Europe opens up civil navigation system with Galileo satellite
Europe is counting down to the launch of the first test satellite of its Galileo navigation system, designed to rival the reigning US system and put positioning by satellite into civilian hands.
A joint initiative of the European Union and the European Space Agency (ESA), Galileo will both compete with and complement the current US Global Positioning System (GPS), which was originally developed for military targeting and positioning.
The European system was the first to be designed for strictly civilian use and will cost an estimated 3.8 billion euros (4.5 billion dollars).
After more than two years of delays, the Galileo project will finally get off the ground when a Russian Soyuz rocket carrying the test GIOVE-A satellite blasts off from Russia's launch site at Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Lift-off is set for 0519 GMT on Wednesday.
The payload will consist of a British-built 600-kilo (1,320-pound) satellite that will be placed in orbit at 23,000 kilometers (14,500 miles).
"This is an essential step in the Galileo project: going from theory to practice," said Dominique Detain, a spokesman for ESA on the Galileo project.
The GIOVE-A satellite -- the name an acronym for Galileo In Orbit Validation Element but also the Italian name for the planet Jupiter whose moons were discovered by the famous astronomer Galileo -- will test various technologies including an atomic clock that ESA says is the most exact ever sent into space.
With Galileo Europe hopes to gain its independence in the strategic domain of navigating by satellite, which has become indispensable for managing traffic in the air and at sea, and even on the motorways.
The United States and the EU last year reached an accord to adopt common operating standards for the two systems, overcoming American concerns that the Galileo system will compromise the security of GPS, on which the US military is heavily dependent.
Galileo will also be compatible with the Russian GLONASS network, which like the American network is controlled by military operators that cannot guarantee to maintain an uninterrupted service.
According to ESA, Galileo, which will be under civilian control, is designed to deliver real-time positioning accuracy down to the meter (yard) range, which is unprecedented for a publicly available system.
It will guarantee service under all but the most extreme circumstances and will inform users within seconds of a failure of any satellite, which will make it especially valuable where safety is crucial, such as running trains, guiding cars and landing aircraft.
The project's next phase will be the launch of a second GIOVE-B test satellite in 2006, followed with four working satellites by 2008. The ultimate goal remains a constellation of 30 satellites encircling the globe.
The date for opening the network to commercial use has been pushed back two years to 2010.
To help cover the cost of the huge investment, the EU has sought other contributors to the project. To date, agreements have been signed with China and Israel, and negotiations are under way with about a dozen other nations including Ukraine, India and Morocco.
Once in orbit, GIOVE-A will be under the control of the Surrey Satellite Systems operations center in the British city of Guildford.
A joint initiative of the European Union and the European Space Agency (ESA), Galileo will both compete with and complement the current US Global Positioning System (GPS), which was originally developed for military targeting and positioning.
The European system was the first to be designed for strictly civilian use and will cost an estimated 3.8 billion euros (4.5 billion dollars).
After more than two years of delays, the Galileo project will finally get off the ground when a Russian Soyuz rocket carrying the test GIOVE-A satellite blasts off from Russia's launch site at Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Lift-off is set for 0519 GMT on Wednesday.
The payload will consist of a British-built 600-kilo (1,320-pound) satellite that will be placed in orbit at 23,000 kilometers (14,500 miles).
"This is an essential step in the Galileo project: going from theory to practice," said Dominique Detain, a spokesman for ESA on the Galileo project.
The GIOVE-A satellite -- the name an acronym for Galileo In Orbit Validation Element but also the Italian name for the planet Jupiter whose moons were discovered by the famous astronomer Galileo -- will test various technologies including an atomic clock that ESA says is the most exact ever sent into space.
With Galileo Europe hopes to gain its independence in the strategic domain of navigating by satellite, which has become indispensable for managing traffic in the air and at sea, and even on the motorways.
The United States and the EU last year reached an accord to adopt common operating standards for the two systems, overcoming American concerns that the Galileo system will compromise the security of GPS, on which the US military is heavily dependent.
Galileo will also be compatible with the Russian GLONASS network, which like the American network is controlled by military operators that cannot guarantee to maintain an uninterrupted service.
According to ESA, Galileo, which will be under civilian control, is designed to deliver real-time positioning accuracy down to the meter (yard) range, which is unprecedented for a publicly available system.
It will guarantee service under all but the most extreme circumstances and will inform users within seconds of a failure of any satellite, which will make it especially valuable where safety is crucial, such as running trains, guiding cars and landing aircraft.
The project's next phase will be the launch of a second GIOVE-B test satellite in 2006, followed with four working satellites by 2008. The ultimate goal remains a constellation of 30 satellites encircling the globe.
The date for opening the network to commercial use has been pushed back two years to 2010.
To help cover the cost of the huge investment, the EU has sought other contributors to the project. To date, agreements have been signed with China and Israel, and negotiations are under way with about a dozen other nations including Ukraine, India and Morocco.
Once in orbit, GIOVE-A will be under the control of the Surrey Satellite Systems operations center in the British city of Guildford.
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