Galileo, the first Europe’s global navigation satellite system

Do you know Galileo Galilei? He was an European astrologer, physicist, astronomer, and philosopher who is closely associated with the scientific revolution. I think that's why European using his name for the new global navigation satellite system in Europe.

Galileo will be the first Europe’s own global navigation satellite system, providing a highly accurate, guaranteed global positioning service under civilian control. There are at present two radio navigation satellite networks in the world, one American (GPS), and one Russian (Glonass). Both were designed as military systems. Since the Russian system seems to have not succeeded in generating any significant civil applications, GALILEO offers a real alternative to the establishment of a de facto monopoly in favour of GPS and American industry.

It will be inter-operable with the Global Positioning System (GPS) and Russia’s Global Navigation Satellite System (Glonass), the two other global satellite navigation systems. Galileo will deliver real-time positioning accuracy down to the metric range with an unrivaled integrity. Numerous applications are planned for Galileo including positioning and derived value added services for transport by road, rail, air and sea, fisheries and agriculture, oil prospecting, civil protection activities, building, public works and telecommunications.

The operational Galileo system will consist of 30 satellites (27 operational + 3 active spares), deployed in circular Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) at an altitude of 23,616 km altitude, over three orbital planes inclined at 56 to the equatorial plane.To prepare for Galileo, Europe has implemented a preliminary satellite-based navigation system with the European overlay navigation system (EGNOS). This system delivers corrective and integrity data to enhance the performance of the two existing military navigation satellite constellations (GPS and Glonass). It has been operational since mid-2003.