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Whether caused by nature or human activity, the on-going disasters in our continent highlight the necessity for innovative tools and solutions for resilient risk management and response. The objective is to safeguard lives and protect properties.

With end-users always at the centre of its action, the EU Space Programme continues to evolve, offering services that contribute to the safety and well-being of European citizens. One such service is the upcoming Galileo Emergency Warning Satellite Service (EWSS), currently under development and testing by the Directorate General for Defence Industry and Space, together with the EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA).

So, what exactly is the Galileo Emergency Warning Satellite Service?

EWSS is an upcoming service of the Galileo constellation, which will be disseminating alert messages directly to the population of areas threatened by a looming natural or manmade disaster. More specifically, the Galileo satellites will be transmitting to smartphones, or to any other navigation devices able to receive Galileo signals (through a chipset), information related to the hazard (such as type of hazard, its severity, time of onset and expected duration, the targeted area) and instructions to follow depending on the area the user is located at. The alert content will be generated by national authorities and transmitted to Galileo for broadcast.

The real added value of EWSS

This service comes on top of existing alert systems but, as EWSS Manager at the European Commission, Eric Guyader explains, “for reaching the highest number of people in case of danger, the more alert systems the better. And this new service offers an important advantage: it remains available also when other alert systems like mobile networks are congested, disrupted or even destroyed”. 

EUSPA Galileo exploitation programme Manager, Guerric Pont confirms, “we continue to broaden the link between users and space, where EWSS will ensure the distribution of alert messages and guidance to safeguard populations, on top of best-of-class navigation data.”

This is particularly useful for people who live in remote and rural regions of Europe with poor or no mobile signal at all. It can also be proved lifesaving when traditional terrestrial alert systems are unavailable due to high traffic, or damage as is regularly the case with earthquakes, floods or fires for example.  

Preparing for the service declaration in 2025

While the service is expected to become operational in 2025, it has already been successfully tested in different sites across the Union. According to the latest tests carried out with several national civil protection agencies, the alert message can be transmitted and received by every user located in the danger area, in less than 60 seconds.

Once operational, it will be offered free of charge to national civil protection authorities across the EU27. It will be up to the EU Member States to decide whether they activate it to disseminate their alerts via the Galileo satellites in space. 

Together with the Copernicus Emergency Management Service, EWSS will become a strategic asset to support the policies of the European Union and its Member States in the field of disaster management.

Ahead of the declaration in 2025, the European Commission together with the EU Agency for the Space Programme published today the Common Alert Message Format Specifications document.

The technical document contains important information regarding the format of the alert message, to be used for encoding (resp. decoding) the alert information into (resp. from) the Galileo signals. The document is useful for EU MS to start implementing EWSS in their national alert systems, for receiver manufacturers to introduce the necessary functionalities in navigation devices, and for any satellite navigation systems willing to broadcast alert messages encapsulated in their satellite navigation signals.

For more information and technical details, click here.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the EUSPA website (http://www.euspa.europa.eu).

The report analyses evolving GNSS and EO markets, detailing how global trends and drivers shape the adoption of space-enabled applications. Utilizing the latest data and advanced forecasting models, the report estimates market evolution, including revenues for EO and GNSS, shipments, and the GNSS installed base, up to 2033.

In an era where innovative solutions are essential to progress, Earth Observation (EO) and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) technologies emerge as linchpins for addressing societal challenges and boosting business processes. As of 2023, global revenues from GNSS and EO stood at approximately €260 billion and €3.4 billion, respectively. Projections for 2033 signal significant growth, with GNSS expected to reach €580 billion and EO nearly €6 billion.

To provide insight and guidance into these burgeoning markets, the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) proudly presents the second edition of the "EUSPA EO and GNSS Market Report." This comprehensive study not only unravels the practical applications and benefits of downstream space technology but also offers analytical insights into the dynamic GNSS and EO markets.

The report categorizes applications into 15 market segments, addressing diverse stakeholders ranging from citizens and businesses to governments, industries, international organizations, NGOs, and researchers. These applications span key sectors such as Agriculture, Aviation and Drones, Climate, Environment, and Biodiversity, Consumer Solutions, Tourism and Health, Emergency Management and Humanitarian Aid, Energy and Raw Materials, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Forestry, Infrastructure, Insurance and Finance, Maritime and Inland Waterways, Rail, Road and Automotive, Space, Urban Development and Cultural Heritage.

Market Highlights and Trends, let’s summarise

Driving forces: The adoption of EO and GNSS technologies is bolstered by overarching market drivers, including the digital transition, climate change, population growth, energy demands, supply chain challenges, and the ascent of New Space entrepreneurship.

GNSS growth trajectory: GNSS market revenues, covering device and service sales, are poised to more than double from approximately €260 billion in 2023 to nearly €580 billion in 2033. Mass-market segments like Consumer Solutions, Tourism and Health, and Road and Automotive are set to dominate, catering to the vast majority of device shipments and installed base.

EO expansion: The EO market is projected to expand from €3.4 billion in 2023 to almost €6 billion by 2033. This growth is propelled by the imperative to enhance sustainability, improved services, and increased awareness of EO's potential applications. Segments like Insurance and Finance will notably contribute, alongside established domains like Climate, Environment, and Biodiversity, Agriculture, and Urban Development with Cultural Heritage.

“Considering today’s global context of rapid technological advancement, climate-related changes and ongoing geopolitical tensions […], this report underscores a pivotal insight. Amidst these challenges, Europe has the opportunity to harness the capabilities of EO and GNSS, fostering innovative solutions that positively impact society and play a role in shaping our collective future” concludes EUSPA Executive Director Rodrigo da Costa. 

The EUSPA EO and GNSS Market Report serves as a beacon for those seeking to understand, integrate, and leverage Satellite Navigation and Earth Observation technologies, fostering a future where space solutions drive positive change.

You can download it here. 

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the EUSPA website (http://www.euspa.europa.eu).

The Galileo High Accuracy Service (HAS) completes its first year in operations after its Initial Service Declaration in January 2023, providing good and stable performances since then. 

But what is the HAS?

Essentially, the Galileo HAS brings precise point positioning (PPP) options to capable receivers. More specifically, the service provides PPP corrections through the Galileo signal (E6-B) and by terrestrial means (internet) enabling decimetre level accurate user positioning. 

“Galileo is the first GNSS constellation capable of providing a high accuracy service globally, 24/7 operated with committed performance and for free ” explains EUSPA Executive Director Rodrigo da Costa. “This is unique in that, typically, high accuracy services are either regional, provided for a fee or without a performance commitment.

In doing so, the HAS offers real-time improved user positioning performance down to a decimetre level (in normal conditions, when processed by user PPP algorithm). 

Galileo HAS offers several key differentiators

While other commercially available augmentation services also provide PPP corrections, the Galileo HAS comes with several key differentiators. First and foremost, the service is free of charge, with the signal being freely available over the internet via the Galileo (E6-B) signal. 

This means that if one or more Galileo satellites are in view and the user has a suitable receiver, the signals can be obtained without requiring a further license or a special signal receive.  

Therefore, the corrections are transmitted from the Galileo satellite and not a geostationary communication satellite, it is much easier to receive the corrections in areas like urban canyons. 

It should also be noted that, in addition to Galileo corrections, the Galileo HAS transmits GPS related corrections.

Convergence time and accuracy 

The Galileo HAS Full Service will provide two service levels:

• Service Level 1 (SL1):  With global coverage availability, SL1 provides high accuracy corrections (orbits, clocks) and biases (code, phase) for Galileo E1/E5b/E5a/E6 and E5AltBOC and GPS L1/L5/L2C signals. This SL1 is already enabled by the HAS Initial service (with slightly reduced scope) 
• Service Level 2 (SL2): with regional coverage availability over the European Coverage Area (ECA), SL2 will provide SL1 corrections plus atmospheric (at least ionospheric) corrections and potential additional biases as part of the HAS Full service

While SL1 will have a typical convergence time of less than 300 seconds, SL2’s convergence time will be lower than 100 seconds. 

The user positioning accuracy for both service levels, once the full service is operational, is stated as less than 20cm horizontally and less than 40cm vertically (95% confidence level), whereas the current HAS Initial Service Performance, already close to these targets, is described in detail in the corresponding Service Definition Document.  

Targeted markets include autonomous driving

This convergence time and accuracy level will make the Galileo HAS particularly useful for autonomous driving applications, providing a much more accurate position and – even more importantly – more stable correction signal. 

Other target markets for the Galileo HAS include geomatics, agriculture, aviation, road, consumer solutions, rail, maritime, inland waterways and space applications.

 “High accuracy is primarily used in professional applications such as surveying, precision agriculture and civil engineering, amongst others,” concludes da Costa. “However, new and emerging applications, including autonomous driving, unmanned vehicles, robotics and a range of location-based services will all demand high accuracy – and the Galileo HAS is set to deliver.”

In conclusion, in its first year, the Galileo High Accuracy Service (HAS) has revolutionized global positioning, offering decimeter-level accuracy for free. Evolving towards faster convergence times and supporting applications ranging from autonomous driving to precision agriculture, the Galileo HAS is set to redefine high-precision GNSS services on a global scale.

You can learn more about the Galileo HAS here. 

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the EUSPA website (http://www.euspa.europa.eu).