Galileo Constellation
Galileo is a European Global Navigation Satellite System, providing high accuracy global positioning service. It is inter-operable with GPS (USA) and Glonass (Rusia). It will consist of 30 satellites (27 operational + 3 spares), positioned in 3 circular Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) planes at 23,222 km altitude above the Earth, and at an inclination of the orbital planes of 56º to the equator. It will provide good coverage even at latitudes up to 75º north, the most northerly tip of Europe.
2 Galileo Control Centres (GCCs), located in Fucino (Italy) and in Oberpfaffenhofen (Germnay), will monitor and control the satellites, as well as manage the navigation mission. The data received from the satellites by the Galileo Sensor Stations (GSSs) will be sent to the GCCs. This data will be used to compute the integrity information (service not available at the moment) and to synchronise all satellites with the ground station clocks. The data exchange between the GCCs and the satellites will be performed through up-link stations (ULSs).
Galileo will provide improved positioning and timing information. For example:
- To allow users to know their exact position with greater precision than what is offered by other available systems.
- The products that people use every day, from the navigation device in your car to a mobile phone, benefit from the increased accuracy that Galileo provides.
- Critical, emergency response-services benefit from Galileo.
- Galileo’s services will make Europe’s roads and railways safer and more efficient
I would like to see all space related plans and or missions that have any partnerships with the USA be locked in for funding regardless of what problems exist politically or with the massive collective budget or debt and or what party (of choice) an administration is affiliated with. No longer should plans for missions be scrapped for any reason other then true apolitical national security concerns. If plans are made for manned or unmanned missions to Mars or any other planet or moons and is in full agreement with the US Congress and their constituants in agreement with a space related organisation company, firm, corporation, institution, group, consortium, conglomerate, agency, association, or society and so that never again can a change of the gaurd ever scrap those plans for any partisan political or budget and or party realignment reasons – ever again. If this requires removal of executive powers after solidification and mutal publicly funded agreements have been mande and appropriated then that’s it. Only congress and their constituants have any say on any changes to that program or mission. Not the executive branch.