Galileo Space Service Volume Analysis for Earth Orbit Rising Missions
Andrea PICCOLO, Francesco MENZIONE
Abstract. Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) are becoming key enablers for autonomous operations beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The Galileo Space Service Volume (SSV) offers strong potential for Earth Orbit Rising (EOR) missions, where spacecraft ascend from LEO to higher orbits using electric propulsion. This paper evaluates navigation performance achievable within the Galileo SSV for next-generation EOR missions using the JRC Integrated SSV Test Bench, which integrates realistic signal modelling, antenna patterns, and receiver dynamics. Two representative scenarios are analysed: a LEO–MEO transfer for a Galileo Second Generation satellite and a LEO–GEO transfer for a SATCOM platform. Results demonstrate that autonomous orbit determination is feasible with single-antenna configurations and moderate receiver sensitivity, confirming Galileo’s readiness, either alone or in conjunction with GPS interoperability to support autonomous orbit raising and guide future receiver design.
Keywords
Space Service Volume (SSV), Galileo, GNSS, Earth Orbit Rising (EOR), Electrical thrust, Spacecraft Manoeuvre, Orbit Determination
Published online 7/20/2026, 6 pages
Copyright © 2026 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA
Citation: Andrea PICCOLO, Francesco MENZIONE, Galileo Space Service Volume Analysis for Earth Orbit Rising Missions, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 69, pp 1024-1029, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644904251-177
The article was published as article 177 of the book CEAS – AIDAA Conference 2025
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
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