Failure reason: Satellites were placed into an incorrect orbit due to an anomaly with the Fregat upper stage. Both payloads recovered using their own propulsion.

These are the first two Full Operational Capability satellites of the Galileo constellation, ESA's satellite navigation system and is expected to be completed by 2020. Galileo will provide Europe with an alternative to the American GPS and Russian GLONASS constellations, but will be interoperable with both systems.

Mission type: Navigation · Orbit: Medium Earth Orbit

Rocket: Soyuz STB · Provider: Arianespace