Galileo sat-nav

Satellite navigation has become a vital tool for industry, from shipping and road transport to agriculture and energy networks. Galileo is the name of the constellation of satellites that the European Commission and ESA are putting in orbit to provide sat-nav coverage. The service will be independent of, but interoperable with, the American GPS network.

The first two operational Galileo satellites were launched in October 2011 and will be followed by a third and a fourth craft in September of this year. In total, 30 Galileo satellites will be launched, using the Ariane 5 and Soyuz craft, from Europe's Spaceport over the next few years.