This year, the IGS (International GNSS Service) Workshop will feature a special keynote lecture on the Galileo system, given by Marco Falcone of the European Space Agency (ESA). The keynote will address the current status of the now 18-satellite constellation, with special focus on the commissioning of the last four satellites, which were launched in November 2016. Overall system performance will also be discussed, including availability of signal in space, satellite ranging, positioning, and associated availability at the user level. Falcone will address timing performance with regard to Galileo System Time in contrast to UTC as well as GPS to Galileo Time Offset. He will also discuss the mission recovery of the GSAT201 and 202 satellites in elliptical orbit, plans for GSAT104 usage, satellite production, and the path ahead to full operation capaability.

Marco Falcone currently serves as the System Manager in the ESA Galileo Project Office in Noordwijk, the Netherlands. He earned master’s degrees in Computer Science from the University of Pisa in 1987 and in Space Systems Engineering from the University of Delft in 1999. Falcone brings thirty years of large space systems engineering experience to the Galileo System Office, where he leads a dynamic team of ESA and industry personnel responsible for systems engineering, mission operations, and security efforts.

Workshop registration closes on June 16th; please visit the workshop website for more information.