Monday, June 27, 2011

Boost Europe's Galileo navigation system into the big money

The European Commission says it has about 500 million euros (£ 440) "in the pocket" using it to will make the additional purchase.

It would be the European version of GPS from 18 active satellites in the next few years to take to 24.

This should make a big difference to Galileo's performance.

It should also accelerate the eventual completion.

The announcement was made at the Paris Air Show by the Vice President of the European Commission Antonio Tajani, who has taken the overall responsibility for the flagship in Brussels the EU space project.

"It is possible to not only reduce costs but also the timing," he said. "And by reducing the time, we reduce the cost, this is a very good cocktail -. cost and schedule together."

Mr Tajani was necessary at Le Bourget airfield on the last two industry contracts to Europe's satellite navigation system venture to sign a reality.

The combination of these two agreements is estimated € 355m. They are both concerned with ground operations.

One (€ 281m), with Thales Alenia Space of France, who are looking for with the Galileo navigation and timing data, so it is correct for the transmission of the satellite commissioned formatted.

The other contract (73.5 million euros) is going to Astrium UK. Their work will ensure the good "housekeeping" of the satellite, including the maintenance and the correct positioning of the satellite in orbit.

But it was the news that Mr. Tajani had managed to find the major economies in the project that dominated the discussions at Le Bourget.

The much-delayed Galileo initiative is under constant attack from critics for its cost.

EU Member States had to have been € 3.4 billion on 18 satellites into orbit by the end of the year celebrated in 2014, and it recently said they may find a further 1.9 billion to a completed form "constellation" of 30 to get the satellite to the end of the decade.

The British government in particular has argued vociferously against any further funding, although the UK national companies are likely to be the biggest beneficiaries.

London will be pleased to hear that Mr. Tajani was now to be able to slow the expected future expenses.

Mr. Tajani said the Paris Air Show event that the savings from additional efforts by the industry to contain costs and were an improvement in the management of project resources as a whole. Are taken from the 500 in reserve, and for other obligations, believes that the EC-VP he will spend about 300 m are available.

The timing is crucial. It means, Mr Tajani has money available before the next EU budget, or new financial perspectives, to acquire more satellites.

The first two Galileo satellites will start to go into orbit in October, on a Russian Soyuz rocket from French Guiana. They are followed by a further pair in 2012.

Another 14 are under construction, with the last satellite of this series due to roll off the assembly line in mid-2014th That would total 18 in the orbit until 2015.

But Mr. Tajani now has it in his power to get the pace of construction, either by running the current contractor (OHB-System in Germany), his production continues, or by turning to the back-up provider (Astrium) parallel to the production of additional spacecraft.

Six more satellites, a total of 24 would be close to full capacity very Galileo.

It is assumed, of course, that finding enough rockets to launch additional satellites are, and that there is no startup failures or disruptions in the probe itself, as soon as they arrive in orbit. Were these problems arise, the newfound opportunity budget could quickly evaporate.

But if events go the way of the Lord Tajani 24 satellites in orbit could be by 2015/16.

The savings also mean that the EU Member States will be asked for less money for Galileo in the next Financial Perspective.

Galileo is expected to improve substantially the availability and accuracy of timing signals from space.

Its next-generation technologies to the users to get faster, more reliable fixes and be able to find their positions with an error of one meter, compared with the current GPS error of several meters.

It should in particular benefit in those locations where GPS signals penetrate current struggle, as in high-rise cities.

With Galileo cooperate with the American system, the performance improvements seen Navi work well even in the deepest "urban canyons".

Soon the majority of mobile phones, navigation integrated as standard, and many new companies are likely to spring up around the use of time and location data about the movement.

Colin Paynter, CEO of Astrium UK, said it was time for everyone, even the British government has fully behind Galileo because of the opportunities they are offered.

"We must do more to inspire the downstream applications market in the UK," he told BBC News.

"Over the next year while we work to promote at Astrium in the delivery of infrastructure, government and industry to get out there and Galileo needs. There is great income from UK companies have to be in the future."

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