Europe launches Friday two more Galileo satellites

A European Space Agency official told CNA that Galileo will bring many benefits for Europe’s economy and for the daily life of its citizens.

He added that the launch of two more satellites is an important step towards the completion of the Galileo Program, which will offer Europe the necessary independence from other global navigation systems.

According to the Cyprus EU Presidency, the development of the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS – the Galileo Project) will
contribute to economic growth in Europe.

Galileo services will bring benefits to the full range of transport modes, create new opportunities for mobile telecommunications and enhance the safety of persons and property, the Presidency says.

The Cyprus Presidency will take forward work on the legislative proposal on governance and financing of the GNSS, subject to the negotiations on the Multiannual Financial Framework. "The finalisation of this work will be a substantial step towards
creating financial and management stability and contributing to its Full Operational Capability", the Cyprus EU Presidency`s program notes.

The launch is scheduled for Friday from Europe’s spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.

The resulting initial constellation of four satellites will allow the validation and fine-tuning of the system before a new series of 22 satellites will be launched from 2013.

Galileo will allow users of dependant application to identify their exact position in time and space, just like the American GPS, but with even greater precision and reliability. Under European civilian control, Galileo will be compatible, and — for some of its services —interoperable with GPS, but entirely independent from it.