EU Launches 1st Galileo Program Satellite
The first satellite in the European Union's Galileo navigation program was launched from Kazakhstan on Wednesday, a major step forward for Europe's answer to the US Global Positioning System.
The Galileo satellite, named "Giove A," took off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome aboard a Soyuz rocket. Journalists monitored the liftoff through a linkup at the European Space Agency headquarters in Paris.
The $4 billion Galileo project will eventually use about 30 satellites and end Europe's reliance on the GPS system, which is controlled by the US military.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Galileo will more than double GPS coverage, providing satellite navigation for people from motorists to sailors to mapmakers. In particular, Galileo is expected to improve coverage in high-latitude areas such as northern Europe.
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