Next Galileo GPS satellites get launch date

The third and fourth satellites in Europe's Galileo constellation, a rival to the US GPS system, will be sent into space in September.

European Commission vice president Antonio Tajani announced the launch schedule on Wednesday, adding that further launches will come more frequently next year. The first two Galileo satellites went up last October, and the next two will join them on 28 September.

Two more satellites will join the European Galileo constellation in September. Image credit: ESA/J Huart

Tajani noted that the satellite navigation market was currently valued at €125bn (£102bn) and was expected to double in value by 2020.

"European industry should be ready to seize a vast market which is there for the taking. This is what we urgently need in the current economic climate," Tajani said.

Galileo faces competition not only from GPS, but also from China's Beidou and Russia's GLONASS constellations. Beidou is already operational and added two more satellites just days ago, while GLONASS is also up and running and is already supported in some Sony Ericsson handsets.