Galileo
The European Global Navigation Satellite System
The European Global Navigation Satellite System Galileo provides global positioning, timing and navigation services. It is the fourth globally available satellite navigation system alongside the American Navstar GPS, the Russian GLONASS and the Chinese BeiDou. While all other systems are primarily designed for military use, Galileo is the only system under civilian control.
High accuracy in determining location and time
Galileo consists of a global network of 24 satellites. The satellites are evenly distributed in three orbits located approximately 23,000 kilometres above Earth’s surface. Two control centres in Germany and Italy ensure that Galileo works reliably and with high precision around the clock. The accuracy of positioning offered by Galileo is higher than that of any other satellite navigation system.
Galileo in everyday life
As part of Galileo, various services are provided to fulfil different tasks. For example, the Open Service provides signals for positioning and navigation to all citizens. Over a billion smartphones that support positioning via Galileo have already been sold.
In addition, the Public Regulated Service offers greater reliability and resilience for public authorities including the police, emergency services and critical infrastructure operators such as power grid operators. This also indirectly benefits all citizens.
European cooperation for a global navigation system
The European Commission (EC) has overall responsibility for Galileo. It funds the development of the system, its operation and the development of technologies for the next generation. The European Space Agency (ESA) is responsible for developing the Galileo system in space and on the ground. ESA also provides technical support and advances the development of a new generation of satellite navigation systems. The European Union Space Programme Agency (EUSPA) in Prague provides security accreditation for all services and is responsible for reliable operation.
