After many disagreements, finally Europe’s long-sought GPS service will be realized by 2013, or at least that is what the 27 European transportation Ministers have claimed.
The green light to Europe’s GPS comes after a long-lasting crisis prompted by the breaking down earlier this year of the private consortium in charge of most of Galileo’s development and implementation. The initiative would have been declared dead had Ministers not reached an agreement before January 2008.
The 3.4bn-euro venture will now be financed from the EU budget, but it is not clear yet whether a private group could operate the network once Galileo’s 30 satellites are in orbit 26,000km above the Earth.
Although some EU member states had for a long time opposed to the terms of the initiative and demanded a more prominent role, there has finally been unanimous backing for the much delayed project. Spain only endorsed it after allowed to host a ground center dedicated to civil protection. Meanwhile, Italy and Germany – the latter one bears the greatest financial burden of Galileo - will be home to ground stations supporting the 30 satellites scheduled for launch by the end of 2011-12.
The EU has no previous experience in creating a project of the scope of Galileo. So it comes as no surprise that some critics have raised concerns about the costs of the service and claimed that its benefits do not justify its cost. There are also doubts as to whether the project will increase employment and cut dependence on its American counterpart. In response to all the criticism casting a shadow on Galileo, advocates have argued that if you aim to be a somebody in the space industry, then you should not rely on another country’s military technology.
Despite all the cons, Europe has decided to follow on the steps of the United States, which launched its GPS service decades ago. These kinds of services are usually seen as a sign of strength among the world’s powers. Galileo promises to improve navigation, the internet services, the security of economic activities and transactions and electricity.
Original Source (s):
BBC
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