GPS Systems: Europe’s Galileo GPS Plan Limps to Crossroads - by Andrew Higgens

Ringed by snow-covered mountains on a plateau east of Rome, the Fucino Space Center stands guard over the European Union’s flagship joint project: a satellite navigation system that is years behind schedule, many times over its original budget and unlikely to start operating for at least another year.

Europe’s future commitment to the project, known as Galileo and designed to create a new, improved and European-controlled version of America’s Global Positioning System, is to be decided in Brussels on Thursday and Friday, when European leaders will try for a second time, after talks failed in November, to hash out a long-term budget for the 27-nation bloc.

With recession and austerity clouding much of the Continent, they will argue over where the ax should fall on a European Union budget for 2014 to 2020, which would total nearly $1.35 trillion as drafted. 

An over-budget satellite navigation system that is years from full completion, largely a duplicate of an American system already widely used in Europe and unlikely ever to generate much revenue would seem to be in the budget cutters’ cross hairs.

But Galileo’s backers are confident, so much so that they are asking for $8 billion beyond the more than $4 billion already spent. For Galileo promises perhaps the one thing that still seems able to overcome European leaders’ devotion to austerity: economic and technological independence from the United States.

“It is like a car going on a highway — it is very difficult to stop,” said Lucio Magliozzi, chief operating officer of Telespazio. The Italian-French company manages the Fucino control center, which is tracking the handful of Galileo navigation satellites launched by Europe so far. 

Note EU-Digest: the basic argument for Europe to have Galileo remains the same: leaving the future of space research just in the hands of America, China and Russia is not an option. 

 Read more: Europe’s Galileo GPS Plan Limps to Crossroads - NYTimes.com

GPS: Europe to launch Galileo services by end of 2014

The battle lines between tomorrow's GPS systems are being drawn today - and Europe's Galileo system has key advantages, say German researchers.

"The European satellite navigation system Galileo will start providing services by the end of 2014 and offer, for instance, search and rescue services, and public regulated services by the end of 2014", European Commission Vice President, Antonio Tajani, said at the official opening of the European GNSS Agency (GSA) headquarters in Prague recently.

Full operations will be available at the turn of 2019 and 2020 and at least 18 out of a total of 30 satellites will already  be in orbit by 2014. Two satellites are available at the moment and another two will be added on October 10.

The €20 billion project is named after the Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei. One of the aims of Galileo is to provide an independent high-precision positioning system upon which European nations can rely, independently from the Russian GLONASS, US GPS, and Chinese Compass systems, which are controlled by the military and can be disabled in times of war or conflict.

EU-Digest

ESA - Galileo in tune: first navigation signal transmitted to Earth

Europe’s Galileo system has passed its latest milestone, transmitting its very first test navigation signal back to Earth.

The first two Galileo satellites, launched on 21 October, are in the midst of their In-Orbit Test campaign. A detailed check-up is being carried out by ESA's Redu ground station in Belgium to ensure their payloads are performing as specified, with no degradation from the launch. The different Galileo signals are being activated and tested one by one. Soon after the payload power amplifiers were switched on and ‘outgassed’– warmed up to release vapours that might otherwise interfere with operations – the first test signal was transmitted in the early morning of Saturday 10 December by the first Galileo satellite. This signal was then captured at Redu.

For more: ESA Portal - Galileo in tune: first navigation signal transmitted to Earth

Europe Launches Two Galileo Satellites to Cut Reliance on GPS - by Makiko Kitamura

Europe’s Galileo global navigation system launched its first two satellites today as part of a project that may generate 90 billion euros ($124 billion) in economic and social benefits over two decades.

The satellites rode a Russian rocket launched from a space port in Kourou, French Guiana, to an altitude of 23,000 kilometers (14,300 miles), the European Commission said in a statement. While 4.5 billion euros have been allocated to develop and build the system for the period ending in 2013, another 7 billion euros will be needed for the budget cycle through 2020 to finish building the system and keep it operating, said Ingrid Godkin, an official at the commission.

Satellite technology is used for applications including in- car navigation, time-stamping transactions at banks and powering telecommunications. Unlike the Global Positioning System, developed by the U.S. military, Galileo is designed for civil purposes and aims to end Europe’s reliance on GPS. Galileo will also have a commercial, fee-based service for high-precision, guaranteed signals for use in areas including mining, surveying and mapping, which GPS doesn’t offer.

Galileo also will provide “a guaranteed system that won’t be vulnerable to being shut off for political or military reasons,” Godkin said.

Germany’s OHB System AG will build the first 14 satellites, and France’s Arianespace made the launchers. The system will start operating in 2014 and will be available free of charge.

“We are following it closely,” said Kristina Nilsson, a spokeswoman for TomTom NV, in the Netherlands, Europe’s biggest maker of portable navigation devices. “GPS is accurate, but we always track all new technical developments.”

 For more: Europe Launches Two Galileo Satellites to Cut Reliance on GPS - Businessweek

European GPS: Galileo Moves Forward with Launch of Tracking and Control Center in Sweden

European government authorities on Dec. 13 inaugurated an Arctic tracking and control center for the future Galileo satellite navigation system in the latest signal that the program is moving forward despite the absence of funds to complete it.

The Kiruna Galileo Ground Station, located at Swedish Space Corp.’s Esrange facility in northern Sweden, “will show the world that Galileo is becoming a reality and is not just paperwork,” Rene Oosterlinck, director of navigation programs at the 18-nation European Space Agency (ESA), said during the inauguration ceremony.

ESA and the European Commission have been co-financing Galileo, with the Brussels, Belgium-based commission now in charge of overall program management. 

For more: Galileo Moves Forward with Launch of Tracking and Control Center in Sweden | SpaceNews.com

Germany: OHBs Sales Rise on Galileo and Weather Satellite Work - by Peter Seiting

German satellite and rocket-component manufacturer OHB Technology on Nov. 9 reported 50 percent increases in revenue and backlog on the strength of its contract to build 14 of Europe’s Galileo navigation satellites, and said its expected work on a European meteorological satellite program has increased to well over 300 million euros ($420 million).

For more: OHBs Sales Rise on Galileo and Weather Satellite Work | SpaceNews.com

GPS:Germany's OHB to win EU Galileo satellite contract

"We havent heard yet if its eight or 14 satellites," said Philip Davies, a senior official at Surrey Satellite Technology (SSTL) Ltd, British partner of OHB in the bid "I am 100 percent sure it will be OHB which will be chosen tomorrow," said Davies, whose company is an offshoot of Surrey University. Such a decision would be a blow to European aerospace giant EADS which led its own Galileo bidding group including Thales Alenia Space.

The satellite network is meant to challenge the dominance of the US-built Global Positioning System (GPS) which is widely used in navigation devices. The EU aims to have the network up in space by 2013.

The EU has struggled to secure financing for the project, originally put at 3.4 billion euros (5.4 billion dollars), and has had to tap unused funds from the bloc's massive agricultural budget.

Germany's OHB to win EU Galileo satellite contract: source

ESA Portal - Europe's GPS system: Galileo satellite platform tests under way

For the complete report from the ESA Portal click on this link

The engineering model of the first Galileo satellites has completed platform integration tests at the Thales Alenia Space facility in Rome. The platform is now undergoing functional testing. Delivery of the engineering model payload from Astrium UK is expected in December. These tests are an important step towards building and launching the first four Galileo satellites. Integration testing verifies the interfaces between units or subsystems and the larger integrated system. Functional testing demonstrates that the integrated elements meet their design specifications. The proto-flight and three flight model satellites will also integrated and tested at Thales Alenia Space in Rome. They will be carried into orbit in pairs by Soyuz ST-B / Fregat MT launchers from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. The first launch is scheduled for late 2010 and the second for early in 2011.

The definition phase and the development and In-Orbit Validation phase of the Galileo programme were carried out by the European Space Agency (ESA) and co-funded by ESA and the EU. Galileo is a joint project developed by the European Commission and European Space Agency. Once completed, the system will include up to 32 satellites and will work alongside GPS and GLONASS. Galileo promises to provide real-time positioning with pinpoint accuracy to within a single meter of an object's exact location. It is designed for use with mission critical circumstances and situations where lives are at stake, and it is guaranteed for all but the most extreme situations. It is also designed to work in urban areas, under trees, inside buildings and other locations GPS cannot penetrate; it will provide an "integrity" component to alert users to possible major errors that could compromise performance.

GPS World: Norway Joins EU Galileo Project - GPS System Integration Design & Test

For the complete report from the GPS world click on this link

Norway Joins EU Galileo Project - GPS System Integration Design & Test

The Norwegian government has decided that Norway shall participate in the Galileo project together with the 27 members of the European Union (EU). Norway is not a member of the EU. The Norwegian participation would cost almost 600 million Norwegian kroner (USD 93 million) over five years. The bill is expected to be passed by the Norwegian parliament in the course of this spring. During earlier Galileo system design, Norway was able to influence the choice of the Galileo constellation, with the purpose of getting as good coverage in the Nordic countries as in Central and Southern Europe. Originally, the constellation was proposed to consist of satellites in both geostationary and inclined orbits, but after simulations carried out at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim the geostationary orbits were abandoned because of reduced performance at high latitudes. Now, an agreement with the European Union has been negotiated, resulting in active Norwegian participation in Galileo. This will give Norwegian companies full access to bidding for EU development contracts, among other things, and is very much welcomed by Norwegian industry. It is assumed that this will be worth about ten times as much as the direct Norwegian contribution to Galileo funding.

Inside GNSS: EU Proposes Big Changes for GSA within Galileo Program

For the complete report from Inside GNSS click on this link

EU Proposes Big Changes for GSA within Galileo Program

A proposal now before the European Parliament and Council of the European Union would complete the transformation of the European GNSS Supervisory Authority (GSA) from the leading executive agency for the Galileo program into a diminished subsidiary of the European Commission (EC). That pre-eminent role, envisioned under the strategy of a public-private partnership (PPP) abandoned more than two years ago, would have seen the GSA sign and oversee a contract with a private consortium building and operating the Galileo system and its precursor European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS). Instead, under the terms of EC Communication 139 released March 24, the GSA would be renamed the GNSS Agency with the EC holding veto power over its administrative board and the agency’s primary mission reduced to market research and promotion of Galileo as well as conducting security audits.

Mundogeo: European Galileo GPS System confirmed for military purposes

For the complete report from the MundoGEO click on this link

European Galileo GPS System confirmed for military purposes

The European Parliament confirmed that the Galileo Satellite System will be also be used for military and security purposes, to enhance their communication capabilities. This applied to satellite-based intelligence and warning equipment with air vehicles, helicopters and telecommunication equipment, also with air and sea transport.The first experimental satellite, part of the Galileo System Test Bed (GSTB) was launched in 2005. The objective is to characterize the critical technologies, which are already under development.
This consists of 30 satellites (27 operational + 3 active spares) positioned in three circular Medium Earth Orbit planes at 23 222 GPS counterpart.

GPS World: Galileo Key to European Defense, Says EU Parliament

For the complete report from the GPS world click on this link

Galileo Key to European Defense, Says EU Parliament

While the European Parliament agrees that European space policy should not support the weaponization of space, it nevertheless recognizes the need for Galileo to serve the European Union's defense and security — a change from its earlier stance on the issue. Galileo proponents originally envisioned the European GNSS as existing completely in and for the civilian realm — one of the chief arguments for Galileo has been the fact that GPS is administered by the U.S. military. In fact the European Parliament in the past has rejected resolutions or legislation that hinted at a military role for Galileo. But with Europe having settled on public funding for the project, on Thursday it recognized the role of Galileo to European defense and military interests in space, effectively changing its collective mind.

IHT: Europe's GPS - Galileo wins €2.4 billion bailout

For the complete report from the International Herald Tribune click on this link

Europe's GPS - Galileo wins €2.4 billion bailout

The European Union on Wednesday ratified a €2.4 billion public bailout of the European satellite project meant to rival the GPS system in the United States. The European Parliament endorsed new rules underlying a plan to tap the EU budget for the extra $3.8 billion to build the Galileo road, rail, ship and air-traffic control network.

The approval removes the final hurdle after EU governments decided in November to use taxpayers' money to rescue the project, which is over budget and behind schedule. "We are giving the go-ahead to one of the most important projects in the EU," Angelika Niebler of Germany, head of the Parliament's Industry Committee, told the assembly here. "This is a technology that we need."

Avionews: Galileo: towards an agreement for its launch

For the complete report from Avionews click on this link

Galileo: towards an agreement for its launch

The European Parliament will have to approve, in the April 22 session, the regulation that will allow the implementation of the European satellite navigation program's following the negotiation's failure for the concession's contract, which would have to entrusted the Galileo's management to some privates. The program, that will benefit from 3.4 billion Euro for 2007-2013, aims at realizing the first global radio-navigation infrastructure for civilian purposes.

Science Centric: Two years in space for Galileo satellite

For the complete report from Science Centric click on this link

Two years in space for Galileo satellite

Since January 2006, Galileo signals have been broadcast by GIOVE-A, and received all around the globe. At ESA’s research and technology centre in the Netherlands, a laboratory is checking both the instruments on board the spacecraft that generate the signals and the receivers on the ground. This testing and calibration has allowed the specialists to confirm the success of the mission, which is a good sign for the rest of the programme.To reach operational status, Galileo needs a constellation of 30 satellites and an associated network of ground stations spread all around the globe. This phase has just been confirmed with the decisions taken by the European Union, which has agreed on a financing package of 3.4 billion Euros and proposed to entrust ESA with the full deployment of Galileo by 2013.

AFP: European GPS - EU reaches agreement on satnav project says commissioner

For the AFP click on this link

EU reaches agreement on satnav project says commissioner

European Union countries, excluding Spain, reached agreement Thursday on the long-delayed Galileo satellite navigation project after lengthy talks on how the work would be divided up, the EU presidency announced. Spain decided not to associate itself with the final declaration, EU Transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot told reporters, after the other 26 EU transport ministers had reached agreement to salvage the troubled project. The EU's satellite navigation system aims to break Europe's reliance on the US military-run Global Positioning System (GPS).

Note EU-Digest: This is a very good move and investment by the EU for the future. Europe should not rely on other countries for its communication and GPS systems.

heise online - EU Heads of state and government to decide the future of Galileo

For the complete report from the heise online click on this link

EU Heads of state and government to decide the future of Galileo

The business is as slow and laborious as it gets: Politicians and members of the industry have meanwhile clocked up five years of delay when it comes to the creation of the planned European satellite-based navigation system Galileo. While the original plans had called for a commercially viable rival to the United States monopoly to be up and running by 2008, the present plans indicate that a complete system will not be able to commence operations until 2013 at the earliest. A delay that Russia will undoubtedly use to upgrade and expand its own GLONASS (Globalnaya Navigatsionnaya Sputnikovaya Sistema [Global Navigation Satellite System]) system – hitherto used for military purposes only – to meet the requirements of the booming navigation market. Moscow intends to increase the number of its Uragan satellites, which circle the earth in three orbital planes at a distance of 19,100 kilometers, to 24 – a number that would permit global use of Russian navigation services. For their part the US have meanwhile begun to beat the drum for their new GPS III system, which will feature two additional civilian signals and do without Selective Availability (SA), which artificially distorts the satellite signals. The new technology is meant to replace the minimum set of 24 active GPS satellites (the current total is 31) and the earth stations by 2014 at the latest.

In Europe those in charge have for years now been bickering over money, powers and responsibilities – with the result that only one Galileo test satellite, Giove-A, has so far been launched into space. Enough to prevent the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) from taking back the radio frequencies reserved for the Galileo system. The repeatedly delayed launch of a second Galileo test satellite is now scheduled to take place in March 2008 -- provided the project hasn't collapsed completely by then.

Note EU-Digest: The EU should not fall asleep on the Galileo project. Insiders are aware that the US has used considerable political pressure on the EU not to develop its own spacial navigational system, but it is essential Europe gets the Galileo project underway if it doesn't want to become dependent for their navigational security on the Americans or the Russians.

Europe acknowledges that Galileo can have military applications

For the complete report from the GPS world click on this link

Europe acknowledges that Galileo can have military applications

Amidst all of the controversy over funding for the beleaguered Galileo system, Europe's answer to the U.S.-based GPS, comes official acknowledgment that Galileo will have its military and defense uses, alongside civilian applications. Proponents of the Galileo system all along have maintained that since the U.S. global positioning system was created and is maintained by the U.S. military, that Europe should have its own, purely commercial civilian satellite navigation system. Given the importance of GPS to navigation and commerce, Galileo's proponents argue having an alternative is critical, should the U.S. military cut off civilian use of its satellites.

However the European Space Policy, signed off earlier this week by ministers from the European Space Agency's (ESA) member states and others tasked with internal market, industry and research within the European Union’s Competitiveness Council, notes that defense is an important parameter to Galileo and space technology in general.