European satellites fail to reach orbit after launch

Two satellites launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) failed to reach their intended orbit, the agency announced on Saturday.
The satellites, Doresa and Milena, were launched from a spaceport in French Guiana on Friday after a nearly two-day delay due to the weather, dpa reported.
They are intended to comprise part of a network of satellites called Galileo that will form the basis for, among other things, a European Global Positioning System.
ESA and manufacturer Arianespace both announced that they would investigate the cause of the latest problem.
While ESA said the satellites were being controlled and operated from an operations center in Darmstadt, Germany, it was not immediately clear whether they would be able to independently achieve their intended trajectory.
The project is slated to be completed by 2017, when a total of 24 satellites are planned to orbit.