ESA Launches Four Galileo Satellites (fortune.com)

The European Space Agency (ESA) has launched four additional Galileo satellites in to orbit on Thursday -- the first time the ESA has sent up so many satellites at once. The satellites will be used to thrust the EU into the global market for satellite navigation services, which it estimates will be worth 250 billion euros ($267 billion) by 2022, according to Fortune. The program has encountered some turbulence since the EU gave the go ahead with Galileo 16 years ago. In 2014, two Galileo satellites were launched into a wrong, lower orbit. As for today's launch, Slashdot reader nojayuk shares an excerpt from the ESA website: An Ariane 5 rocket has launched four additional Galileo satellites, accelerating deployment of the new satellite navigation system. The Ariane 5, operated by Arianespace, lifted off from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana at 13:06 GMT (14:06 CET, 10:06 local time) carrying Galileo satellites 15-18. The first pair was released 3 hours 35 minutes and 44 seconds after liftoff, while the second separated 20 minutes later. The Galileos are at their target altitude, after a flawless release from the new dispenser designed to handle four satellites. This was the first flight of a heavy-lift ES-variant of the Ariane V since the ATV resupply missions to the ISS. Previously Galileo satellites have been launched in pairs by Soyuz-Fregat craft from French Guiana. Two additional Ariane 5 launches each carrying four Galileo satellites are scheduled in 2017 and 2018. The full system of 24 satellites plus spares is expected to be in place by 2020.

Comments

it estimates will be worth 250 billion euros

[frovingslosh]

which it estimates will be worth 250 billion euros

It might cost 250 billion euros to build yet another positioning system, but with the Americans and the Russians both making their commercial quality systems available for free, is a third system really worth 250 billion euros? Particularly since we no longer hobble GPS system accuracy. Sure, if money doesn't matter then Europe can say they want toys of their own, but it seems to me that there is no revenue stream here and perhaps someone could have come up with a better use for 250 billion euro than building a third redundant positioning system. I can think of a few things if they just want to save the effort and send the money to me.