Two satellites for Europe's rival to the American GPS satellite navigation system have gone into the wrong orbit, the European Space Agency said yesterday, in a setback for the planned Galileo network.
An investigation has been launched into what happened, according to a statement released by Arianespace, the company responsible for the launch.
The satellites "have been placed on a lower orbit than expected", and it was not yet clear whether they would function normally.
But the space agency said the satellites were under control.
"Both satellites have been acquired and are being controlled and operated from the European Space Operations Centre in Darmstadt, Germany," the agency said.
"The teams of industries and agencies involved in the early operations of the satellites are investigating the potential implications on the mission."
Doresa and Milena were fired into space on a Russian Soyuz rocket launched from French Guyana on Friday, after a 24-hour delay.
They are the fifth and sixth satellites to be launched for the agency's geo-positioning network.
The cost of the project is R77.16-billion and it is funded and owned by the European Union. It is intended to provide Europe with an alternative in case of signal failure of the existing US global positioning system.
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