KOUROU, French Guiana (Reuters) - Europe launched the first satellites in its Galileo global navigation system on Friday, a first step towards creating a network the European Union hopes will eventually rival the U.S.-run GPS system and establish Europe as a space power.
Disappointment at technical problems that delayed the launch by a day gave way to tears of joy among the assembled officials and technicians as the Galileo satellites blasted-off aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket from Europe's spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, at 7.30 a.m. local time (1030 GMT).
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