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As Spain takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union on 1 July, it has announced its key priorities for the semester. 

“We are going to promote the reindustrialisation and digitalisation of Europe, we are going to make decisive progress in this ecological transition, we will make the economy more prosperous but also fairer, and we will strengthen European unity with new tools and new agreements,” says President of the Government of Spain Pedro Sánchez.

By fostering the development of an innovative, competitive and independent space sector, the EU Space Programme is set to contribute to each of the priorities set by the Spanish Presidency – all while reinforcing the EU’s autonomy, resilience and democratic principles.   

“As the host of our European GNSS Service Centre and one of our Galileo Security Monitoring Centre, Spain is already very familiar with the EU Space Programme and EUSPA looks forward to building on this relationship during the Spanish Presidency,” adds EUSPA Executive Director Rodrigo da Costa. 

Reindustrialise the EU and ensure its open strategic autonomy

EU Space is a key enabler of European competitiveness. With an approximate 25% market share, Europe currently enjoys a strong position within the global GNSS downstream market – a market that is forecasted to see revenues reach EUR 510 billion by 2032. Europe is also seeing a vibrant Copernicus start-up scene unfolding, with hundreds of new ventures being created using Copernicus data and information. 

But success in the space and tech sectors also translates to the renewed competitiveness of such legacy industries as raw materials and energy. For example, the raw materials sector already leverages the benefits of GNSS and Earth Observation for everything from exploration to site approval, construction, operations and closure, helping European industry achieve the rare earth independence envisioned by the European Critical Raw Materials Act.

On the energy side, EU Space is set to be a key enabler of Europe’s energy transition. While Europe may lack fossil fuel resources, it has no shortage of natural resources like sunshine and wind. Using EU Space, the energy sector can choose the best location for the wind turbines, solar panels and smart grids needed to produce home grown renewable energy right here in the EU. 

“With the support of the EU Space Programme, which was conceived as a means of advancing European autonomy in space, we can build the renewable energy system that will power an energy independent and climate neutral future for Europe,” explains da Costa.  

Advance the green transition and environmental adaptation

Speaking of a climate neutral future for Europe, EU Space is also well-positioned to support the Spanish Presidency’s environmental priorities. In addition to driving the transition to clean energy, Copernicus and Galileo offer a host of services to help monitoring ecosystems and biodiversity, climate resilience with everything from industrial waste management to wildlife monitoring, urban planning, smart mobility and fleet management.  

The Spanish Presidency has specifically made the reduction of electricity prices part of its green priorities. A good place to start is by renovating Europe’s many inefficient buildings and homes – and Copernicus can help. The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service helps monitor emissions in residential areas of cities, providing urban planners with the information they need to focus on renovating the worst-performing buildings first.

Promoting greater social and economic justice

Not only will energy efficient building renovations help lower energy bills, they are also a front-line defence against energy poverty. Defined as when a household suffers from inadequate energy services, energy poverty impacts an estimated 35 million European citizens. 

“By enabling energy-efficient home renovations and facilitating the construction of more efficient energy infrastructure, EU Space plays a crucial role in ensuring that Europe's green transformation is inclusive and leaves no one behind," adds da Costa. 

This highlights how EU Space can support the Spanish Presidency’s priority of promoting greater social and economic justice – a priority that aims to ensure everyone benefits from Europe’s competitiveness and success, including people with disabilities. 

Here too EU Space can help. Take for example the Galileo High Accuracy Service, which is set to improve urban navigation and wayfinding for people with disabilities. Companies are also leveraging the precise positioning offered by Galileo and EGNOS to develop innovative applications to help, for instance, the visually impaired navigate through busy city centres and safely use public transport. 

Strengthening European unity 

In a world of challenges and growing tensions, the EU must remain united. “In a geopolitical context marked by uncertainty, Europe must become an area of certainties, in which material welfare, freedom and democracy pave the way for the future of all people,” says Sánchez.

To help, the Spanish Presidency looks to develop the tools Member States and citizens need to face these uncertainties together. 

“At its heart, the EU Space Programme is a programme built by Europe, for Europe,” concludes da Costa. “Whether it be boosting Union’s competitiveness, supporting its energy independence, mitigating the effects of climate change, protecting citizens from security threats and natural disasters, or simply keeping us connected with one another, EU Space is a key tool for maintaining a united and thriving Europe.”  

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).

As Spain takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union on 1 July, it has announced its key priorities for the semester. 

“We are going to promote the reindustrialisation and digitalisation of Europe, we are going to make decisive progress in this ecological transition, we will make the economy more prosperous but also fairer, and we will strengthen European unity with new tools and new agreements,” says President of the Government of Spain Pedro Sánchez.

By fostering the development of an innovative, competitive and independent space sector, the EU Space Programme is set to contribute to each of the priorities set by the Spanish Presidency – all while reinforcing the EU’s autonomy, resilience and democratic principles.   

“As the host of our European GNSS Service Centre and one of our Galileo Security Monitoring Centre, Spain is already very familiar with the EU Space Programme and EUSPA looks forward to building on this relationship during the Spanish Presidency,” adds EUSPA Executive Director Rodrigo da Costa. 

Reindustrialise the EU and ensure its open strategic autonomy

EU Space is a key enabler of European competitiveness. With an approximate 25% market share, Europe currently enjoys a strong position within the global GNSS downstream market – a market that is forecasted to see revenues reach EUR 510 billion by 2032. Europe is also seeing a vibrant Copernicus start-up scene unfolding, with hundreds of new ventures being created using Copernicus data and information. 

But success in the space and tech sectors also translates to the renewed competitiveness of such legacy industries as raw materials and energy. For example, the raw materials sector already leverages the benefits of GNSS and Earth Observation for everything from exploration to site approval, construction, operations and closure, helping European industry achieve the rare earth independence envisioned by the European Critical Raw Materials Act.

On the energy side, EU Space is set to be a key enabler of Europe’s energy transition. While Europe may lack fossil fuel resources, it has no shortage of natural resources like sunshine and wind. Using EU Space, the energy sector can choose the best location for the wind turbines, solar panels and smart grids needed to produce home grown renewable energy right here in the EU. 

“With the support of the EU Space Programme, which was conceived as a means of advancing European autonomy in space, we can build the renewable energy system that will power an energy independent and climate neutral future for Europe,” explains da Costa.  

Advance the green transition and environmental adaptation

Speaking of a climate neutral future for Europe, EU Space is also well-positioned to support the Spanish Presidency’s environmental priorities. In addition to driving the transition to clean energy, Copernicus and Galileo offer a host of services to help monitoring ecosystems and biodiversity, climate resilience with everything from industrial waste management to wildlife monitoring, urban planning, smart mobility and fleet management.  

The Spanish Presidency has specifically made the reduction of electricity prices part of its green priorities. A good place to start is by renovating Europe’s many inefficient buildings and homes – and Copernicus can help. The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service helps monitor emissions in residential areas of cities, providing urban planners with the information they need to focus on renovating the worst-performing buildings first.

Promoting greater social and economic justice

Not only will energy efficient building renovations help lower energy bills, they are also a front-line defence against energy poverty. Defined as when a household suffers from inadequate energy services, energy poverty impacts an estimated 35 million European citizens. 

“By enabling energy-efficient home renovations and facilitating the construction of more efficient energy infrastructure, EU Space plays a crucial role in ensuring that Europe's green transformation is inclusive and leaves no one behind," adds da Costa. 

This highlights how EU Space can support the Spanish Presidency’s priority of promoting greater social and economic justice – a priority that aims to ensure everyone benefits from Europe’s competitiveness and success, including people with disabilities. 

Here too EU Space can help. Take for example the Galileo High Accuracy Service, which is set to improve urban navigation and wayfinding for people with disabilities. Companies are also leveraging the precise positioning offered by Galileo and EGNOS to develop innovative applications to help, for instance, the visually impaired navigate through busy city centres and safely use public transport. 

Strengthening European unity 

In a world of challenges and growing tensions, the EU must remain united. “In a geopolitical context marked by uncertainty, Europe must become an area of certainties, in which material welfare, freedom and democracy pave the way for the future of all people,” says Sánchez.

To help, the Spanish Presidency looks to develop the tools Member States and citizens need to face these uncertainties together. 

“At its heart, the EU Space Programme is a programme built by Europe, for Europe,” concludes da Costa. “Whether it be boosting Union’s competitiveness, supporting its energy independence, mitigating the effects of climate change, protecting citizens from security threats and natural disasters, or simply keeping us connected with one another, EU Space is a key tool for maintaining a united and thriving Europe.”  

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 abundance of satellites is not only responsible for "an unprecedented space traffic jam" but it’s also the cause of a large amount of space debris which is increasing at an alarming rate.

According to the European Commission, over 1 million debris items larger than 1cm are currently orbiting the Earth ranging from screws and dead satellites to space rocket components. To address the issue of space congestion, and as space debris can damage and potentially take out EU-owned functioning satellites such as Galileo, Copernicus, and EGNOS and privately owned, the Union recently proposed a holistic approach to Space Traffic Management. 

To support this initiative and given its expertise in service provision and security issues management, EUSPA, as of 1 July, will be operating the Space Surveillance and Tracking (SST) Front Desk, following a European Commission’s Decision of 3 June 2022.

What will EUSPA do? 

The EU SST Front Desk team will continue interfacing with SST users – which include spacecraft owners and operators, EU institutions and EU Member States – to support them in using the dedicated Portal and benefitting from their services. The Front Desk also provides service performance information to certain stakeholders and promotes the use of the SST services. 

Together with the EU SST Partnership composed of 15 EU Member States, EUSPA will support the provision of space safety services to more than 190 registered organisations and contribute to the coordination of space traffic by protecting more than 400 satellites from the risk of collision with space debris or other operational satellites. Moreover, they will be detecting and monitoring break-ups in space and the uncontrolled re-entry of space objects into Earth’s atmosphere.

The transfer from the previous operator, SatCen, was performed seamlessly to minimize as much as possible the impact on users. Following the switch-over, services are being provided as expected, and the new contact details of the SST Helpdesk have been communicated to the users. 

The new premises of the EU SST Front Desk are located at EUSPA’s Galileo Security Monitoring Centre (GSMC) in San Martín de la Vega, Madrid, Spain.

"By managing the EU SST front desk, EUSPA contributes to the EU Space Traffic Management approach, as to support developing an EU strategy to ensure safe and sustainable use of space while preserving the EU space industry’s competitiveness" highlights EUSPA Executive Director Rodrigo da Costa.

“The EU SST Partnership is committed to delivering public services in collision avoidance, re-entry and fragmentation analysis, through the EU SST Front Desk, to improve safety of space operations and contribute to the long-term sustainability of outer space activities. Together with EUSPA, we will continue to put the users at the centre of our commitment,” declared Pascal Faucher, Chairman, EU SST Partnership, Defence and security, CNES.

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).

Held in a hybrid mode, the Galileo HAS Days was an opportunity for stakeholders, application developers, and international experts to receive an update on the status, performance, and evolution plans of this new groundbreaking service, which operational since January 2023. It was also the opportunity to receive feedbacks from the key pioneers using the added value of the high accuracy positioning from space (Beyond Gravity) to transportation (Anavs), agriculture (Hemisphere) to surveying and mapping (EOS Positioning) and location-based applications (Google). 

The event served as a platform where participants exchanged technical knowledge and views on the market opportunities HAS brings as well as the challenges various industries are facing. 

Attendees could take part in a series of live demos to experience firsthand the added value of Galileo HAS.

You can find the presentations delivered here.

In addition, participants could visit the European GNSS Service Centre (GSC) premises, the single interface between the Galileo system and the users. The GSC is a centre of expertise, knowledge sharing, custom performance assessment, information dissemination, and support to the provision of value-added services enabled by the Galileo services. For the particular case of Galileo HAS, the GSC hosts the High Accuracy Data Generator (HADG), which computes the HAS orbit and clock corrections as well as the signal biases which are broadcast through the Galileo constellation and over the internet.

“The workshop provided an excellent opportunity to reflect on our service performance and share our ambitious roadmap for the future. The strong attendance demonstrates the significant interest and appreciation for our user-centered approach. It highlights our commitment to bringing our services closer to those who rely on them,” stated Javier de Blas, Galileo High Accuracy and Commercial Authentication Services Manager at EUSPA.

The added value of Galileo HAS

The new ground-breaking service of the EU’s positioning system offers users an unprecedented level of horizontal accuracy down to 25cm over most parts of the globe in nominal conditions. It is transmitted directly via the Galileo signal in space (E6-B) and through the internet. With HAS, Galileo becomes the first constellation worldwide able to provide a high-accuracy service globally and directly through the Signal in Space.

"Emerging technologies such as real time precise orbit determination, UAVs and autonomous vehicles require stringent levels of accuracy for better navigation and positioning experience." says Carmen Aguilera, Head of Section, Operational market development and Safety critical applications at EUSPA. Furthermore, an increased accuracy positioning feeds innovative applications in agriculture, geomatics, location based services and many other market segments.

The Galileo HAS will become a pillar for applications needing precise and reliable position information. This includes EU sectorial policies and also national policies by EU Member States.

The Galileo HAS is provided by the EU Agency for the Space Programme and was developed and tested together with the European Commission (DG DEFIS and the JRC) and the European Space Agency. 

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).