Liftoff of Flight VA244 with its four Galileo satellites. Credit: © Arianespace.

Arianespace has launched four satellites for Europe’s Galileo global navigation system from the Spaceport in French Guiana.

The company has used its Ariane 5 rocket to deploy the satellites as part of a mission that lasted for nearly three hours 56 minutes.

The mission, designated Flight VA244, has brought the total number of Galileo satellites launched by Arianespace to 26.

It was conducted on behalf of the European Commission under contract with the European Space Agency (ESA).

Arianespace CEO Stéphane Israël said: “Looking ahead, Arianespace is the European launch services provider of choice for the European Commission.

“The European Union, through the Commission, will have around 30 launches to perform in the next several years.”

“And the European Union, through the Commission, will have around 30 launches to perform in the next several years. We support both Ariane 6 and Vega C; our collective priority now has to be delivering on Ariane 6 and Vega C, and closing the technological gap.”

Weighing around 716kg each, the satellites were deployed from a dispenser system that released the probes in two sets with a 20 minute interval.

Flight VA244 marks the third mission to use the workhorse Ariane 5 ES version, provided by production prime contractor Ariane Group.

It was also the final Galileo mission that used an Ariane 5 rocket. The future launches for the Galileo system will use the next-generation Ariane 6 rocket, which is expected to begin providing services to Europe and beyond in 2020.

Ariane 6’s A62 version has already been selected to launch two Galileo missions.

Funded and owned by the European Union (EU), the Galileo programme aims to provide high-precision positioning services around the world.