Europe launches new Galileo satellites

Europe has launched the next two satellites in the Galileo network - its version of the American Global Positioning System (GPS), the BBC reported.

The spacecraft - model numbers five and six - went up on a Soyuz rocket from French Guiana.

Galileo is now finally moving towards full deployment after years of delay.

The European Space Agency, which is building the system on behalf of the EU, expects to have a 26-satellite constellation in orbit by 2017.

To that end, it has just ordered three big Ariane-5 rockets at a cost of half a billion euros.

Europe's premier launch vehicle can loft four spacecraft at a time, and this should allow for six to eight satellites to be put in space every 12 months from now on.

"Every spacecraft is, after in-orbit commissioning, put into operation, and is broadcasting a navigation signal that is a valid signal for users with a combined Galileo/GPS receiver; and there are already receivers on the market that have this capability. So, you have to see the service as being increased one by one," explained Esa Galileo project manager, Javier Benedicto.

Friday's Soyuz lift-off occurred on schedule at precisely at 09:27:11 local time (13:27 BST; 14:27 CEST).

The "instant launch window" was required to get the satellites into just the right part of the sky demanded by the network's multi-plane configuration.