The European Commission announced the Galileo's second launch of 2 satellites with the aim at creating a 4-satellite mini-constellation that will enable testing of the functioning of the Galileo infrastructure. According to the Commission, Europe's investment in satellite navigation technology opens the global market for European industry.

The European Commission Vice President, Antonio Tajani together with Jean Yves Le Gall, Chairman and CEO of Arianespace, in the presence of industry CEOs involved in the programme, announced the agreement reached with the European Space Agency in order to launch two Galileo's satellites the 28th September 2012. The first two operational Galileo satellites for smart navigation system were launched in October 2011.

The European Commission confirmed the launching that will enable testing of the functioning of the vast Galileo infrastructure. The ramp up of the system progresses on schedule with more frequent launches in the planning for 2013. This also means that European enterprises can start to develop and test innovative products based on the Galileo satellite navigation signals.

Just like GPS, Galileo will allow users to know their exact position in time and space, but with greater precision and reliability. According to the Commission, Europe's investment in satellite navigation technology opens the global market for European industry. This market is currently valued at €125 billion and expected to increase to €250 billion by 2020. Galileo will provide possibilities for a wide variety of applications in many sectors of the European economy, such as electricity grids, fleet management companies, financial transactions, shipping industry, rescue operations or peace-keeping missions.