GALILEO

What is GALILEO?

• GALILEO is the global navigation satellite system (GNSS) created by the European Union (EU) through the European GNSS Agency (GSA).
• GALILEO provides an alternative to both the United States Global Positioning System and Russian Global Navigation Satellite System, offering global coverage with equal or greater precision.
• The €10 billion project is named after the Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei.

GALILEO Operation

• GALILEO is intended to be a EU civilian GNSS that provides free and unrestricted access to anyone with a compatible receiver.
• GALILEO is designed to provide the highest possible precision (greater than GPS) to all users.
• GALILEO also provides an encrypted higher-bandwidth improved-precision commercial service that is available to paying customers.
• GALILEO is designed to provide horizontal and vertical position measurements with 1-metre precision, with better positioning services at higher latitudes compared to other positioning systems.
• GALILEO is also to provide a new global search and rescue (SAR) function as part of the MEOSAR system.

GALILEO Services

• The GALILEO system will have five primary services:

  1. Open access navigation - This will be available without charge for use by anyone with appropriate mass-market equipment; simple timing, and positioning down to 1 meter.

  2. Commercial navigation (encrypted) - Accuracy to 1 centimeter and guaranteed service for which service providers will charge fees.
  3. Safety of life navigation - Open service; for applications where guaranteed precision is essential. Integrity messages will warn of errors.
  4. Public regulated navigation (encrypted) - Continuous availability even if other services are disabled in time of crisis. Government agencies will be main users.
  5. Search and rescue - System will pick up distress beacon locations; feasible to send feedback, e.g. confirming help is on its way.

 

GALILEO Coverage

• The constellation operates in three orbital planes, 56° inclination, ascending nodes separated by 120° longitude (8 operational satellites and 2 active spares per orbital plane).
• GALILEO navigation signals will provide good coverage at latitudes up to 75° north (which corresponds to Norway's North Cape).
• To get a position fix, the receiver must be in the range of at least four satellites, three of which will be used to determine the user's location and the fourth to synchronize clocks of the receiver and the three other spacecraft.

GALILEO Availability

• Initial services became available on 15 December 2016.
• A complete 30-satellite GALILEO system (24 operational and 6 active spares) is expected by 2020.

Do I Need GALILEO?

• Many modern GPS receivers (GPSr) are able to use both GALILEO and GPS satellites simultaneously.
• GPS + GALILEO provides improved coverage and quicker time to fix due to having more than 50 satellites available.
• Offering dual frequencies as standard, GALILEO is set to deliver real-time positioning accuracy down to the meter range.
• For indoor, urban, canyon or mountainous areas, accuracy can be greatly improved over using GPS alone.