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ESA, Arianespace ink contracts for Galileo launch
Le Bourget, France (AFP) June 15, 2009 The European Space Agency (ESA) and launch company Arianespace on Monday said they had signed a contract for the launch of four testbed satellites in Europe's Galileo sat-nav system. The satellites will be launched in pairs by two Russian-made Soyuz launchers from ESA's space centre at Kourou, French Guiana, in the second half of 2010, they said. Financial details were not given. The first satellites comprise "in-orbit validation" at a circular altitude of 23,000 kilometers (14,375 miles) from Earth to test Galileo's technology. The announcement was made at the start of the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget airport. "We are full speed on the Galileo programme," said ESA Director General Jean-Jacques Dordain at a press conference. Arianespace markets satellite launches with ESA's Ariane-5 and is equipping Kourou with facilities to launch the medium-range Soyuz and a light rocket called Vega. Galileo, budgeted at 3.4 billion euros (4.72 billion dollars), is expected to be operational from 2013 as a rival to the US Global Positioning System (GPS) and Russia's GLONASS system. Two test satellites, Giove-A and Giove-B, were launched in December 2005 and April 2008, to meet international requirements to reserve radio frequences and to check out experimental technology. When fully operational, Galileo will use as many as 30 satellites. Share This Article With Planet Earth
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Norway joins EU's Galileo satnav projectOslo (AFP) April 3, 2009 Norway said Friday it will stump up close to 70 million euros in funding for the European Union's satellite navigation project Galileo. The Norwegian government will give a boost by providing 68.9 million euros (92.5 million dollars) towards the 3.4 billion euro project. While Norway is not a member of the 27-member bloc, the country's economy and business minister Sylvia Brustad said it ... read more |
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