China has confirmed its $232 million investment in the $3.7 billion European Galileo global navigation satellite system, while India has expressed interest in taking a $345 million stake in the programme.
Galileo is scheduled to be operational in 2008, with 30 satellites operating in medium Earth orbit - 27 operational and three spare - and two ground control centres. Operating the system will cost about $250 million a year.
Russia, meanwhile, is discussing with the European Union the possible creation of a "unified" navigation satellite system comprising Galileo and the Russian Glonass system, which at the moment comprises 13 satellites,but is underfunded.
Launches of replacement Glonass satellites have been sporadic.
Source: Flight International