Galileo: Satellite launches

Second launch of 2 Galileo satellites

• Press release (13/10/2012): Testing of Galileo satellite navigation system can begin

The launch of Galileo's third and fourth satellites from Europe's spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana took place on the 12 October at 20.15 CET (15:15 Kourou time).

First launch of 2 Galileo satellites

• Press release (21/10/2011): Galileo: Europe launches its first satellites for smart navigation system.
• Memo (21/10/2011): Galileo will boost economy and make life of citizens easier.

The launch of the first two operational satellites of the EU's global navigation satellite system took place on 21 October 2011 at 12h30 CET (07h30 local time in Kourou). This is just the first of a series of launches due to take off from Europe's Space Port in Kourou, French Guiana. The placement of the Galileo satellites at an altitude of 23.222 kms will lead to the provision of initial satellite navigation services in 2014. Successive launches will complete the constellation by 2019.

Galileo Getting Ready

A documentary from the European Space Agency (© ESA) - July 2011

Watch another video of ESA on the final testing of the Soyuz launch site at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, completed in May 2011: Soyuz dry-run (time-lapse)