpaceX in 2023 for Falcon 9 launches carrying Galileo satellites, scheduled for 2024. This is the second European institutional mission to use a Falcon 9 due to the launcher crisis, following the launch of ESA’s Euclid space telescope in July 2023.