Two more Galileo satellites launched to orbit
© ESA–Pierre Carril, 2016
ESA successfully placed two Galileo positioning, navigation and timing satellites into medium-Earth orbit – the 13th and 14th in a series of thirty spacecraft.
The Galileo satellite navigation system now has 14 satellites in orbit after today’s double launch. Galileos 13 and 14 lifted off together at 08:48 GMT - 05:48 local time - atop a Soyuz rocket from French Guiana.
The twin satellites were deployed into orbit close to 23 522 km altitude, at 3 hours and 48 minutes after liftoff. The coming days will see a careful sequence of orbital fine-tuning to bring them to their final working orbit, followed by a testing phase so that they can join the working constellation later this year.
“Today’s launch has added two more satellites to what has become Europe’s largest satellite constellation,” commented Jan Woerner, Director General of ESA.
More to come
Galileo is Europe’s civil global satellite navigation system. It will allow users worldwide to know their exact position in time and space with great precision and reliability. Once complete, the system will consist of thirty operational satellites and the ground infrastructure for the provision of positioning, navigation and timing services.
The next Galileo launch will see the use of an Ariane rocket for the first time, sending four 700kg satellites at once.
The Galileo programme is funded and owned by the EU. The European Commission has the overall responsibility for the programme, managing and overseeing the implementation of all programme activities.
To read more about it:
http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Navigation/Galileo/Launching_Galileo
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2016/05/soyuz-st-b-foc-galileo-milestone/