Galileo

The GALILEO programme is a joint EU-ESA initiative which aims to develop a civilian satellite navigation and positioning system. The definition phase of this programme started in 1999. It was followed by the development and in-orbit validation phase. These first two phases were carried out jointly under the responsibility of ESA and the European Union. The deployment and operation phases are the responsibility of the European Union.

The Galileo programme is currently in its deployment phase (FOC). This phase started in July 2008 and should end in 2021 with the placing into orbit of all 30 satellites that will make up the Galileo constellation as well as the establishment of all the earth's infrastructure. It is under the sole responsibility of the European Commission, ESA having received from the European Commission the role of architect and prime of the system.

Given the number of satellites already in orbit and the ground infrastructure already in place, on December 15, 2016, the European Commission declared the opening of the initial services, thus making it possible to prepare the operational phase and to promote the development of receivers. Galileo and corresponding applications. These initial services are primarily:

• the Open service for location applications for the general public,
• the access restricted service (PRS) for pilot projects,
• the search and rescue service for the COSPAS / SARSAT system.

EGNOS

Launched in 1997 and fully operational since 2011, the EGNOS (European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service) programme was the first European initiative in satellite radionavigation.

Thanks to the interoperability of GPS and GLONASS, EGNOS improves both their reliability and their accuracy on the European continent.

It is especially useful for civil aviation because the vertical precision it provides greatly improves that of GPS.

Galileo G2G

Under the aegis of the European Commission, ESA and Industry are already preparing the Galileo Second Generation (G2G) satellites. The transition to the new generation will be done in steps, which is why the European Commission ordered, in 2018, 4 new Galileo satellites, known as transition satellites and equipped with advanced characteristics. These satellites will initiate the transition from the 1st generation to the 2nd.