Galileo satellites 27 – 28 are scheduled to be launched by a Soyuz launcher from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana on 2 December at 01:31 CET (1 December at 21:31:27 local Kourou time). Follow the launch live on ESA Web TV Two from 0104 CET.

“Friday’s Launch Readiness Review confirmed that the first two satellites in this final batch of 12 Galileo first generation satellites, are good to go – provided no external circumstances come up between now and the night of 1-2 December,” says Bastiaan Willemse, ESA's Galileo Satellite Manager, from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. “And meanwhile the preparation for the launch campaign of the next two satellites has already started.”

The Launch Readiness Review is an ESA-led review with participation of the satellite manufacturer OHB, the launch service provider Arianespace, the Galileo operator SpaceOpal, the EU Space Programme Agency (EUSPA) and the European Commission, as well as the programme’s Security Accreditation Board.

This was the last review before the Arianespace-led RAL (Revue d’Aptitude de Lancement) will takes place next week whereby the latest status of the launcher, the launch facilities and site, the global launch tracking facilities as well the satellites and its supporting ground infrastructure will be reviewed, resulting in the approval for the launch countdown.