Gogo Galileo Completes First Installation and Test Flight on Challenger 300

Gogo Galileo pushes toward commercial launch with installation and flight testing.

Gogo Galileo HDX installation complete on a Bombardier Challenger 300
Gogo Galileo HDX installation complete on a Bombardier Challenger 300
Gogo Business Aviation

Gogo Business Aviation, in conjunction with Duncan Aviation, has completed the first installation of Gogo Galileo HDX on a Bombardier Challenger 300 and has commenced flight testing as the company marches toward commercial launch of its Low-Earth-Orbit (LEO) global broadband solution later this year.

As will be true for any of the approximately 4,000 aircraft with AVANCE platform equipment installed, installation on the Challenger consisted only of adding the fuselage-mounted antenna on top of the aircraft, running power from the aircraft to the antenna, and running a data line from the HDX back to the already-installed AVANCE L5 LRU (line replaceable unit).

Gogo will now enter the next phase of testing to finetune the performance and integrity of the system, including electromagnetic interference (EMI) ground testing, vibe and buffeting testing, and a robust flight-testing campaign.

As of the company's second quarter earnings report, Gogo Galileo HDX has eight STC programs committed covering 5,318 aircraft, and another 21 STC agreements in process covering another 12,267 aircraft.

The HDX antenna is designed with a small form factor to fit on any size business aircraft with mean speeds of 57 Mbps and peak speeds up to 60 Mbps. It will be followed by the Gogo Galileo FDX antenna in the first half of 2025 which is a larger antenna designed for larger aircraft, that will achieve mean speeds of 189 Mbps and peak speeds up to 195 Mbps.

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