Successfully deployed the first two satellites of the Galileo navigation system

With a Russian rocket Soyuz loaded with two satellites , the European Space Agency ( ESA ) has lighting system Galileo navigation . This project is ambitious aerospace for civilian use in 2014 will try to compete with the American GPS, military design. The Soyuz, which has taken off from French Guiana, has placed the satellites, 700 kilos each, in an orbit of 23,000 meters of altitude . The launch is also the awakening of a " new era "in space cooperation between Europe and Russia, emphasized the ESA Director General Jean-Jacques Dordain. A Soyuz, two Galileo, three hits "A Soyuz, two Galileo.

Three successes for Europe in a single day "and" a dream come true, "he French astronaut summarized in the intervention that followed the applause, hugs and thumbs-up that confirmed the success of the mission. For his part, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov, also recorded from the Soyuz Kourou, ship type space leading to space pioneer Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin in 1961, will take off from French Guiana in human spaceflight in the future, if Europe has the " will "policy necessary . "I hope that Galileo has the same path of success that Glonass " , Ivanov added referring to Russian system of satellite navigation. The Galileo constellation representing a total investment of more than 10,000 million euros to be operating the 30 satellites of the system in 2020, although applications will be operational within three years. The European system will provide services compatible with GPS and Glonass and applied in areas such as transport management, health, agriculture and fisheries as well as areas less general, the mobility of the elderly, or search and rescue operations. Their performance will mean a return to the " real economy "of 90,000 million euros in total, explained the European Commission Vice President Antonio Tajani, who recalled that "the mother of the project" Spanish was the late Vice President of the EC Loyola de Palacio , who died in 2006. "If the Europeans can launch a project as important as Galileo showed that too will be able to overcome the economic crisis , "stressed the Italian commissioner.