An attempt is being made by volunteers all over the world to visit the confl uence points and document the scenery with pictures and narratives
Europe and Russia to restart talks on Galileo and Glonass operations
Negotiations on interoperability between the European Galileo and Russian Glonass satellite navigation systems are expected to restart soon, after a yearlong hiatus. The hope of talks follows an agreement on dialogue structures between the European Commission and Russia’s Federal Space Agency (FSA).
A trilateral steering board has been created for discussions between the EC, European Space Agency and the FSA. ESA already has working groups covering areas of co-operation under its framework agreement with the FSA, including satellite communications, global navigation and technology. These will include EC representatives and will report to the new steering board. A new working group on Earth observation will also be created.
www.flightglobal.com

GIOVE A Transmits Loud And Clear
After launch and platform commissioning, GIOVE A started signal transmission on 12 January and the quality of these signals is now being checked. This checking process is employing several facilities, including the Navigation Laboratory at ESA’s European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC), in the Netherlands, the ESA ground station at Redu, in Belgium, and the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) Chilbolton Observatory in the United Kingdom.
Chilbolton’s 25 metre antenna makes it possible to acquire the signals from GIOVE A and verify they conform to the Galileo system’s design specifi cation. Each time the satellite is visible from Chilbolton, the large antenna is activated and tracks the satellite. GIOVE A orbits at an altitude of 23 260 kilometres, making a complete journey around the Earth in 14 hours and 22 minutes.
The GIOVE A mission also represents an opportunity for the testing of a key element of the future Galileo system, the user receivers. The first Galileo experimental receivers, manufactured by Septentrio of Belgium, were installed at the Redu and Chilbolton In Orbit Test Stations and at the Guildford, United Kingdom, premises of Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL), the manufacturer of the satellite and now in charge of its control in orbit.

GIOVE-A transmits first Galileo signals

The GIOVE-A satellite is in good health and started transmitting the
fi rst Galileo signals from medium earth orbit on 12 January.
GIOVE-A was placed in orbit (altitude 23,260 km) by a Soyuz-Fregat rocket
operated by Starsem on 28 December last from the Baikonur cosmodrome.

First Galileo satellite launched from Kazakhstan
The EU’s fi rst satellite of the Galileo navigation program has been launched from Kazakhstan. The 600 kg British built spacecraft, named “Giove A,” took off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on a Soyuz rocket early Wednesday morning (28 December 2005). The satellite is part of Galileo, the €3.4 billion system from which the EU is aiming to deploy a total of 30 satellites by 2010. The network will provide access to precise timing and location services delivered from space to the bloc’s member states. The Galileo project aims to revolutionise industries including transport and will be used in maritime, rail and other navigation systems. According to reorts it will help the EU to set up a new air-traffi c control system, allowing pilots to fly their own routes and altitudes. Giove A will test technologies needed for the other components of the project, like the in-orbit performance of two atomic clocks or radio frequencies assigned to Galileo within the International Telecommunications Union. Galileo is a joint project between the EU and the ESA.
http://euobserver.com

China joins Galileo spacebased application projects
A Chinese general contractor for the European Galileo Project in Beijing recently obtained three space-based application projects. The Galileo Joint Undertaking (GJU) endorsed the China Galileo Industries (CGI) to develop search and rescue radar transponders (SART), laser retrore ?ectors and up-link stations (ULS). Meanwhile, the Early Galileo Services in China (EGSIC) and the Galileo Olympic Games Demonstration (GOGD) are also open for public bidding. China was the first country outside Europe to join the Galileo Project, agreeing to invest a total of 200 million euros into the global consortium. About 70 million euros of the Chinese investment have been put into technologies development and the remaining 130 million euros into deployment of space and ground infrastructure.
http://english.people.com.cn

Galileo – the European Programme for Global Navigation Services for civil purposes is an initiative led by European Union. We provide regular updates to our readers on the Galileo programme.
CPS partners to play key role in improving Galileo system performance
Cambridge Positioning Systems have announced that it will partner with LogicaCMG in a major pan-European project to drive new mobile location technology and applications development for the multi-billion Euro Galileo satellite programme.
The Application of Galileo in the Location-Based Services Environment (AGILE) project aims to foster widespread adoption of Global Navigation Satellite Services (GNSS) for both enterprises and consumers.

AGILE will create a detailed development roadmap for new high accuracy Location-Based Services (LBS) leading up to the launch of the first Galileo satellites in 2007.

Israeli MATIMOP becomes a member of GJU
The Executive Director of the Galileo Joint Undertaking (GJU) Mr. Rainer Grohe and the Director of the Israeli MATIMOP Mr. Yair Amitay, signed the Agreement in Jerusalem, whereby MATIMOP becomes a member of the GJU. The signing ceremony was hosted by the Israeli Vice- Prime Minister, Mr. Ehud Olmert. Rainer Grohe: “I am very pleased that MATIMOP is now a member of the Galileo Joint Undertaking. Israel has performed great achievements in space technology. I am certain that the participation of Israeli entities will contribute signifi cantly to the overall success of the Galileo Programme. Israeli and European industries will mutually benefi t from their experiences.” MATIMOP is a non profi t organisation, under the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor, which promotes technological and R&D cooperation and technology transfer activities between Israeli and foreign industries.
The GJU was set up in 2002 by the European Union (EU) and the European Space Agency (ESA) to manage the development phase of Galileo – the European global satellite navigation programme. MATIMOP has committed to contribute EUR 18 million to the GJU, for activities in the development phase of the Galileo Program. The Israeli side will participate to the development phase with their own technical contribution.
http://europa.eu.int/comm/dgs/energy_transport/galileo

EU and India seal EU and India seal their agreement
After intensive exchanges held since January 2004, negotiations on India’s participation in Europe’s satellite radio navigation programme fi nally reached approval. The agreement, initialled today in New Delhi at the occasion of the EU-India Summit in the presence of UK Prime Minister Tony Blair as EU Presidency, European Commission President José Manuel Barroso and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, will ensure the availability of highest quality Galileo services in India as well as cooperation to establish regional augmentation systems based on EGNOS and GALILEO. Welcoming the outcome of the negotiations, Vice-President of the European Commission Jacques Barrot said: “This is another important step for the development of GALILEO as an international programme, but also a major milestone in the EU/India partnership”. The agreement was initialled by Mr Francisco Da Camara Gomes, Head of the EC Delegation in India, representing the European Union, and Mr G. Madhavan Nair, Secretary, Department of Space, representing India. Considering that India has well proven capabilities in space, satellite and navigation related activities, the agreement will provide a positive impulse for India and European industrial cooperation in many high tech areas.
India is the fourth country joining the GALILEO programme, after the signature of agreements with China, Israel and Ukraine. Discussions are also under way with Argentina, Brazil, Morocco, Mexico, Norway, Chile, South Korea, Malaysia, Canada and Australia.
http://europa.eu.int/

Galileo – the European Programme for Global Navigation Services for civil purposes is an initiative led by European Union. We provide regular updates to our readers on the Galileo programme.
China gets three Galileo application projects
A Chinese general contractor for the European Galileo Project recently obtained three application projects. The Galileo Joint Undertaking (GJU) endorsed China Galileo Industries (CGI) to develop the fishery application system, the location-based services and special ionospheric studies for the Galileo regional augmentation services.
The EU and the European Space Agency had kicked off the 3.5 billion- billioneuro Galileo Project in March 2002 euro to develop a satellite-navigation system independent of the U.S. The first Galileo navigation satellite is expected to be launched later this year. China was the first country outside Europe to join the Galileo Project, agreeing to invest a total of 200 million euros into the global consortium. About 70 million euros of the Chinese investment have been put into technologies development and the remaining 130 million euros into deployment of space and ground infrastructure. The EU estimated that by 2020, the Galileo Project will bring Europe tens of billions of euros in revenues and tens of thousands of job opportunities. Chinese experts expected revenues worth 260 billion yuan (23.6 billion euros) in Galileo systems applications by 2020.
http://news.xinhuanet.com

Galileo – the European Programme for Global Navigation Services for civil purposes is an initiative led by European Union. We provide regular updates to our readers on the Galileo programme. India is likely to sign an agreement whereas Ukraine seals deal with EU on Galileo.
Galileo Joint Undertaking, Chinese RS Centre to sign contract
Galileo Joint Undertaking (GJU) and National Remote Sensing Centre of China (NRSCC) will sign seven contracts soon, said a GIU official. The cooperation between China and European Union (EU) on satellite navigation is “crucially important” and expected to have a very successful future, said executive director Rainer Grohe in a press release.
According to Zhang Guocheng, acting director of NRSCC, the seven projects in the segments of space, ground and applications will be contracted to Chinese companies and organizations by the end of July. According to a cooperation agreement signed by the NRSCC and the Galileo Joint Undertaking last October, China pledged to invest in research and development on space technology, ground equipment and application systems for the Galileo Programme. As the first non-EU partner for the programme, China agreed to invest 200 million euros, including 70 million euros in the first phase of the cooperation.
http:// news.monstersandcritics.com