The European Space Agency (ESA) has launched the next study phase of Europe's Galileo satellite navigation project with the release of €19 million ($17.4 million) in additional funding. The recent approval of the funding by ESA's Navigation Programme Board allows initial design work to begin immediately on Galileo.
Work on the €3.2 billion global navigation satellite system (GNSS) is continuing despite the decision by Europe's transport ministers in December to hold back full-scale development of the system. This was due to ongoing concerns with the public-private partnership (PPP) and management issues, including establishing a public agency to take responsibility for the operational Galileo system.
Europe's transport ministers are due to decide on Galileo's future in April, giving the European Commission (EC) and ESA time to resolve PPP and management difficulties. Despite the delay, the EC and ESA "are convinced that such an important and strategic project for Europe's future will shortly be given a clear go-ahead", the partners said at a recent Galileo information day in Brussels.
The additional funding was approved by ESA's council last December and was due to be released on condition of transport minister approval in the same month. Following the delayed European Union (EU) assent, however, ESA had to take measures to release the funds. The investment will allow initial design work to be conducted, including mission consolidation and support studies on Galileo services and PPP consolidation, says ESA.
Galileo will comprise 30 satellites in medium Earth orbit at an altitude of 23,000km (14,300 miles). ESA and the EC propose that Galileo be built in three stages, with a mix of private and public finance. Phase One - development and in-orbit validation - will cost €1.1 billion, to be funded equally by ESA and the EU. The initial phase will put "a handful of satellites" into orbit by the end of 2005 to validate the Galileo system.
The development and validation phase will be funded in two parts, the first €53 million stage covering the initial design work and the consolidation of the Galileo mission requirements. ESA member states were due to allocate this funding last month, with the second €497 million installment to be allocated before the end of this year.
The second, or deployment, phase costing €2.1 billion, with the money coming from public and private sources, will end in 2007 with all satellites launched. The third phase, after 2007, will involve full operations and be financed by the private sector.
Source: Flight International
