Another launch of four more satellites remains, in mid-2018, to complete the "constellation" of Galileo
Four more European Galileo satellites were launched last night, bringing their total number in space to 22.
Another launch of four more satellites remains, in mid-2018, to complete Galileo's "constellation" in the sky and the European GPS to gain global coverage, with 24 satellites in operation and two backups.
The launch was carried out by the European Space Agency (ESA) and Arianspace with the Arian 5 rocket from the European spacecraft in Kourou, French Guiana in South America.
The four satellites, weighing 715 kilograms each, were placed at an altitude of almost 23.000 kilometers. In the coming days, the "quartet" will be guided to their final tracks. There, they will undergo six months of testing by the European Satellite Navigation System (GSA), in order to finally give the "green light" for their normal operation with the rest.
The Galileo system was first launched on December 15, 2016. "Europe now has an awesome global satellite navigation system with impressive efficiency," said ESA CEO Jan Werner.
The European Union-funded Galileo, developed by ESA and Europe's response to US GPS and Russian GLONASS - will provide users internationally with their location in space and time with an accuracy of one meter and reliability larger than the current GPS.
Galileo will claim a significant share of the global market for satellite navigation services, which is expected to reach 250 billion euros in 2022. The EU has an agreement with the US that allows the combined use of Galileo and GPS.
Processor manufacturers (STMicroelectronic, Qualcomm, Broadcom, etc.) have already announced the creation of "chips" for "smart" mobile phones, cars and other devices, which will allow the use of Galileo in parallel with GPS. This practically means that from time to time, thanks to the combination of the two satellite navigation systems, a user will be able to geo-locate his position with an accuracy of half a meter compared to about five meters today only with GPS.
Source: News247