The launch of the first Galileo demonstrator spacecraft has been given the go ahead by the European Space Agency (ESA). The Giove-A is the first step to a European global satellite navigation system and it will test key components in the network.
The Galileo project has been estimated to cost some €3.4 billion, and is jointly funded by the private and public sectors. Currently, Europe relies on the American Global Positioning System and Giove is the first satellite Europe has set in orbit.
Some 30 satellites will make up the full Galileo network.