The European Space Agency (ESA) has extended contracts with two companies to build four additional Galileo Second Generation (G2) satellites, growing that fleet to 16, it said on Oct. 27.
One contract went to Thales Alenia Space in Italy. The other went to Airbus Defence and Space in Germany; ESA said both companies have been under contract since 2021 to build six G2 spacecraft each.
Thales Alenia Space's extension was signed on Oct. 23 in Rome and Airbus's on Oct. 26 in Ottobrunn, Germany, the agency said.