Two operational agencies have been proposed to oversee crucial parts of the European Galileo global navigation satellite system, including one to work on interoperability with rival systems.
The European Commission, which handles the administration in the joint undertaking with the European Space Agency, is keen to spin off responsibility for tender applications and security to help the month-old project meet its strict deadline.
The EC's proposal centres on the creation of two bodies - a supervisory authority to oversee the tender for the concession to deploy and operate Galileo; and a centre for safety and reliability, which will handle security aspects associated with the system.
EC vice-president Loyola de Palacio says the plan is "fundamental" because it establishes the crucial legal and institutional framework for managing the Galileo programme from 2006 onwards.
Galileo's deployment and operation will be handled by a private contractor, to be appointed by the end of this year, and a call for tenders will be issued in the next few weeks. The proposed supervisory authority would act as a licensing body, ensuring that service obligations are met, and would also be controller of the radio frequencies.
The centre for safety and reliability's task would also be to ensure that the satellite system is adequately defended against "hostile intentions", says the EC. The team would also have to be capable of taking signal-scrambling or interruption measures in an emergency, it adds.
The integral security of Galileo has long been a thorny issue between Europe and the USA, whose rival global positioning system is military-led.
Source: Flight International
