Project Galileo

The Galileo positioning system, referred to simply as Galileo, is a proposed Global Navigation Satellite System, to be built by the European Satellite Navigation Industries for the European Union and European Space Agency (ESA) as an alternative to the United States operated Global Positioning System (GPS) and the Russian GLONASS. Galileo will make Europe more autonomous from the other world (espescially from USA).

The Galileo system will consist of 30 satellites. First Galileo satellite (it weights 600kg) was sent to the space in 2005. As a reaction to the starting of Galileo U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense sent a letter to his European colleagues; in the letter it was said that the Galileo system can be a threat to US security when it is in wrong hands – it was logical reaction against the monopol-crushing competitor.

According to the latest news the European Union said that Europe's $4.9 billion satellite navigation system Galileo is in deep crisis and will require more public funds to get back on track. "Galileo is in a profound and serious crisis. Galileo has already seen major delays because the eight companies in the consortium are arguing over how to divide the workload. We're in a dead-end street," said the German Transport Minister Tiefensee. "The cardinal problem is that the companies still have not been able to agree on the way forward. We need to find an alternative solution.” He is also sure that the system will be not completed before 2012 (Galileo was originally to have started launching its 30 satellites -- compared to GPS's 24 -- by 2008. however, that date was postponed to 2011 due to previous disagreements between EU governments on how to pay for the system).

In my opinion it would be stupid if the project stucks in finacial questions. Somewhere it was said that the entire cost of project Galileo is the same as the cost of ca 150-200 km highway – Isn’t the project worth of 200 km highway? EU should take the weight and bring this project to a succsessful end. EU is very good sponsor because it’s a union and it represents the interests of many nations (interestin is the fact that countries like China and South-Corea take part in the project Galileo). Let us hope that the golden mean will be found between the different interests.

Links:


http://www.esa.int/esaCP/index.html

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• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galileo_positioning_systemorg/wiki/Galileo_positioning_system