The first satellite for the European navigation system Galileo was successfully launched from Kazakhstan on Wednesday.

The move was a major step forward for Europe's answer to the US-run global positioning system (GPS).

The test satellite, named "Giove A," took off aboard a Russian Soyuz booster rocket at 11:19 AM local time (0519 GMT).

In orbit, the satellite will test atomic clocks and navigation signals, secure Galileo's frequencies in space and allow scientists to monitor how radiation affects the craft.

(Xinhua News Agency December 28, 2005)