Europe launched four more Galileo satellites on Tuesday, taking the number in orbit to 22 and moving a step closer to having its own navigation system, lessening its dependence on the U.S. Global Positioning System, or GPS.
The satellites blasted off from Europe's spaceport in French Guiana aboard an Ariane 5 and headed for an orbit of around 24,000 km (14,900 miles) above Earth, according to the European Space Agency.
The Galileo system is to have an eventual total of 30 satellites, weighing about 700 kg (1,543 pounds) each. They come equipped with antennae and sensors and powered by two 5-square-meter (53.8-square-foot) solar wings.