Two GPS satellites launched to bolster the European Space Agency’s Galileo satellite constellation took a wrong turn, and ended up in the wrong orbiting position. It is unknown whether satellites can be saved, but neither are classified as lost yet by the ESA.

“Both satellites have been acquired and are safely controlled and operated from ESOC, ESA’s Operations Centre in Darmstadt, Germany,” said the ESA in a statement.

A private company Arianespace launched the satellites August 22 from French Guiana, and initially proclaimed the mission a success via Twitter:

Doresa and Milena are on their way! A success at the service of #Europe: http://t.co/II6roSHpUK @ESA @EU_Commission pic.twitter.com/5JbvTw4nNK

— Arianespace (@Arianespace) August 22, 2014

However, hours later the company released a brief statement admitting the orbital malfunction, which read in part, “complementary observations gathered after separation of the Galileo FOC M1 satellites on Soyuz Flight VS09 have highlighted a discrepancy between targeted and reached orbit.”

It is not determined whether or not the satellites will be able to achieve their intended orbit and begin operations within the Galileo network. The ESA is “investigating the potential implications on the mission” of the orbital anomaly, but will not release any more information until a “preliminary analysis of the situation” is conducted later today.

However, if they are lost, then the fledgling European GPS network will experience a major setback in its attempts to rival the accuracy and speed of its American counterpart.

The Galileo network is planned to be comprised of 30 satellites and accomapnying ground infrastructure. Currently, four satellites are in orbit and operational, these last two were supposed to be the fifth and sixth spacecraft of the constellation. Before this operation setback, the ESA planned to launch six to eight satellites per year, and amass 24 GPS spacecraft by 2017.