(Aug. 20) – Tomorrow at 14:31 (CET), the EU’s satellite navigation program GALILEO will launch two more satellites into space, bringing the total of satellites in orbit up to 6. The launch will take place in the European Cosmodrome int Kourou, French Guyana. Overseeing the program is Italian Ferdinando Nelli Feroci, European Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship, who commented: “The launch of these two satellites marks the beginning of a phase of full operational capability for Galileo. It gives new impetus to the program, a truly European project that brings together the different member states for the benefit of the Union’s citizens. Galileo operates at the frontiers of technology and provides applications that have enormous economic potential in support of the Union’s growth and competitiveness objectives. We are particularly pleased to announce that starting in 2015 the EU will be able to use the European construction launch system ‘Ariane 5’ thanks to a new contract worth €500 million signed with the EU space industry.” The launch marks another milestone for Galileo and represents a further step towards a real European satellite navigation system. The two satellites are the first of a series having full EU ownership. The imminent arrival of the new series will increase existing park availability, and coverage of the Galileo signal will improve gradually. The satellites, Doresa and Milena, were baptized with the names of two school-winners of a drawing competition conducted at the EU scale.
