Four satellites for Europe Navi Galileo suspended in space | TIME ONLINE

Kourou (AP) – An Ariane 5 rocket launched four more satellites for the European navigation system Galileo. According to the Arianespace rocket operator, the satellites have reached their orbit around the Earth as expected. There are now 26 Galileo satellites in space.

The launcher with missiles on board was launched at 13:25 German time from the Kourou space station in French Guiana in South America.

With the multi-billion dollar prestige program, Europe wants to become independent of the American GPS. The first services have been available for a good and a half years. The system should be used, inter alia, for navigation on the road or on the water, for the rescue of the sea and for agriculture.

According to the Galileo operator, mobile phone manufacturers now equip models alongside GPS with Galileo receivers. This improves the accuracy of mapping applications for users because they can receive signals from both services.

Of the 26 satellites currently in the space are according to the information of the currently 14 functional operator. Four more will be commissioned once the test phase is over. In turn, the four satellites in space could provide usable data in February 2019. Then, 22 Galileo satellites would be functional. For global coverage, it takes at least 24.

Problems continue with the two satellites launched in January. These had been suspended in a bad trajectory. They undergo further tests according to the European Space Agency Esa and remain out of service. Another departure is planned for 2020. A total of 30 satellites will orbit the earth at the end – so that Galileo will function even in case of malfunction or breakdown.

"Satellite applications have become an integral part of our daily lives," said Federal Minister of Transport Andreas Scheuer. They are also needed for automated and networked driving. Thanks to Galileo, Europe is ready to innovate further. The coordinator of the German Federal Government for Aerospace, Thomas Jarzombek, said the program was also a proof of the advanced German technology, as all new satellites had been manufactured by the German company OHB in Bremen.

Video from the beginning

Announcement of Esa, Engl.

Tweet of Stéphane Isreal, head of Arianespace, angl.