Europe鈥檚 plan to build its own network of global navigation satellites received a kick start on Thursday.
Europe鈥檚 transport ministers meeting in Luxembourg gave the European Commission鈥檚 鈥淕alileo鈥� project a perfect lift off by approving a funding package worth 100 million Euros (拢63 million) to get the programme moving.
The rationale is to free Europe from dependence on the US鈥檚 Global Positioning System (GPS) and Russia鈥檚 GLONASS network. Both were developed by the military and the commission argues that Europe should have its own system.
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The European Space Agency has already pledged 努50 million to Galileo. This and the EC money are the first contributions to the 鈥渄evelopment and validation鈥� stage, which will last till 2005 and cost a total of 1.1 billion Euros.
ESA and the EC will decide whether to commit the remaining 950 million Euros by the end of 2001. But the EC鈥檚 landmark decision on Thursday makes it far more likely, says ESA鈥檚 Franco Bonacina: 鈥淣o one is going to step back from this now. We were waiting for this strong political lead.鈥�
Big fleet
By the end of 2005, two or three satellites would be in orbit. The second, 2.1 billion Euros phase will involve industry and will aim to have up to 30 satellites in space by 2008. Having seeded the project with public money, the EC and ESA are hoping they can coax the giants of Europe鈥檚 telecommunications industry to chip in.
Galileo will be designed from scratch so that all aircraft, ships, cars and other forms of transport can navigate using signals from the satellites.
But the project is controversial, not least because the GPS system is free of charge. Some nations including the UK, Germany and the Netherlands took some persuading to agree to contribute.
Nonetheless, the architects of the scheme at the EC say that the payoffs will be large. Aside from the luxury of having its own network, Europe will also be able to build up its technological capacity in satellite technology, a source at the commission told New 杏吧原创.
Also, GPS was built 30 years ago so the new system would offer increased reliability and novel features.
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