Russia launches second satellite for Galileo navigation system

Moscow, Apr 27 (UNI) A Russian carrier rocket has delivered the second satellite for Europe's Galileo navigation system into orbit, Russia's Space Agency (Roskosmos) said today.

The experimental satellite, Giove-B, was put into orbit by a Soyuz carrier rocket launched from the Baikonur space centre in Kazakhstan in the early hours today, it said.

''The foreign satellite separated from the Russian Fregat acceleration unit at the designated time and the space vehicle was transferred to the customer for control,'' RIA Novosti news agency reported quoting Roskosmos.

The Galileo new positioning and communications system will eventually comprise 30 satellites and is expected to become operational from 2013.

Galileo will be Europe's own global navigation satellite system, providing highly accurate global positioning service under civilian control.

It will operate along with Russian Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) and the US GPS (Global Positioning System).

UNI XC RJ KP1733