| Author (Corporate) | European Commission: DG Communication |
|---|---|
| Series Title | Press Release |
| Series Details | IP/14/935 (20.08.14) |
| Publication Date | 20/08/2014 |
| Content Type | News |
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The European Commission announced on the 20 August 2014 that Galileo, the EU's satellite navigation programme, would be sending two more satellites into space on the following day, reaching a total number of 6 satellites in orbit. According to the Commission, the launch marked another milestone for Galileo as a step towards a fully-fledged European-owned satellite navigation system. These two satellites were the first of a new series which is fully owned by the EU. With the forthcoming addition of a new wave of such satellites to the existing array, the availability and coverage of the Galileo signal will gradually improve and bring us a step closer to the fully operational phase of the programme. On the 21 August 2014 the European Commission announced that satellite navigation programme Galileo had signed a €500 million agreement with Arianespace which would bring an operational Galileo service much closer. The agreement to provide three Ariane-5 launchers was said to reduce the EU's use of external parties for placing its Galileo satellites into orbit - another step on the road to the EU's goal to secure independent access to space. As the launchers are manufactured in the EU this was also considered to be a win for European business. |
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| Source Link | http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-14-935_en.htm |
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| Subject Categories | Business and Industry |
| Countries / Regions | Europe |
