The launch of Galileo - the GPS rival

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas and that 2006 is treating you well. On the note of all things new and merry (tenuous link) the European Galileo GPS system has launched its first satellite. This new satellite positioning system is set to be operational in 2010 and will offer accuracy of less than a metre – for civilians and military alike.

The first of 30 satellites was launched last Wednesday (28th December) and goes by the catchy name of Giove-A. It was sent into orbit by a Russian Soyuz rocket, fired from Kazakhstan, and ground control engineers in Britain (SSTL) have already received signals from the satellite.

Later this year, a second test satellite will go into space, followed by four working satellites in 2008 and so on until the first commercial use in 2010. According to the Times, the US and the EU reached an agreement last year so that the two systems will have common operating standards, and Galileo will also be compatible with the Russian GLONASS network (which is another military system).

So that’s the technical bit…but what can this system do? Well most of Galileo’s potential applications are navigation based, like the current US GPS system, but unlike standard GPS, the European system is designed to work in built up areas and even inside buildings. Also, the arrangement of the satellites means that the probability of receiving enough signals (a minimum of four) for an accurate position is greater than 90 per cent anywhere in the world. In Europe coverage is to be ‘total’ with six to eight satellites to be visible from any location.

The Galileo system will stay under civilian control (the US GPS system is run by the military. For lots of facts on how the current system works, click here). This should benefit civilian users as currently the US government can switch off the system for public use without warning. The Galileo system will instead guarantee service under all but the most extreme circumstances and will inform users within seconds if any satellite fails, making it especially valuable where safety is crucial, such as in transport.

So in summary – Galileo back on schedule = good thing.

Any thoughts on the new system? Post and let me know.