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Galileo, European Union Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), begins the delivery of its High Accuracy Service (HAS) today as officially announced by Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for Internal Market, “feeding a prosperous market for innovative applications – from farming to drone navigation and autonomous driving.”

Galileo is now the first Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) providing free-of-charge, high accuracy Precise Point Positioning (PPP) corrections worldwide both through the Galileo signal in space (E6-B) and via the internet.  

The precise corrections provided by the Galileo HAS will allow users to improve the accuracy associated with the orbit, clocks and biases provided through the Galileo Open Service broadcast navigation messages and the GPS Standard Positioning Service navigation data. These corrections enable the computation of a high accuracy positioning solution in real-time when processed by an appropriate algorithm in the users’ receivers tracking the Galileo E6-B signal.

The typical accuracy below a few decimetres (<25cm horizontal) in nominal conditions of use is a revolution where Europe provides this as an integrated service for free, thus allowing the massive development of applications worldwide. 

“This new service has been made possible thanks to the outstanding cooperation and team commitment of all involved partners” declared EUSPA Executive Director, Rodrigo da Costa.

“Galileo HAS will become the pillar of many EU sectorial policies. Currently, high accuracy is primarily used in such professional applications as surveying, precision agriculture and civil engineering, amongst others,” he says. “However, new and emerging applications, including autonomous driving, unmanned vehicles, robotics and a range of location-based services will all welcome high accuracy.” 

Da Costa also notes that, when used in synergy with Copernicus, the Galileo HAS will open up new market possibilities and help design new services. 

All official HAS documentation, including its Service Definition Document (SDD) are available in the European GNSS Service Center (E-GSC), managed by EUSPA. 

The culmination of an ongoing process

In 2021, EUSPA published an Information Note on the Galileo HAS. The note provided an overview of the service’s main characteristics, along with information on such key features as targeted performance and markets, service levels and a roadmap for implementation. 

External stakeholders participated in a testing campaign of the Galileo HAS Signal in Space broadcasting. Thus, relevant feedback has been collected not only on the HAS SiS Interface Control Document structure and implementation at the receiver level, but also on service-related aspects and specifications. 

“The Galileo High Accuracy Service offers new levels of accuracy to everyone who needs it, while the Open Service Navigation Message Authentication allows users to authenticate Galileo signals, and therefore supports spoofing detection. ESA's role is to oversee Galileo system upgrades, working together with Galileo’s service provider, EUSPA, and its owner, the European Union”, remarks Javier Benedicto, ESA Director of Navigation.

“The Galileo programme has been performing a long set of HAS testing activities since 2019 leading to the first-ever HAS signal broadcast in May 2021,” adds Javier de Blas, EUSPA Commercial and HAS manager. “Based on the feedback gained during the joint efforts conducted by EUSPA, the European Commission and ESA, with the key support of the European aerospace industry during the testing phase, we were able to publish the first Galileo High Accuracy Service Signal in Space Interface Control Document and introduce the necessary changes to ensure the HAS Initial Service implements the feedback received from the users.”  

Following the HAS Initial Service Declaration, the Galileo Programme will continue its efforts to incrementally improve its coverage and performance over the next years towards its Full-Service Declaration.

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).

After several months of intensive testing and continuous improvement, the Galileo OSNMA Public Observation Test Phase is coming to an end. During this period, receiver manufacturers and application developers from different market segments were able to design their own OSNMA solutions and validate the service’s performance in various scenarios. The feedback provided by involved stakeholders has been key to fine-tuning the data authentication mechanism throughout the testing phase. An updated version of Galileo OSNMA Receiver Guidelines for the Test Phase has been issued in October 2022 and can be downloaded from GSC electronic library. 

As a conclusion of the Public Observation Test Phase, EUSPA will host a final workshop to gather and get feedback from the community. 

It is taking  place online on 16 February 2023 from 1.00 pm to 5.30 pm. 

A preliminary agenda for the event can be found here. Participants will be able to present how they implemented  OSNMA , learn key aspects of the service tested and discover what is coming for OSNMA in the next months. In preparation for the service provision phase, the Galileo OSNMA Receiver Guidelines for Service Phase have been published in December 2022. 

EUSPA and EC experts will share the main takeaways of this important phase for the Galileo authentication service. In addition, the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC) will present an overview of the results obtained using non nominal test vector scenarios. Key E-GNSS actors will discuss their test results, and specific use cases will be presented by selected market stakeholders. The last part of the workshop will present two different approaches for the implementation of OSNMA in smartphones.

To attend this Workshop, please register 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).

Launched on 15 December 2016, the Galileo Search and Rescue (SAR) service provides aid to people in distress or imminent danger. The Galileo SAR Service relays highly accurate, timely and reliable distress alert data to Cospas-Sarsat. 

Under EUSPA management, the Galileo SAR Service has undergone continuous improvements developing breakthrough features such as the Galileo Return Link Service which was declared operational in January 2020. In February 2022, the Galileo SAR reached new heights with a record-breaking location accuracy performance of 98.12% below 2km. The EU constellation is the biggest contributor to the Cospas-Sarsat MEOSAR system, with experts estimating that Galileo helps to save about 2000 lives annually. 

Read this: La Réunion EU MEOLUT, a corner stone new infrastructure for SAR Galileo delivery in the Indian Ocean

Why CNES?

Prior to the launch of the Galileo Initial Services, to ensure that end-users make the most of the Service, the European Commission established the SAR/Galileo Data Service Provider (SGDSP) a new Entity entrusted to CNES tasked to provide the Galileo SAR Service in a safe, reliable and secure manner 

Given its longstanding history with COSPAS-SARSAT and its expertise in managing space ground infrastructures, in 2015 CNES was assigned to operate the SAR Service from SAR/Galileo Service Centre (SGSC), a Galileo Service Facility hosted in the Toulouse Space Center (CNES premises). The SGSC Facility monitors the overall SAR/Galileo Ground Segment (SGS), coordinates the maintenance activities and computes in near-real-time Service key performance indicators.

"CNES has been present from the foundation of the SAR/Galileo system up to the current exploitation phase building up a unique technical expertise, thus we are proud to be able to continue our work to support the search and Rescue operations", says Philippe Baptiste, President of CNES .  

EUSPA entrusts CNES once again with the responsibility of providing the SAR-Galileo services.

This new Contract will further expand the long-lasting and excellent collaboration between EUSPA and CNES in the SAR activities. It will ensure the continuation of the operations, maintenance and hosting services of the SAR/Galileo and the uninterrupted delivery of SAR signals and SAR data needed to guarantee the SAR/Galileo Service contribution to Cospas-Sarsat to the upmost standards. 

Watch this: Search and Rescue in the Arctic supported by EUSpace 

"We are happy to announce the extension of our collaboration in such an important service that delivers tangible benefits to EU and global citizens. I am also very pleased to see Member States actively participating in the development, support and evolution of the EU Space Programme" —EUSPA Executive Director, Rodrigo da Costa.

The duration of the Framework Contract is 10 years, which is warranted due to the international structure of the Cospas-Sarsat programme and the EUSPA objective to establish a long-term cooperation for the implementation of the current and future SAR/Galileo Services. 

The operations, maintenance and hosting services to be provided will remain a unique and non-competitive market and CNES will be the only entity capable of providing the above service in support of Cospas-Sarsat.

A team of qualified CNES personnel comprised of Navigation, System, Operations and SAR experts will support EUSPA to deliver the Galileo SAR service by seamlessly operating the ground segment, maintaining the infrastructure and offering technical support, among other objectives as well. Detailed information can be found in the Galileo SAR Service Definition Document.

What’s next for Galileo SAR?

The Galileo Full Operational Capability Programme roadmap foresees evolutions in the Galileo Services and Galileo System in the field of Emergency response. Both evolutions have strict links to the SGDSP activities foreseen under the new Framework Contract as their implementation directly affect the hosting, maintenance, operations and/or the Service monitoring tasks.

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).