Galileo Countdown to 10 by Year’s End
A February conference on the European Union’s space policy in Brussels aims to set a course for 2020 and close official ranks behind the prospect of early Galileo services at the end of this year. Much in the business community’s perception of the new system will depend on meeting the projected unveiling of early services in December. This in turn depends on an operational 10-satellite constellation. Now the fleet stands at four. EC Vice President Antonio Tajani reiterated there will be three Galileo launches in 2014, the first of them coming in June. The next two Galileo satellites may be ready to ship to Europe’s spaceport in South America by early April. The year will end with two more dual-satellite launches in October and December on Russian Soyuz rockets. Galileo and EGNOS are financed to the tune of €7 billion for 2014–2020.
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