Galileo, the European GPS launched into space its first two satellites – Perfil.com

The first two operational Galileo satellites, the European competitor of GPS and Russian Glonass, yesterday took off successfully from Kourou Space Center in French Guiana. The launch, delayed 24 hours by the weather, finally took place at 08.27 (Argentina time) at the space center where the Russian spacecraft departed the company operated by Arianespace, with satellites
Doresa and Milena.

Devices, 750 kilos each, will take almost four hours to reach its destination, one orbit at 23,222 kilometers above the Earth, inclined at 56 degrees to Ecuador. These devices are in addition to four other mills proves that the European Space Agency launched in pairs, in late 2011 and 2012, as preliminary to a constellation in 2020 will have a total of thirty satellites arranged in three orbits.

The first services to be offered will begin in late 2015 To this end, the European Commission has invested some 13 billion euros. When the European technology-from civilian and non military is fully operational in 2020, will provide an accuracy ten times superior to that of GPS.

But before the end of 2015, Galileo will begin offering their first services: management of air, shot, sea and rail traffic

management and emergency rescue, logistics, agriculture and fisheries and energy sectors, among others. According to forecasts of Brussels, Galileo will have an economic impact of 90 billion euros over the next twenty years in a production system that builds and between 6% and 7% of gross domestic product (GDP) in navigation systems. In addition, the new constellation will provide the European Union with a stand-alone tool for foreign policy strategy and security, as it does not depend on American military control that operates the successful GPS or similar projects done at least, China and Russia.