It has been reported that one of the first missions for the yet-to-launch Ariane 6 has been given to the rocket it is intending to replace. This mission concerns the first two Batch 3 satellites for the European Galileo Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). These satellites are now planned to fly on a Soyuz ST-B rocket, albeit still out of the European spaceport in French Guiana.
The planned launch using the Ariane 6 had been delayed until 2021. With the switch to the Soyuz, the EU can expect its navigation satellites to be launched closer to the original planned date in late-2020. The new launch date is reported to be tentatively planned for 15 December. However, this new target is still dependent on when the spaceport can re-open after its closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
