The challenges facing Galileo

Study of the nascent European satellite navigation system, Galileo, is well underway and a decision by the EU Council of Ministers on whether to proceed with the test satellites is expected by late 2000. Although some believe that current systems, most notably the US GPS, make it unnecessary, the history of satellite navigation so far provides some justification for a European system. Nevertheless, Galileo faces a number of challenges if it is to succeed. These include not only the technical specifications for a new generation of navigation satellites and the ground structure, but also a coherent business plan for funding the launch, operation and maintenance of the system. Lastly, one has to consider the compatibility and interoperability of Galileo with the existing GPS and Glonass satellite systems, as well as the likely competition from GSM and (third generation) UMTS mobile services.