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14-03-09 Europe expects busy year in space

Europe will launch two flagship space telescopes this year,and three satellites that will acquire key data about ice,gravity and soils on Earth.European Space Agency boss Jean-Jacques Dordain set out his priorities for 2009 at a Paris briefing on Wednesday.He said 2008's successes,which saw the Columbus science lab attached to the space station,were "exceptional"."Last year was really an outstanding vintage," he added."But there'll be no breathing space going forward."Esa activity this year will witness the recruitment of new astronauts and the start of Soyuz launches from the European spaceport at Kourou in French Guiana.The Soyuz initiative has required considerable investment at Kourou,to construct facilities that are a facsimile of those at the Russian rocket's traditional home of Baikonur,Kazakhstan."This will be a significant milestone in many ways," explained Mr Dordain."We really do need Soyuz because at least half of Esa missions are due for launch on Soyuz,whether that be scientific missions or Galileo [satellite-navigation] satellites."On the much-delayed Galileo programme,Mr Dordain said 2009 would be marked by positive progress,with the first contracts to build the system finally awarded in the coming months