[Avionics Magazine 01-10-2017] The European Global Navigation Satellite Systems Agency (GSA) announced the declaration of Galileo Initial Services in December, officially moving the European Global Satellite Navigation System from a testing phase to the provision of live services.
Photo: GSA.
Galileo is Europe’s Global Satellite Navigation System (GNSS). The first services offered by Galileo include the Open Service, Public Regulated Service (PRS) and Search and Rescue Service (SaR). All of these services are available free of charge.
According to GSA, most Galileo-enabled chipsets and receivers are found in the automotive, consumer, agriculture and surveying sectors. For example, in the road sector, satellites help with vehicle navigation and fleet management.
Galileo will also soon be providing support to location-based operations in all other market segments. Receivers for Unmanned Autonomous Systems (UAS) are already capable of tracking the Galileo signal.
GSA has not said when Galileo will be available to support location-based operations for commercial airplanes, but this is one of the topics that will be discussed during the agency’s annual receiver workshop in March.