Spaceflight

Flight International online news 11:30GMT: The European Space Agency reports Europe’s satellite navigation system, Galileo, is getting ready for launch, preparing the way for the delivery of a new and advanced global civil positioning service.

The first two satellites in the Galileo constellation, two experimental trail-blazers dubbed GSTB-V2/A and GSTB-V2/B, are at an advanced stage of preparation, currently in the last-tests phase before commencing their mission into orbit.

The two launches will be performed by a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur cosmodrome, the first by the end of 2005. The second launch is planned for later on in 2006.

Galileo is a joint initiative of the European Commission and the European Space Agency. It is the first satellite positioning and navigation system specifically designed for civilian purposes and is expected to offer state-of-the-art services with outstanding performance in terms of accuracy, integrity, continuity and availability.

ROSS BENTLEY/LONDON