Galileo Satellite Launch, Tueday 24 May

[Putaendo Patrick]

The Galileo system of navigational satellites will be a European equivalent of the US GPS or Russian GLONASS navigation systems. Here's a brief notice from ESA:

http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Navigation/Galileo/Launching_Galileo/Watch_the_launch_of_Galileo-13_14

Europe takes its next step in creating its own navigation satellite constellation on Tuesday 24 May, with the launch of the 13th and 14th Galileo satellites. 

The pair is scheduled to lift off at 08:48:43 GMT (05:48:43 local time, 10:48:43 CEST) on 24 May from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana atop a Soyuz launcher.

The first three stages of the Soyuz rocket take the Galileo satellites and their Fregat upper stage into low orbit just short of nine minutes after liftoff. Then the reignitable Fregat, as much a spacecraft as a rocket stage, then takes over the task of hauling the satellites higher through a pair of burns.

The satellites will be released in opposite directions by their dispenser once they reach their target 22 522 km-altitude orbit at 3 h 48 min after launch.

Streaming begins at 08:28 GMT (10:28 CEST) on 24  May for the liftoff, then resumes at 12:23 GMT (14:23 CEST) to cover the satellites’ separation.

[Putaendo Patrick]

And here it was:

http://www.esa.int/spaceinvideos/Videos/2016/05/Galileo_13_14_-_Liftoff_replay

Lift off at about 1 minute into the video.

[JB80]

Good to see.

My wife used to work for them before we came to Spain so always nice to keep up with the latest news.