Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
On 25 March, the first two satellites of the Celeste LEO-PNT in-orbit demonstration mission will lift off aboard Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket from the company’s Māhia Launch Complex in New Zealand.
Celeste will play a pioneering role in elevating the future of Europe’s satellite navigation capabilities. As Europe’s first initiative for satellite navigation in low Earth orbit (LEO), the mission will be testing next-generation technologies and add new frequency bands for satellite navigation.
Celeste will demonstrate how a complementary layer flying closer to Earth can enhance Europe’s current Galileo system in medium Earth orbit (MEO), boosting the overall resilience, enhancing its performance and opening opportunities for new service capabilities directly from LEO.
For more information, visit www.esa.int/Celeste
Credits: Rocket Lab
Chapters:
00:00 Programme begins
21:20 Liftoff
1:12:00 First satellite separation
1:15:30 Second satellite separation
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We are Europe's gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe's space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out https://www.esa.int/ to get up to speed on everything space related.
Copyright information about our videos is available here: https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Terms_and_Conditions
On 25 March, the first two satellites of the Celeste LEO-PNT in-orbit demonstration mission will lift off aboard Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket from the company’s Māhia Launch Complex in New Zealand.
Celeste will play a pioneering role in elevating the future of Europe’s satellite navigation capabilities. As Europe’s first initiative for satellite navigation in low Earth orbit (LEO), the mission will be testing next-generation technologies and add new frequency bands for satellite navigation.
Celeste will demonstrate how a complementary layer flying closer to Earth can enhance Europe’s current Galileo system in medium Earth orbit (MEO), boosting the overall resilience, enhancing its performance and opening opportunities for new service capabilities directly from LEO.
For more information, visit www.esa.int/Celeste
Credits: Rocket Lab
Chapters:
00:00 Programme begins
21:20 Liftoff
1:12:00 First satellite separation
1:15:30 Second satellite separation
★ Subscribe: bit.ly/ESAsubscribe and click twice on the bell button to receive our notifications.
We are Europe's gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe's space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out https://www.esa.int/ to get up to speed on everything space related.
Copyright information about our videos is available here: https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Terms_and_Conditions
