Starting another decade…

With the slogan “GNSS and Security“ the Munich Satellite Navigation Summit started a new decade of conferences and mentioned that this unique European Satnav-conference has its 10th anniversary. The organizing institute ISTA (which was former known as Institute of Geodesy and Navigation) from the Universitaet der Bundeswehr Muenchen, invited highranking speakers from all over the world to discuss the progress and challenges of GNSS. The traditional Opening of the Summit in the beautiful Court Church of All Saints was highlighted by a very broad and interesting panel and a strongvoiced and colorful “a cappella” choir to pause for a moment. Prof Dr Bernd Eissfeller – chairman of the Munich Summit Committee and director of the organizing Institute – welcomed the guests from 24 countries and recalled the key achievements of the Summit making it to a successful platform for networking, discussing and presenting news in satellite navigation.

GNSS and Security

Dr Ronald Mertz, Ministerialdirigent at the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Infrastructure, Transport and Technology appreciated the achievements of the Galileo program in the previous year, mentioning the two IOV satellites in orbit supervised from Galileo Control Center in Oberpfaffenhofen. According to the Munich Summit´s motto “GNSS and Security” Torsten Staffeldt (Raporteur for Aviation and Space Travel of the German Bundestag) stressed the importance of GNSS for security. Security is a critical issue. Galileo PRS will give new opportunities. Joel Szabat (Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policiy, Washington DC) pointed out that there was too little transparency in GNSS in the past and too much focus on the “enemy”.

Presenters of ‘GNSS and Security’ session

Variety of Topics – Variety of Nations

In 2012 the Munich Satellite Navigation Summit came up with a broad variety of interesting topics as well as an international mix of experts presenting regional, global and augmented systems. Nevertheless, two of the 2012 highlights were the Session on “COMPASS” presented by the Chinese delegation and the Session “Galileo and Security” which was chaired by Prof Vidal Ashkenazi (Chief Executive of the U.K.-based Nottingham Scientific Ltd.). He asked his panel members if it should be possible for certain countries to become PRS participants through separate agreements. Edgar Thielmann (Head of Unit GP3 of the EC in Brussels) said “We see the risk and we want common rules on this.” He further pointed out that through giving PRS to the hands of a third country the whole union can be put into risk. Carlo des Dorides (Executive Director of the GSA in Brussels) stressed that next to the EU 27, there are countries who are involved in PRS development and countries applying for EU membership. Alain Bories (OHB AG Bremen, Germany) added that from the industrial point of view, PRS is an interesting segment and the possibility to external companies to enter should be granted.

Big Day for a Small Girl

Special guest of the Munich Summit was the German winner of the European Commission’s Galileo drawing competition. Doresa (11 years) from the Theodor-Storm-Primaryschool in Berlin Neukoelln – presented the winning picture “in cosmos” and her trophy. The Galileo Children’s Drawing Competition was open to children born between 2000 and 2002 in the 27 EU Member States. Participants were asked to draw a picture on the theme “space and aeronautics” using any material they wished. The Galileo Satellites will bear the names of the winning artists. A satellite named after Doresa will represent Germany in orbit soon.

The Munich Satellite Navigation Summit thanks all partners, speakers, sponsors, exhibitors and attendees who made the Summit again a success. The Munich Summit 2013 will be held February 26.-28., 2013.
– Heike Haas
heike.haas@unibw.de