Battleangel

Here we go. Hopefully the first step towards ending our reliance on the Pentagon run GPS system and eating away at US hegemony. Plus, the partners that have been accepted into the project are sure to drive the Americans over the edge. So all in all a 100% success.

Mosnews - The Galileo satellite, named “Giove A,” took off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome aboard a Soyuz rocket.

Galileo will more than double GPS coverage, providing satellite navigation for people from motorists to sailors to mapmakers. In particular, Galileo is expected to improve coverage in high-latitude areas such as northern Europe.

In orbit, the satellite will test atomic clocks and navigation signals, secure Galileo’s frequencies in space and allow scientists to monitor how radiation affects the craft.

Six non-EU nations — China, India, Israel, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and Ukraine — have joined the program set up by the European Commission and European Space Agency, and discussions are underway with other countries to take part.

See also: Nature: Galileo gets into position

Meanwhile, the Russian government has demanded that the deployment of the Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) proceed at an accelerated pace and also be completed by 2008.

At the same time, the US is busy adding new satellites to its GPS network with new, mainly military, features. It is unclear how exactly this will benefit civilian users though in terms of accuracy.