The plan for Europe's global navigation satellite system seems to be coming along nicely, as the second satellite was successfully launched on Sunday from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, at 4:16 a.m. local time, with the help of a Soyuz-FG launch vehicle. The Galileo In-Orbit Validation Element (GIOVE) satellite will be used by the engineers in charge of system operation development for flight hardware testing in launches that are to begin in 2010.

These first two experimental satellites only represent a very small part of the grand scheme, as almost 30 other satellites are to be launched and permanently placed in orbit. The first four Galileo satellites are scheduled for launch in the first quarter of 2010.

So far, Europe has spent no less than 1.6 billion euros on this huge project and on Wednesday, the European Parliament has approved an additional 3.4 billion euros, which is to be divided in order to cover six different departments: computer programmes, ground stations, satellites, launchers, control stations and system operation.

Upon Galileo’s completion in 2013, Europe will become the owner of the third space-based navigational system in the world, following the Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) of the U.S. and Russia’s GLONASS.

"We're not building Galileo as some sort of competition to American GPS, but as its twin brother, allowing Europe to have its own signal, which is also to the advantage of our friends on the other side of the Atlantic," Jacques Barrot, EU transport commissioner, said.