Brussels, 28/04/2008 (Agence Europe) - The second experimental satellite of the Galileo programme (the European satellite navigation programme), Giove-B, successfully went into orbit shortly after midnight on Sunday 27 April 2008, launched by a Russian Soyuz rocket from the Baikonor cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. After just under four hours, Giove-B dropped its launcher and reached its orbit at 23,222 kilometres above the Earth. The launch of Giove-B is the best proof that Galileo is well on course, said EU Transport Commissioner and Vice President of the European Commission Jacques Barrot, adding that the system symbolised European excellence in this important new technology. He had been following the launch of the satellite from the Fucino control centre in Italy. Following the launch of Giove-A in December 2005, Giove-B is Galileo's second validation satellite. The two Giove satellites job is to test new technology before it is used by the Galileo programme and to send navigation signals between satellites and ground-based control centres. Giove-B contains the most accurate atomic clock ever sent into space, accurate to within less than a nano-second a day. Giove-B will also be able to send signals using the MBOC standard recently negotiated between the United States and the European Union to avoid interference between signals from the US satellite positioning programme (GPS) and Galileo in the future. After agreement with the Council earlier in the month, the European Parliament gave the go-ahead on Wednesday 23 April 2008 for the finalising of this first European satellite navigation programme, which should be operational in 2013, after the launch of a further 26 satellites. Jacques Barrot said the Commission and European Space Agency (ESA) would soon be signing an agreement to launch the acquisition and construction procedures for the remaining satellites to ensure the next ones can be launched in 4 or 5 years time (see EUROPE 9649). (A.By.)