Author Archives: Galileo GNSS

[vid] The history of Galileo

The Galileo name first appeared in the Communication of the Commission from February 1999. Since then, the programme has been on its way towards full operational capacity. Eighteen satellites are already in orbit and a further 12 will be launched by 2020. The Financing Decisions for the programme were taken by the European Council in the early 2000s.

The definition phase, development, and In-Orbit Validation phase of the Galileo Programme were carried out by the European Space Agency (ESA) and co-funded by the ESA and the EU.

The Full Operational Capability phase of the Galileo Programme is fully funded by the EU and managed by the European Commission. The Commission and the ESA have signed a delegation agreement by which ESA acts as the design and procurement agent on behalf of the Commission.

 

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Galileo Service Operator Contract (GSOp) signed

Galileo Control Centre - Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany

Galileo Control Centre – Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany

Following a lengthy and complex tendering process that started in January 2015, the European GNSS Agency (GSA) awarded the Galileo Service Operator (GSOp) contract, with a value of up to EUR 1.5 billion, to Spaceopal at a special event in Brussels. Spaceopal is a joint venture between the German Aerospace Agency (DLR) and Italy’s Telespazio.

“With its emphasis on service performance, this contract will shape the future of Galileo,” says GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides. “We look forward to building a strong partnership with Spaceopal as Galileo moves towards full operational capability under the responsibility of the GSA from January 2017.” Read more…

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Galileo initial services available #GalileoGoesLive #MyGalileo

Europe’s own Galileo satellite navigation system has begun operating, with the satellites in space delivering positioning, navigation and timing information to users around the globe.

This animation shows how service availability increases as the overall number of satellites in the Galileo constellation goes up.

Today, the European Commission, owner of the system, formally announced the start of Galileo Initial Services, the first step towards full operational capability. Read more…

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Galileo to Go Live on Thursday

Galileo Constellation

Europe’s Global satellite navigation system is all set to go live this Thursday. Seventeen years and more than 10 billion euros ($11 billion) later, Europe’s Galileo satnav system promises to outperform US and Russian rivals while boosting regional self-reliance. Initial services will be free to use worldwide on smartphones and navigation boxes fitted with Galileo-compatible microchips. Some devices may only need a software update to start using the new technology, as several smartphone companies were already making chips compatible with it.

At first the signals might be a little weak but will be boosted with help from satellites in the US military-run GPS system, and grow stronger over time as orbiters are added to the now 18-strong Galileo network orbiting 23,222 kilometres (14,430 miles) above Earth. Read more…

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How to access raw GNSS measurements on smartphones

BQ Aquaris X5 PlusThe ability to access raw GNSS measurements opens up a range of opportunities for mobile app developers, but how do you access the data? During the first European GNSS Agency (GSA) Galileo Hackathon at the WhereCamp ‘unconference’ in Berlin Dr Lukasz Bonenberg from the University of Nottingham explained how app-developers can access raw GNSS measurements on smartphones via the latest release of the Android operating system.

The technical briefing for app-developers at the first GSA Hackathon at Beuth Hochschule für Technik in Berlin covered the latest developments and opportunities for GNSS and Location Based Services (LBS) including both hardware and software. Read more…

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Galileo boosts accuracy and makes positioning more precise

bq-screenshotWith more signals and better accuracy, Galileo is an invaluable resource for mobile developers working on precise positioning applications. During the first Galileo Hackathon at the WhereCamp in Berlin, experts from the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) shared how Galileo is boosting accuracy and making positioning applications more precise.

App-developers at the first GSA Hackathon in Berlin got a full technical briefing on the latest developments and opportunities for GNSS and Location Based Services (LBS) at Beuth Hochschule für Technik. The packed briefing session heard why the GSA wants the developer community to play with Galileo data, how it hopes to stimulate the community to use Galileo signals to enhance their applications and, therefore, bring the two closer together. Read more…

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Galileos 13 and 14 transmitting navigation signals

Galileos 13 and 14 encapsulatedOn 01 December Galileo satellites 13 and 14 begun transmitting navigation signals as fully operational members of the constellation.

The pair were launched from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana on May 24 (https://galileognss.eu/galileo-liftoff-replay-soyuz-vs15/).

After launch and maneuvers to reach their final orbital altitude, their navigation and search-and-rescue payloads were methodically switched on and checked out. Their performance was assessed in relation to the rest of Galileo system. Read more…

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