Brussels, 08/11/2005 (Agence Europe) - The first satellite in the Galileo constellation (European radio-navigation by satellite), provisionally known as GSTB-V2/A, is to be officially launched on 9 November at the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ISTEC) in Noordwijk (the Netherlands). The GSTB-V2/A satellite is currently undergoing the last tests on the ground (simulation of the solar environment, acoustic and vibration trials) before its mission into orbit. It will be transported into space on board a Soyuz rocket launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome (Kazakhstan) mid-December. Presentation of the satellite will be attended by Jean-Jacques Dordain, Director General of the European Space Agency (ESA), Javier Benedicto, in charge of the Galileo project at ESA, François Lamoureux, Director General of the Directorate General for Transport and Energy at the European Commission, and Karla Peijs, Dutch Minister for Transport. The second satellite, GSBT-V2/B, which is taking part with satellite GSBT-V2/A in the first step known as the “Galileo System Test Bed”, is undergoing its final integration tests at the Alenia Spazio facilities in Rome (Italy) and will be launched from the same base in 2006. The placing into orbit of these two satellites will make it possible to safeguard the frequencies attributed to the Galileo system by the International Union of Telecommunications (UIT) and to experiment in orbit fundamental technologies and navigation signals specifically perfected for the programme.