Celeste IOD-1, 11 (LPTNSAT 001, LEO-PNT Pathfinder A 1, 11)

Celeste IOD-1 [ESA]

Celeste IOD-1 (formerly LEO-PNT Pathfinder A 1) is one of the satellite of the Celeste LEO-PNT in-orbit demonstrator satellite mission developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) to test resilient positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) services from low Earth orbit. The mission comprises an initial pair of CubeSat demonstrators followed by a planned constellation of 11 operational satellites plus one on-orbit spare.

The mission’s purpose is to validate new satellite navigation concepts using low Earth orbit platforms, complementing traditional medium Earth orbit navigation systems. Celeste focuses on enhancing robustness against interference and disruption by testing innovative navigation signals across multiple frequency bands. The first phase, involving the IOD 1–2 satellites, aims to secure frequency filings and demonstrate representative signal transmission for early validation of system concepts.

The initial satellites are developed by two European industrial consortia. One is led by GMV (Spain), and the other by Thales Alenia Space (France). Both teams integrate contributions from a wide range of European partners, reflecting ESA’s approach to distributed industrial participation and technology development.

The IOD satellites are CubeSats of 12U and 16U form factors respectively. They are designed to broadcast experimental navigation signals in multiple frequency bands while operating in low Earth orbit, enabling assessment of signal performance, propagation characteristics, and user receiver compatibility. The architecture supports rapid iteration and testing of PNT payload technologies in space.

The mission begins with the Electron KS launch of the two IOD demonstrator satellites (IOD 1 and 2), which will operate through the end of their initial test phase. Subsequent deployment of the full Celeste constellation is planned to expand testing capabilities and further validate resilient LEO-based navigation services.

Celeste IOD-11 is a spare satellite.