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About Galileo What is Galileo?Why Europe needs GalileoWho's involved in Galileo? Galileo technology developmentsHow to build up a constellation of 30 navigation satellites Galileo Documentation Resources Development FacilitiesGalileo system simulation facilityMultimedia Image galleryVideo galleryRSS feeds Screensavers & WallpapersMedia Centre Press ReleasesServices Calendar
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Who's involved in Galileo?
Galileo is a joint initiative of the European Commission (EC) and the European Space Agency (ESA).
The EC is responsible for the political dimension and the high-level mission requirements. The EC initiated in particular studies on the overall architecture, the economic benefits and the user needs. These include the GALILEI studies that address the local architectures, interoperability and signals and frequencies. Moreover, they provide a market observatory and cater for investigations into legal, institutional, standardisation, certification and regulatory issues.
ESA’s responsibility covers the definition, development, and in-orbit validation of the space segment and related ground element. Work on the new technologies needed for the satellite constellation and the ground segment has been continuing at ESA's European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC), at Noordwijk, in the Netherlands for a number of years. These critical technologies include the high precision clocks to be carried on-board the satellites (rubidium and passive hydrogen maser frequency standards), on-board timing units for synchronising the individual clocks to a common Galileo system time, signal generators to produce the positioning signals that the Galileo spacecraft will broadcast, power amplifiers, radio-frequency multiplexers & antennas and telecommand & telemetry transponders.
In parallel, the Galileo System Simulation Facility (GSSF) has been built to test strategies for coping with contingencies when the full system is up and running. In addition, the Galileo Signal Simulation Facility helps with the fine-tuning of the Galileo signal design. ESA has also supported work on technologies needed for Galileo receivers.
The Galileo System Test Bed Version 1 (GSTB V1) has allowed engineers to validate Galileo-specific control algorithms, such as clock adjustments, and procedures for predicting individual satellite orbits, before the full system goes into operation.
The second phase of the GSTB, now named Galileo In-Orbit Validation Element (GIOVE), comprises test satellites whose missions are primarily to check the critical technologies needed for the Galileo system. They will also characterise the medium Earth orbit chosen for the Galileo constellation. Europe has no experience of this environment, since there has never been a European satellite orbiting in this region of near-Earth space.
The Galileo partners include the GNSS Supervisory Authority, which replaced the Galileo Joint Undertaking (GJU) on 1 January 2007. The GJU initiated the development of a full set of applications through calls for ideas in the framework of the European Commission’s research and development programmes. The GJU was also intended to select a Galileo concessionaire within a private-public partnership.
Last update: 17 July 2007 | |
| | Related links Galileo Joint Undertaking (GJU)Galileo website (European Commission)Galileo videos 
Europe shows the way - Windows media player
Europe shows the way - Windows media player
Europe shows the way - Quick time
Europe shows the way - Quick time
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