The rocket “Soyuz” with two Galileo satellites launched from Kourou – RIA Novosti

12:07 24.05.2016

(updated: 12:10 24.05.2016 )

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PARIS, May 24 – RIA Novosti, Viktor Ivanov Russian carrier rocket “Soyuz-ST” with two European Galileo navigation system satellites launched on Tuesday at 5.48 local time (11.48 MSK) from Kourou. in French Guiana.

These satellites will become the 13th and 14th placed in orbit within the Galileo project. It is expected that by the end of the year “constellation” the Galileo replenished with four satellites.

According to the program, the head of the space as a part of the upper stage and spacecraft must be separated from the carrier rocket nine minutes after the launch.

The total cost of the navigation project Galileo is about 7 billion euros. Each of the satellites is about 40 million euros. Starting the Russian “Soyuz-ST” from Kourou in French Guiana costing 65-70 million euros.

It is planned that by 2020, the orbit must be withdrawn 30 Galileo satellites. Galileo developers claim that their system will be more accurate than GPS, and will provide Europeans independence from the American GPS, the Russian GLONASS and future of the Chinese Compass. Putting the system into operation was initially planned for 2008.

Designed on a rocket based on “Soyuz-2″ Russian carrier rocket “Soyuz-ST” is designed for commercial space launches in high humidity conditions located on the equator of the cosmodrome Kourou (French Guiana). It is adapted to the requirements of the Guiana Space Centre in terms of security (reception telecommand to Earth to stop the flight), telemetry systems (transmitters operating in the UHF range with the European framework telemetry frame) and operating conditions (high humidity, marine transport and others).