As well as providing global navigation services, Europe’s Galileo satellite constellation is contributing to saving more than 2000 lives annually by relaying SOS messages to first responders. And from now on the satellites will reply to these messages, assuring people in danger that help is on the way. This ESA-design ‘return link’ system, unique to […]

DefenceTalkThe Galileo satellite navigation system, Europe’s rival to the United States’ GPS, has nearly 100 million users after its first year of operation, the French space agency CNES said Thursday. The system, seen as strategically important to Europe, went live in December 2016, having taken 17 years at more than triple the original budget to […]https://www.defencetalk.com/europe-claims-100-million-users-for-galileo-satnav-system-71386/

DefenceTalkSeventeen years and more than 10 billion euros ($11 billion) later, Europe’s Galileo satnav system is set to go live on Thursday, promising to outperform US and Russian rivals while boosting regional self-reliance. Initial services, free to use worldwide, will be available only on smartphones and navigation boxes already fitted with Galileo-compatible microchips. Some devices […]https://www.defencetalk.com/galileo-europes-own-satnav-to-go-online-68670/

DefenceTalkESA’s Galileo satellites have achieved their very first aerial fix of longitude, latitude and altitude, enabling the inflight tracking of a test aircraft. ESA’s four Galileo satellites in orbit have supported months of positioning tests on the ground across Europe since the very first fix back in March. Now the first aerial tracking using Galileo […]https://www.defencetalk.com/galileo-achieves-its-first-airborne-tracking-49937/