Galileo (satellite navigation)

Galileo is a <a href="/facts/Satellite_navigation/lVgPlF5v">global navigation satellite system</a> (GNSS) created by the <a href="/facts/European_Union/6GYcR8qM">European Union</a> through the <a href="/facts/European_Space_Agency/L8YRNV0C">European Space Agency</a> (ESA) and operated by the <a href="/facts/European_Union_Agency_for_the_Space_Programme/YRGzTAAE">European Union Agency for the Space Programme</a> (EUSPA). It is headquartered in <a href="/facts/Prague/txpRNTUE">Prague</a>, <a href="/facts/Czech_Republic/vJYLD66Q">Czechia</a>, with two ground operations centres in <a href="/facts/Oberpfaffenhofen/MImqPVUT">Oberpfaffenhofen</a>, <a href="/facts/Germany/paluuWBX">Germany</a> (mostly responsible for the control of the satellites), and in <a href="/facts/Fucine_Lake/ceEIYAUX">Fucino</a>, <a href="/facts/Italy/tUf0PDYF">Italy</a>, (mostly responsible for providing the navigation data). The €10 billion project began offering limited services in 2016. It is named after the Italian astronomer <a href="/facts/Galileo_Galilei/98VT2z3v">Galileo Galilei</a>. 
One of the aims of Galileo is to provide an independent high-precision positioning system so European political and military authorities do not have to rely on the United States <a href="/facts/Global_Positioning_System/DKVLnzF3">GPS</a> or the Russian <a href="/facts/GLONASS/sLh1vQ6p">GLONASS</a> systems, which could be disabled or degraded by their operators at any time. The use of basic (lower-precision) Galileo services is free and open to everyone. A higher-precision service is available for free since 24 January 2023, previously only available to government-authorized users. Galileo is also to provide a new global <a href="/facts/Search_and_rescue/pdLTUPgl">search and rescue</a> (SAR) function as part of the <a href="/facts/International_Cospas-Sarsat_Programme/JHaAbw9x">MEOSAR system</a>.
The first Galileo test satellite <a href="/facts/GIOVE-A/46CTg30h">GIOVE-A</a> was launched 28 December 2005, while the <a href="/facts/List_of_Galileo_satellites/VqEP3MKe">first satellite</a> to be part of the operational system was launched on 21 October 2011. Galileo started offering Early Operational Capability (EOC) on 15 December 2016, providing initial services with a weak signal. In October 2018, four more Galileo satellites were brought online, increasing the number of active satellites to 18. In November 2018, the <a href="/facts/Federal_Communications_Commission/Ueghz8W0">FCC</a> approved use of Galileo in the <a href="/facts/United_States/P0sCdLe5">US</a>. As of September 2024, there are 25 <a href="/facts/List_of_Galileo_satellites/VqEP3MKe">launched satellites</a> that operate in the constellation. It is expected that the next generation of satellites will begin to become operational after 2026 to replace the first generation, which can then be used for backup capabilities. Most satellites of the programme were built by <a href="/facts/OHB/FuCSx32h">OHB</a> in Bremen, Germany, with the contribution of Surrey Satellite Technology (SSTL) in Guildford, United Kingdom.
The Galileo system has a greater accuracy than <a href="/facts/Global_Positioning_System/DKVLnzF3">GPS</a>, having an accuracy of less than 1 m when using broadcast ephemeris (GPS: 3 m) and a signal-in-space ranging error (SISRE) of 1.6 cm (GPS: 2.3 cm) when using real-time corrections for satellite orbits and clocks.

Galileo (satellite navigation) open-in-new

Galileo (satellite navigation)