This heatmap shows estimated positioning accuracy based on current Galileo satellite geometry. Green areas have excellent satellite coverage with strong multi-angle geometry (low PDOP). Red areas have fewer visible satellites or poor geometry, resulting in weaker accuracy. The map updates as satellites move through their 14-hour orbits.
Excellent (PDOP < 2)
Good (2–4)
Moderate (4–6)
Poor (> 6)
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Your Galileo PDOP · — satellites visible
Your Galileo Sky View
Plane APlane BPlane C
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Your Location
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Galileo vs GPS vs GLONASS vs BeiDou — Live
Four global navigation satellite systems operate simultaneously. This comparison shows live satellite counts visible from your location, along with key architectural differences. Most modern receivers use all four systems together for the best possible accuracy.
🇪🇺 Galileo
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visible from you
23,222 km · 56°
🇺🇸 GPS
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visible from you
20,180 km · 55°
🇷🇺 GLONASS
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visible from you
19,130 km · 64.8°
🇨🇳 BeiDou
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visible from you
21,528 km · 55°
Set your location above to see live visibility counts
Metric
Galileo
GPS
GLONASS
BeiDou
Operator
EUSPA (EU)
USSF (US)
Roscosmos (RU)
CNSA (CN)
Control
Civilian
Military
Military
Military
Satellites
~30
31+
~24
44+
Planes
3
6
3
3 MEO + GEO/IGSO
Altitude
23,222 km
20,180 km
19,130 km
21,528 km
Inclination
56°
55°
64.8°
55°
Period
~14 h 4 min
~11 h 58 min
~11 h 16 min
~12 h 53 min
Free accuracy
< 1 m
~3–5 m
~3–7 m
~3.6 m
Best accuracy
< 20 cm (HAS)
~30 cm (L5)
~1 m
~1 m
SAR service
✓ + Return Link
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✓ (COSPAS)
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Orbital Plane Clock
Imagine looking at Earth from above with all three orbital planes visible at once. Each coloured arm represents one of Galileo's three orbital planes, separated by 120° in RAAN. The wide spacing and slow ~14-hour orbital period create a distinctive three-spoke pattern — very different from GPS's six-plane design or OneWeb's twelve polar planes.
Walker 27/3/1 Constellation
Galileo uses a Walker delta constellation pattern — satellites are evenly distributed across three planes for optimal global coverage. Each plane is offset by 120° in RAAN and 40° in mean anomaly.
Active planes:3
Sats per plane:~10
Plane spacing:120° RAAN
Orbital period:~14 h 4 min
Ground track repeat:10 days (17 orbits)
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The Wrong Orbit — Galileo 5 & 6
When Europe's Satellites Ended Up in the Wrong Place
On 22 August 2014, a Soyuz-ST-B rocket launched Galileo satellites GSAT-0201 and GSAT-0202 from Kourou. A frozen fuel line in the Fregat upper stage caused it to misfire, injecting both satellites into highly elliptical orbits instead of the planned circular orbit at 23,222 km. What followed was one of the most remarkable orbital rescue operations in space history.
22 Aug 2014
Launch failure — elliptical orbit
Nov 2014
Orbit correction manoeuvres begin
Mar 2015
Orbits raised and circularised
Dec 2015
Declared usable for navigation
Using the satellites' own propulsion, ESA raised the perigee from 13,700 km to 17,340 km over a series of burns — reducing eccentricity from 0.23 to 0.16. Although still in non-standard orbits, both satellites now contribute to navigation, and their unusual paths have proved valuable for testing general relativity predictions about time dilation in varying gravitational fields.
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Galileo Signal Services
Galileo offers multiple signal services at different accuracy and security levels — from free open positioning for smartphones to encrypted government-only signals. This layered approach is unique among GNSS systems.
FREE
Open Service (OS)
Free-to-use positioning and timing for consumer devices. Available globally with no subscription. Interoperable with GPS L1/L5.
Accuracy< 1 m horizontal
FrequenciesE1, E5a, E5b
AccessOpen, worldwide
FREE (since Jan 2023)
High Accuracy Service (HAS)
Sub-20 cm positioning via precise corrections broadcast directly from the satellites — no internet connection required. A global first for free precision positioning.
Accuracy< 20 cm (converged)
FrequenciesE6-B (data), E1/E5
AccessFree, compatible receiver required
GOVERNMENT
Public Regulated Service (PRS)
Encrypted, jam-resistant signal for EU government-authorised users. Provides robust positioning in hostile environments where open signals may be denied or spoofed.
Accuracy~1 m (encrypted)
FrequenciesE1-A, E6-A
AccessEU Member State authorisation
EMERGENCY
Search & Rescue (SAR/RLS)
Every Galileo satellite carries MEOSAR transponders to detect distress beacons. Unique Return Link Service confirms to the person in distress that help is on the way.
Detection time< 10 minutes
Location accuracy< 5 km (beacon), < 100 m (Galileo)
Return Link✓ Galileo-only feature
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Search & Rescue Coverage
Every Galileo satellite carries a COSPAS-SARSAT MEOSAR transponder. When a distress beacon activates anywhere on Earth, Galileo satellites detect the signal and relay it to ground stations within minutes. The constellation's MEO altitude and global coverage mean multiple satellites can detect a single beacon simultaneously, enabling rapid triangulation.
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SAR-enabled satellites
< 10 min
Typical detection time
Global
Coverage area
🔔 Return Link Service — Only on Galileo
Galileo is the only GNSS system that can send a confirmation message back to the distress beacon, letting the person in distress know their signal has been received and rescue is underway. This two-way communication — a world first — can be critical for survival in remote environments where waiting uncertainty compounds the emergency. Compatible beacons with Return Link capability are available from manufacturers like ACR, Ocean Signal, and McMurdo.
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Constellation Growth
From the GIOVE test satellites in 2005 through the Soyuz launch failure, Full Operational Capability, and ongoing second-generation replenishment — the Galileo constellation's two-decade journey.
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Galileo Satellite Directory
All Galileo satellites currently in orbit or decommissioned. Click any NORAD ID for full orbital details on the Orbital Radar satellite directory.
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Does My Phone Use Galileo?
Most smartphones manufactured after 2017 support Galileo. Enter your phone model to check — or browse the list below.
✓ Galileo supported: All iPhones from iPhone 8 onwards · All Samsung Galaxy S8 onwards · All Google Pixel devices · Huawei P10 onwards · OnePlus 5 onwards · Xiaomi Mi 6 onwards · Most 2018+ mid-range Android devices with Broadcom BCM47755 or Qualcomm SDX55+ chips.
✗ Not supported: iPhone 7 and older · Samsung Galaxy S7 and older · Most budget phones before 2018 · Older devices with single-frequency GPS-only chipsets.
Orbital Plane Breakdown
Galileo's ~30 satellites are distributed across 3 orbital planes, each separated by 120° in RAAN. Every plane contains approximately 10 operational satellites plus spares.
Satellite counts are live from Orbital Radar's TLE database. Plane assignments computed from orbital elements. See Types of Orbits for more on Walker constellations.
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Constellation Status
Target constellation30 satellites (FOC)
Operational now—
Planes fully populated—
Generation 2 ordered12 satellites (Airbus/Thales)
Status—
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About Galileo
Galileo is the European Union's global navigation satellite system (GNSS), operated by the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) with system design and development by the European Space Agency (ESA). It is the only global satellite navigation system under civilian control — unlike GPS (US military), GLONASS (Russian military), and BeiDou (Chinese military).
The constellation consists of approximately 30 satellites orbiting at 23,222 km altitude — roughly 3,000 km higher than GPS — in three orbital planes at 56° inclination. Each satellite completes one orbit every 14 hours and 4 minutes, and the constellation repeats its ground track every 10 days. Galileo provides global coverage between 75°N and 75°S, with service degradation at extreme polar latitudes.
Galileo's Open Service (OS) offers sub-metre accuracy for free, while the High Accuracy Service (HAS) — launched in January 2023 — provides sub-20 cm positioning by broadcasting precise corrections directly from the satellites, requiring no internet connection. This makes Galileo the first GNSS to offer precision positioning as a free, globally available service. See our satellite systems guide for more on how these systems work.
The system also provides a unique Search and Rescue service with a Return Link — the only GNSS that can confirm distress beacon detection back to the user. Compare Galileo with other constellations on the Orbital Radar 3D globe, or explore the GPS tracker for side-by-side viewing.
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Frequently Asked Questions
The Galileo constellation consists of approximately 30 satellites in medium Earth orbit at 23,222 km altitude, distributed across three orbital planes. The target Full Operational Capability (FOC) constellation is 24 operational satellites plus 6 active spares. See the constellation status dashboard above for live counts.
Galileo and GPS are complementary rather than competitive. Galileo's free High Accuracy Service provides sub-20 cm positioning, which exceeds standard GPS accuracy. However, GPS has more satellites and decades of operational maturity. Most modern devices use both systems simultaneously for the best accuracy. See the quad-comparison above for detailed differences.
Most smartphones from 2017 onwards support Galileo, including all iPhones from iPhone 8, Samsung Galaxy S8 onwards, Google Pixel devices, and most mid-range Android phones with Broadcom or Qualcomm GNSS chipsets. Use the phone checker above to verify your specific device.
The HAS, launched in January 2023, provides sub-20 cm positioning accuracy for free by broadcasting precise orbit and clock corrections directly from the satellites on the E6 frequency. Unlike GPS RTK services, no internet connection or paid subscription is required — making it the world's first free precision positioning service broadcast from space.
Every Galileo satellite carries MEOSAR transponders that detect 406 MHz distress beacons from ships, aircraft, and personal locator beacons. Galileo is unique in offering a Return Link Service (RLS) — it can send a confirmation message back to the beacon, letting the person in distress know their signal was received. See the SAR section above for more.
GSAT-0201 and GSAT-0202 were launched into incorrect elliptical orbits in August 2014 due to a Soyuz/Fregat upper stage failure. ESA managed to partially correct their orbits, and both satellites were declared usable for navigation by December 2015. They now contribute to the constellation from non-standard orbits. See the full story above.
Galileo is operated by the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), with system design and development by the European Space Agency (ESA). The Galileo Control Centre has two sites in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany and Fucino, Italy. It is the only global GNSS under civilian control.
Galileo broadcasts on E1 (1575.42 MHz, shared with GPS L1), E5a (1176.45 MHz), E5b (1207.14 MHz), E5 AltBOC (1191.795 MHz — combining E5a and E5b into the most advanced GNSS signal ever designed), and E6 (1278.75 MHz, for HAS and PRS). See the service tiers section for which services use which frequencies.
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Embed This Tracker
Add the Galileo constellation tracker to your website. The widget updates in real time and links back to the full tracker on Orbital Radar.