Around the World: European Union

2nd test satellite launched

The second experimental satellite for the European Union's planned rival to the US Global Positioning System was launched into orbit by a Soyuz rocket in Kazakhstan yesterday, the European Commission said.

It was the final launch of a test satellite before the start of deployment of the 3.4-billion-euro ($5.3-billion), 30-satellite system, due to be completed in 2013, Commission spokesman Michele Cercone said.

The satellite, Giove-B, will test technologies for the Galileo system such as a high-precision atomic clock and the triple-channel transmission of navigation signals.

(China Daily 04/28/2008 page6)