Europe’s Galileo International GNSS Project

The USA’s Global Positioning System service remains free, but the European Union is spending billions to create an alternative under their own control. In addition to civilian GPS (the Open Service), services to be offered include a Safety of Life Service (SoL) for civil aviation and search and rescue, a paid Commercial Service with accuracy greater than 1 meter, plus a Public Regulated Service (PRS) for use by security authorities and governments. PRS/SoL aims to offer Open Service quality, with added robustness against jamming and the reliable detection of problems within 10 seconds.
Organizational issues and shortfalls in expected progress pushed the “Galileo” project back from its originally intended operational date of 2007 to 2014/15. After a public-private partnership model failed, the EU gained initial-stage approval for its plan to finance the program with tax dollars instead of the expected private investments. Political issues were overcome in 2007 by raiding other EU accounts for the billions required, but by 2011, it became clear that requests for billions more in public funds were on the way. Meanwhile, doubts persist in several quarters about Galileo’s touted economic model. Security concerns regarding China’s early involvement, and its potential Beidou-2/Compass projects, have been equally persistent, and there is good reason to expect that the constellation has a military purpose. On a European political and contractual level, however, Galileo is now irreversible.
This article offers background, players, developments, contracts, and in-depth research links for Galileo, as well as linked EU programs like GIOVE and EGNOS.
The Galileo Program
The Galileo System
Galileo Elements
Galileo: Structure & Costs
Galileo: Timeline
Galileo: A Military Dimension
Contracts and Key Events
2014
2012 – 2013
2010 – 2011
2008 – 2009
2003 – 2007
Appendix A: Gallileo – How Do You Solve a Problem like the EU?
Initial Momentum
Consortium Confusion
Funny Money
Additional Readings
Background: Galileo Basics
Background: Galileo Precursors and Ancillaries
PNT/GNSS Alternatives
News and Views
The Security Dimension

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