Europe Pushes Ahead With New GPS System Dubbed Galileo

GPS NEWS

Galileo is the European Union & European Space Agency's initiative in a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). The fully deployed Galileo system consists of 30 satellites (27 operational + 3 active spares), positioned in three circular medium Earth orbit planes at 23,616 km altitude above the Earth, and at an inclination of the orbital planes of 56 degrees with reference to the equatorial plane. The Galileo navigation signals will provide a good coverage even at latitudes up to 75 degrees north, which corresponds to the North Cape, and beyond. The large number of satellites together with the optimisation of the constellation, and the availability of the three active spare satellites, will ensure that the loss of one satellite has no discernible effect on the user.

Paris (ESA) Mar 20, 2002
"Space can do a lot for European citizens. Our global satellite navigation system Galileo is now only a step away from taking wing and fly high", said Antonio Rodota, the Director General of the European Space Agency, welcoming the conclusions of the European Council held on 15 and 16 March in Barcelona, and echoing the appreciation expressed by the ESA Council, the governing body of the Agency, gathered in Paris for its 156th meeting today and tomorrow.

The European Council met in Barcelona for its second annual Spring meeting to take stock of the economic, social and environmental situation in the Union.

In the field of transport, the Heads of State or Government welcomed the progress on Galileo and asked the Transport council, scheduled to gather on 25-26 March in Brussels, to take the necessary decision regarding both the funding and launching of this programme, developed with ESA on a 50-50 fund sharing basis.

The Galileo satellite navigation system, constituted a major topic for decision at the European Space Agency's ministerial Council in Edinburgh last November.

In that occasion, the ministers in charge for space activities in Europe agreed funding for the Galileo development and in-orbit validation phase, subject to the EU Transport Council to approve the Galileo programme.

Spain Signs Up For Galileo
Madrid - Mar 18, 2002 - As a result of a fruitful partnership that the two ventures have been maintaining these last 2 years in the frame of the European satellite based infrastructure Galileo programme, Galileo Sistemas y Servicios, S.L. (GSS) and Galileo Industries, S.A. (GaIn) have signed today an Agreement for the participation of GSS in GaIn.
Among the provisions of the Agreement, stands the ownership by GSS of 14% nominal shareholding of GaIn and the key role that GSS will have in the management of GaIn.
"With this agreement, Galileo Industries SA of Brussels is more than ever before ready to start the development phase of Galileo with the European Space Agency and the Joint Undertaking and also to continue the process of gathering the European industrial skills and efforts for the success of the programme" said Olivier Cola�tis, Chairman of Galileo Industries S.A. in Brussels.
"This step represents the industrial response to the Spanish political and financial support to Galileo. In the last months, Spain has been really shown as a key player in Galileo" said Luis Mayo, President of Galileo Sistemas y Servicios S.L. in Madrid.
In that occasion, the ministers in charge for space activities in Europe agreed funding for the Galileo development and in-orbit validation phase, subject to the EU Transport Council to approve the Galileo programme.

When meeting on 7 December 2001, the EU transport Council could not immediately reach final agreement on the implementation modalities.

However, the Heads of State at their summit meeting in Laeken, Belgium, reaffirmed the strategic importance they attached to the Galileo programme and welcomed the decision of the European Space Agency taken in Edinburgh, inviting the EU Transport Council to take a decision in March 2002. Subsequently, also the European Parliament expressed a favorable opinion on the continuation of the programme.

Meanwhile, an interim structure dubbed GISS -- for Galileo Interim Support Structure -- and consisting of some 30 highly qualified international staff located in Brussels, has been put in place to ensure that the technical development of Galileo is coherent with the user requirements.

The preparatory development activities have been intensified over the last few months with the European space industry, but also with the application and service industries.

Critical technologies, such as atomic clocks and signal generators to be implemented on board the 30 satellites of the Galileo system, are under development and work is progressing as planned.

The Galileo ground segment architecture has been further refined with a view to minimise the implementation and operations cost. Moreover, the activities on the Galileo system test-bed will start soon.

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GPS NEWS

Boeing To Update GPS 2F Satellites

Seal Beach - Mar 13, 2002
Boeing Space and Communications has received approval from the U.S. Air Force to move forward with space vehicle production for the Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) IIF Modernization program.

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