Galileo (satellite navigation)
Galileo is the global navigation satellite system (GNSS) that is being created by the European Union (EU) through the European Space Agency (ESA), headquartered in Prague in the Czech Republic, with two ground operations centres, Oberpfaffenhofen near Munich in Germany and Fucino in Italy. The €10 billion project is named after the Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei. One of the aims of Galileo is to provide an independent high-precision positioning system so European nations do not have to rely on the Russian GLONASS, Chinese BeiDou or US GPS systems, which could be disabled or degraded by their operators at any time. The use of basic (lower-precision) Galileo services will be free and open to everyone. The higher-precision capabilities will be available for paying commercial users. Galileo is intended to provide horizontal and vertical position measurements within 1-metre precision, and better positioning services at higher latitudes than other positioning systems.
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/jun/13/eu-member-states-block-uks-access-to-galileo-satellite-programme-after-brexit
>A fresh row over the UK’s involvement with the Galileo satellite programme, to which the country’s taxpayers have already paid £1bn, threatens to poison the Brexit talks after the EU shut Britain out of the project.
>A majority of member states have turned against the UK and voted in favour of pushing forward on the next round of contracts for the £8bn project, despite requests for a delay to allow negotiations over British involvement to progress. UK firms are being blocked from bidding for contracts.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/981917/brexit-latest-galileo-european-union-satellite-uk-space-agency
>“It is now right that we explore alternative options to ensure our security needs are met as we continue to take full advantage of the opportunities that exist in the global space sector through our modern industrial strategy.”
https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/970848/Brexit-news-galileo-eu-european-union-esa-falklands-ascension-satellite
>BRUSSELS is attempting to kick Britain out of the Galileo satellite system – but the system relies on ground stations on the British territories of the Falklands and Ascension Island to work!
>A third station on Diego Garcia, in the Indian Ocean, is also a British Territory.
>The UK could thus BLOCK the EU from using its territories for Galileo if Britain is kicked out of participating in the major GPS system – forcing a costly, time-consuming re-think.
>The UK and the EU are still at loggerheads over Galileo, with Brussels it would “no longer be appropriate” for the country to be involved following Brexit next year.
Kek. EU is gonna be in strife when they can no longer use their new GPS system in 2019/2020. But what I was more interested in is why the EU doesn’t want the UK to be in the project anymore. Does the EU no longer trust the UK because the UK has been/is getting cleaned out. And why does the EU want their own GPS system, It says because they don’t want to rely on US, Russia or China but is it because they need to monitor something? Human trafficking? 1x1m resolution. Most GPS systems are about 3x3m for civilians. US Military probably has resolution to the millimeter.