The Ariane 6 rocket successfully launched into orbit with two satellites, SAT 33 and SAT 34, as part of the 14th launch of the Galileo program, to join the European navigation satellite constellation, reported the rocket developer Arianespace on Wednesday, writes UNN.
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The Ariane 6 rocket successfully began its VA266 mission, launching Galileo satellites SAT 33 and SAT 34 into orbit from the European spaceport in French Guiana on Wednesday.
This is the 14th launch within the Galileo program. Satellites SAT 33 and SAT 34 will be placed into medium Earth orbit.
"Two more Galileo satellites will reach medium Earth orbit to join the European satellite constellation of navigation services," the European Space Agency (ESA) indicated.
The spacecraft separation is expected to occur 3 hours and 55 minutes after launch, which was scheduled for 7:01 AM Kyiv time. Both satellites will then gradually reach their operational orbit at an altitude of 23,222 km.
"Galileo provides best-in-class performance for real-time positioning accuracy worldwide, down to meters. It also offers innovative capabilities for professional users, such as signal authentication and high-precision services, as well as additional specialized government services," Arianespace noted.