For the first time since 2018, two EU Galileo satellites were launched into space on a European rocket.
Ariane 6 lifted off at 2:01 a.m. (0501 GMT) on Wednesday from the Kourou space base in French Guiana.
Why is Ariane 6 launch important for Europe?
The Ariane 6 expandable rocket entered service only last year, succeeding the Ariane 5 which last carried a Galileo satellite in 2018.
Since then, the EU has been dependent on Russia – until its invasion of Ukraine – and American rockets.
The Galileo program itself is a global navigation satellite system intended to make the EU less dependent on the US Global Positioning System (GPS).
The previous Galileo launch took place in September 2024 at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carried by a Falcon 9 rocket belonging to Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
German minister praises ‘increased precision and flexibility’
Wednesday’s launch brings the total number of Galileo satellites in orbit to 24.
The addition of the two new satellites, which were scheduled to reach orbit about four hours after launch, “will improve the robustness of the Galileo system, guaranteeing that the system can provide 24/7 navigation to billions of users,” the European Space Agency (ESA) said.
“The satellites will join the constellation in medium Earth orbit, 23,222 km (14,429 mi) above the Earth’s surface,” it said.
German Research, Technology and Space Minister Dorothy Baar highlighted that both satellites were built by the German company OHB.
“With the further expansion of the European Galileo system and the launch of two more satellites today, we are achieving greater accuracy and flexibility,” Barr said.
Edited by: Elisabeth Schumacher