Artist's impression of GIOVE-A, the first of ESA’s In-Orbit Verification spacecraft for the Galileo global navigation satellite system, as it deploys its second solar array shortly after launch by a Russian Soyuz/Fregat vehicle, in December 2005.

Artist's impression of the launch of GIOVE-A in December 2005, on a Russian Soyuz/Fregat vehicle. The satellite is shown as it separates from the Fregat upper stage after reaching a medium Earth orbit. On top of the satellite is its phased array L-band antenna, able to illuminate all the visible Earth below it.