The new building complex for the Galileo Control Centre at the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft-und Raumfahrt; DLR) in Oberpfaffenhofen has been officially handed over.  

This marks the beginning of the actual preparation phase for the operation of the future European satellite navigation system.

The new control centre, with more than 3,000 m² of floor space, was completed within two years. The fully equipped building cost around €100 million.

By the time the Galileo satellite navigation system is fully operational, up to 100 engineers and scientists will be working at more than thirty control consoles in the control centre in Oberpfaffenhofen.

A multinational team is responsible for preparing and operating Galileo. Staff of the other European Galileo Control Centres will also be present in Oberpfaffenhofen to ensure close co-ordination and co-operation.

The Galileo Control Centre in Oberpfaffenhofen is part of the core ground segment. The satellites are controlled and mission data is received through a globally distributed ground station network.

The control centre in Oberpfaffenhofen is equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure to meet the high demands made on the Galileo infrastructure and to ensure failure-free operation for the next twenty years.

Important navigational data as well as the reference time, which is relevant for all Galileo applications, are generated on the ground in the control centres and transmitted to the Galileo satellites via the ground stations.