More countries will this year become technical and scientific co-operation partners in Europe's Galileo satellite navigation system, joining China and Israel, says Pedro Pedreira, executive director of the European Global Navigation Satellite System Supervisory Authority (GSA).
The GSA took over from the Galileo Joint Undertaking (GJU) on 1 January and will own and manage Galileo's assets. The GJU gained China and Israel as members, with both contributing funds to Galileo. Others to sign broader co-operation agreements, without committing funds, are India, Morocco, South Korea and Ukraine.
Pedreira declines to name the nations expected to become paying contributors, but says: "Other countries will have technical and scientific agreements in the near future."
The GSA's first task is to complete the agreement with a concessionaire to operate the Galileo infrastructure under licence and is negotiating with the Merged Consortium, a collection of European companies.
Pedreira expects by mid-year to conclude a "fundamental agreement".
Source: Flight International
