Berlin - SPA
The European Space Agency says one of two navigation satellites that accidentally launched into the wrong orbit will begin corrective maneuvers this month.
The agency said Monday that the two-week operation won't be able to correct the orbit fully, but could get the satellite into a position where it flies over the same location every 20 days. The standard orbit puts the other Galileo navigation satellites over the same location every 10 days, AP reported.
The two satellites launched this summer ended up in an elongated orbit rather than a circular one. If the maneuvers are successful, the other satellite - the sixth in the Galileo system - will follow the same route.
The European Union hopes to have its 30-satellite Galileo navigation network operating fully by 2020.