Air traffic control, shipping and road transport, farming, mapping, rescue operations, crisis management and law enforcement services have all been revolutionised by accurate and reliable positioning systems.
The Galileo programme is a joint initiative of the European Commission and ESA to provide Europe with its own independent global civil satellite navigation system, compatible and interoperable with the existing American GPS and Russian GLONASS military-controlled systems. EGNOS, the European
Geostationary Navigation Overlay System, already provides improvements to European users of GPS, by monitoring them around the clock and computing correction and integrity data.
Looking beyond the transport sector, where it will enhance safety, efficiency and comfort, Galileo’s advanced technological features and its commercially oriented services will make it a valuable tool for many more economic sectors.
Two demonstration missions, GIOVE-A and B, have already been launched. The first four operational Galileo satellites will perform the In-Orbit Validation and Qualification of the Galileo design. In its full configuration, the Galileo system will be made up of a constellation of 30 satellites circling Earth at an altitude of 23,000 km and operated by a network of ground stations
around the globe.