Galileo GNSS

Incoming Future
Goran Vojkovi, Ph.D.
goran.vojkovic@fpz.hr

Europe invests 3.4 billion

Photo: ESA

History
Currently there is only one fully functional global
navigation satellite system, The Global Positioning System
(GPS).
GPS was to serve for military purposes only and has
replaced old systems such as Transit from the 60s which
and required several hours to locate ones position.
After tragedy of Korean civil Boing 747 (Flight KE 007)
which was brought down by the Soviets on August 31st,
1983 , due to entering their space, President Ronald
Reagan ordered free use of GPS system for civil use.
Its accuracy for civil use was decreased. Function called
Selective Availability ensures potential mistakes within
100 meters range.
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GPS as we know it
When Gulf War started in 1990, Americans and allies
simply did not have enough military GPS devices so
the soldiers started to use civilian devices available
on market. Selective Availability was turned off in
order to achieve accuracy.
Extremely influential Federal Aviation Administration
lobbied to see Selective Availability permanently
turned off.
Programmed error was officially switched to zero on
May 1st, 2000 by the decision of President Bill
Clinton.
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What do we have?
GPS is now public and free for civil use according
to announcement of American Department of
Defence from September 19th, 2007 and new
satellites do not even have an opportunity to switch
Selective Availability on the USA developed
function of local interference of accuracy.
However GPS (full name NAVSTAR-GPS) remains
under military supervision of US Department of
Defence and is formally a military system!
The only existing alternative, Russian GLONASS is
also a military system.
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Disadvantages
Military system despite promises given by the US;
no one can ensure that in case of crisis US would
not limit the system.
System is not precise enough on high geographical
latitudes while the polar flights are more frequent.
The most important: GPS does not have system of
error reporting! In case of damaged system GPS
does not inform user to rely on another navigation
system. That is why GPS has not reached the status
of primary navigation system.

Insufficient reliability
Canadian authorities documented a case of GPS
signal being disconnected for 80 minutes.
Similar happened in some US states while aircraft
captains reported on certain problems above the
Atlantic and Mediterranean.
Probably there would be more problems but they
were considered to be errors of receiver or
consequences of atmospherical changes.

European way
In the first phase in 1999, several concepts have
merged (Germany, Italy, France and UK) and
created unique engineering team for system
development.
It was instantly decided that primary duty of the
system is civil - possibility of disconnection was to
be limited for exceptional conditions only.
It was also decided that the system would be
equally precise for both civil and military purposes.

Interoperability
After September 11th, 2001, the US Government stood
against European plans stating that such a plan would
disable the US to disconnect global navigations satellite
system in the time of military operations.
Such US reaction only convinced Europe that they need
their own, independent system, and during 2004 safety
issues were raised with Americans.
Planned modulation was changed and enabled GPS
and Galileo systems co-existance.
EU agreed with certain safety compromises such as
frequency system adjusting so that Galileo system may
locally be blocked in a way for military use of GPS stay
possible.
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Managing
Until 2007, Galileo is in
deep crisis with only
one satellite launched GIOVE-A.
Project was lead by the
several companies
consortium called
European Satellite
Navigation Industries.
However, during 2007
EU took over direct
management of the
project.
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Milestone
In April 2008, when EU
Ministers of Traffic
approved new legal
regulation that ensured
quality project
budgeting EU
approved 3.4 billion
Euro assets.
Photo: ESA

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What do we want?
System Galileo will consist of 30 satellites upon
completion (27 operable and 3 in backup) divided
into three circle orbits on 23,222 km and should
cover the whole territory of Earth.
It was planned to reach better coverage of high
geographical latitudes where we face very alive air
traffic.
It should have better coverage of urban zones.
It will implement several various services.

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Interoperability
As agreed with the US,
interoperability of
Galileo and GPS
systems is reached
which ensures better
accuracy.
As example would be
professional devices
that combine GPS and
GLONASS.

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New accuracy
EU has reached three criteria as Galileo priorities, based
on current experience:
o Accuracy,
o Reliability and
o Safety.

Satellite locations will provide accuracy better than one

meter which will ensure automatisation of operations
such as sailing into port, navigating vehicles on parking
lot or accurate navigating agricultural machinery.
Completely new services such as assistance for blind
persons.
Reliability is reached by harmonizing satellites and
informing users by a special message in a case of system
error.
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Feedback?
One of sub-projects within Galileo covers possibilities
of feedback in case of danger.
Should satellites be projected as transceivers it will
be possible from any part of the world (with proper
equipment)to send a signal for danger.
Satellites would redirect that signal towards Earth
where it would be forwarded, with location data, to
authority in charge for rescuing in certain state.
It is an idea to have the system return a feedback
to the one who requested help.

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Political decision
Talking about an important and complex project of
EU such as Galileo, without referring to politics,
would not be proper.
Galileo is one of the answers on a question how to
reach technological independence of Europe.
Europe counts that Galileo will generate new
markets and services with value per year of 10
billions Euro, with 100,000 new jobs. Is it publicity or?

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Pro/contra
Those who are familiar with satellite navigation
technology will say Galileo does not bring anything
new: today is already possible to reach high
accuracy of GPS by additional land transmitters
and is also possible to send a signal for danger via
satellite phone. Also it is possible precisely and with
reliability navigate aircrafts via special navigation
systems
However Galileo, except for being the first civil
system of a kind, firstly offers simplicity that current
solutions do not support (without additional land
transmitters), when sending an information or
implementing new service.
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New services

Photo: ESA

An interesting thing
about Galileo is that it
should offer more levels
of services.
With an emphasize on
it should Galileo is
still under test phase,
while four operative
satellites are functional
only in short periods.

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The Open Service (OS)

Galileos Open Service is provided for wide use. It
sends signals for time determination and location
available to every user with proper receiver, no
authorization required.
This service can be combined with American GPS
signal which should improve performances in urban
and other areas where sky visibility is weak.
Open service will not offer information integrity to
the users; quality of signal and service is something
users themselves will have to take care about. In
other words, this service will be much alike like the
one offered by GPS.
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Safety of Life Service

(SoL)
Safety of Life Service will be special service that will
require certified receivers with possibility of
receiving two frequency extents. Future Galileo
Operating Company will guarantee certain quality.
This service will use frequency areas reserved for
aeronautical radio navigation.
SoL should increase security, particularly in areas
without classical land safety services, while air and
naval companies should benefit from such on
global level.

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Commercial Service (CS)

For those who would require higher level of service that
Open Service, Galileo system will provide Commercial
Service. This service will provide higher level of service
than the Open one, but such will be charged.
Commercial Service is based on additional two signals to
the signals used by Open Service. Those additional
signals are coded which makes using Commercial
Service possible only once an entry code is entered into
receiver.
This signal can also broadcast data: potential providers
will be allowed to lease two commercial portable
channels and use such for global broadcasting various
information. Additional signals may be used for other
purposes such as local broadcast of signal for extremely
precise locations.
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Public Regulated Service

(PRS)
Among services provided by Galileo there is also
Public Regulated Service for governmental and
other public users, coast guard and similar
organizations.
Naturally this service will also be protected by
appropriate codes.
In comparison with other services, Public Regulated
Service will be functional with all circumstances and
conditions even with crisis (when other services may
face disconnection). It is important to point out that
this service will use signal with modulation with
increased interfering resistance.
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Search and Rescue (SAR)

Function of Search and Rescue is listed as
European contribution to international efforts of
humanitarian search and rescue within papers of
EU.
This function should improve existing systems and
ensure current signal for help from any point on the
Earth and precise location of it, even in difficult
conditions for communication.
One should stress out the possibility of feedback link
from the provider of SAR system according to the
device which broadcasted signal for help.
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Where is Croatia?

Photo: ESA

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