Final agreement to start up the Galileo navigation system

2003/05/28 Carton Virto, Eider - Elhuyar Zientzia

• Komunikazioak

The construction of the Galileo navigation system will cost between 3,200 and 3,400 million euros, but as it is a paid service, experts have announced the opening of an annual market of 10,000 million. As a result, there have been strong discussions among the States participating in the project when distributing the pie. It took more than a year to close the agreement, as the project was approved by the Transport Ministers of the European Union in March 2002.

Finally, Germany, France, the UK and Italy have been the countries that have absorbed most of the cake, 17.3% each. Spain, for its part, has achieved a 10-12% stake, higher than the one initially offered. Galileo resembles the current American GPS system, but seems to be more accurate. The GPS has a precision of six meters and the new system will have 2 meters. The system consists of 30 satellites that rotate the world in an orbit of 23.626 km and at an angle of 56º with the equator. Of these 30 satellites, 27 will be operational and 3 will be reserve. In addition, in Europe there will be two control centers that will control the operation of satellites and navigation system.

Additional information:
Europe free from US orbit Galileo
for Independence

Galileo becomes a reality for Europe