18/09/24 (Agence Europe) – Two Galileo satellites were launched on a Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida (United States) on Wednesday 18 September at 00:50 CEST (17 September at 18:50 local time). This 13th launch of the Galileo programme, carried out by SpaceX under contract to the European Space Agency (ESA), took Galileo satellites number 31 and 32 (FM26 and FM32) into medium Earth orbit, “extending the constellation to make it more robust and resilient”, according to the ESA. In the coming weeks, the new satellites will reach their final destination at 23,222 km, where they will be tested prior to commencing operations. The remaining six first-generation Galileo satellites are expected to be deployed in 2025 and 2026, and will be launched in pairs by Ariane 6, the European Space Agency said in a press release. (CG)