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EUSPA celebrates Europe Day – a chance to highlight European integration and values and how the EU Space Programme is helping build an even better EU for tomorrow. 

Today, the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) joins citizens across the EU in celebrating Europe. 

Known as Europe Day, the 9th of May marks the signing of the Schuman Declaration, an historic agreement that laid the foundation for a united Europe and planted the seeds to what would eventually grow into the European Union.

As the Declaration states, “Europe will not be made all at once… it will be built through concrete achievements.” Europe Day is an opportunity to reflect on those many achievements – including the achievement that is the EU Space Programme.

Over the past 20 years, the EU has been committed to creating a space programme and infrastructure that is competitive, innovative and capable of delivering real benefits to citizens and businesses alike. The programme has made great leaps forward in recent years, delivering unique services in satellite navigation, Earth Observation and telecommunications, along with strengthening both the upstream and downstream sectors.

The essential link

Positioned as the link between space and user needs, EUSPA plays a central role in the EU Space Programme’s success. “By engaging with the entire EU space community, EUSPA drives innovation-based growth in the European economy and contributes to the safety of EU citizens and the security of the Union and its Member States, while at the same time reinforcing the EU’s strategic autonomy,” says EUSPA Executive Director Rodrigo da Costa.

As a result of this work, space technology, data and services not only support the interest of the EU, they’re also indispensable to the daily lives of Europeans. Over 3 billion people are currently using Galileo, the world’s most precise positioning system, while many governments, national agencies, institutions, researchers and businesses are all leveraging the data and information coming from Copernicus, the world’s best Earth Observation system. 

Even with the many benefits that the EU Space Programme is already delivering, we’re just scratching the surface of what’s possible. “Businesses and society will increasingly look to space for solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges,” adds da Costa. “EUSPA is preparing for this space-based future today.” 

Join us in Prague 

What our space-based future may look like will be on full display on 9 May during Prague’s annual Europe Day celebration. Held on the city’s Střelecký Island starting at 13:00 CET, the event is a showcase of EU integration and values. 

EUSPA will be there to show how you already benefit from space, along with highlighting how Galileo, EGNOS and Copernicus are building a better future for all Europeans. 

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).

EUSPA celebrates Europe Day – a chance to highlight European integration and values and how the EU Space Programme is helping build an even better EU for tomorrow. 

Today, the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) joins citizens across the EU in celebrating Europe. 

Known as Europe Day, the 9th of May marks the signing of the Schuman Declaration, an historic agreement that laid the foundation for a united Europe and planted the seeds to what would eventually grow into the European Union.

As the Declaration states, “Europe will not be made all at once… it will be built through concrete achievements.” Europe Day is an opportunity to reflect on those many achievements – including the achievement that is the EU Space Programme.

Over the past 20 years, the EU has been committed to creating a space programme and infrastructure that is competitive, innovative and capable of delivering real benefits to citizens and businesses alike. The programme has made great leaps forward in recent years, delivering unique services in satellite navigation, Earth Observation and telecommunications, along with strengthening both the upstream and downstream sectors.

The essential link

Positioned as the link between space and user needs, EUSPA plays a central role in the EU Space Programme’s success. “By engaging with the entire EU space community, EUSPA drives innovation-based growth in the European economy and contributes to the safety of EU citizens and the security of the Union and its Member States, while at the same time reinforcing the EU’s strategic autonomy,” says EUSPA Executive Director Rodrigo da Costa.

As a result of this work, space technology, data and services not only support the interest of the EU, they’re also indispensable to the daily lives of Europeans. Over 3 billion people are currently using Galileo, the world’s most precise positioning system, while many governments, national agencies, institutions, researchers and businesses are all leveraging the data and information coming from Copernicus, the world’s best Earth Observation system. 

Even with the many benefits that the EU Space Programme is already delivering, we’re just scratching the surface of what’s possible. “Businesses and society will increasingly look to space for solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges,” adds da Costa. “EUSPA is preparing for this space-based future today.” 

Join us in Prague 

What our space-based future may look like will be on full display on 9 May during Prague’s annual Europe Day celebration. Held on the city’s Střelecký Island starting at 13:00 CET, the event is a showcase of EU integration and values. 

EUSPA will be there to show how you already benefit from space, along with highlighting how Galileo, EGNOS and Copernicus are building a better future for all Europeans. 

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).

Česká kosmická kancelář shromáždila několik stovek knih, časopisů a dalších materiálů získaných z pozůstalosti našeho předního odborníka Antonína Vítka, novináře a spisovatele Karla Pacnera i z darů dalších odborníků se záměrem je uplatnit ve vzdělávacích a propagačních akcích o výzkumu kosmu. 

EUSPA published a procurement on “Engineering Services” for the Galileo Programme. To encourage the widest participation possible, the agency is organizing an industry day to present all the procurement details on 13 May 2022 at 16:00.

The European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) is playing a key role in the Galileo Programme, the EU Global Navigation Satellite System. In its current and future roles related to the Galileo Programme EUSPA is validating the Services, accepting new system upgrades, managing the operations, maintaining and evolving the infrastructure and promoting the use and benefits of Galileo. To perform these tasks effectively and efficiently, EUSPA will continue to rely on industrial support. 

The procurement of this support covers several engineering domains, allowing EUSPA to ensure continuity and maintenance of the Galileo  operational capabilities, implement the planned evolutions and fulfill its new role as Galileo System Prime for the system in operation. The support is requested in separate lots each focused on different activities and expertise. EUSPA is committed to promoting the widest participation possible by economic operators, in particular start-ups, new entrants, and SMEs. 

The agency is thus organizing an industry day on 13 May 2022 at 16.00 to present the details of the procurement for “Engineering Services”. You can find the agenda here.

Potential participants will have the opportunity to learn more about the mission of the European Union Agency for the Space Programme and the procurement documentation and submission process.

To attend this industry day, 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).

EUSPA published a procurement on “Engineering Services” for the Galileo Programme. To encourage the widest participation possible, the agency is organizing an industry day to present all the procurement details on 13 May 2022 at 16:00.

The European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) is playing a key role in the Galileo Programme, the EU Global Navigation Satellite System. In its current and future roles related to the Galileo Programme EUSPA is validating the Services, accepting new system upgrades, managing the operations, maintaining and evolving the infrastructure and promoting the use and benefits of Galileo. To perform these tasks effectively and efficiently, EUSPA will continue to rely on industrial support. 

The procurement of this support covers several engineering domains, allowing EUSPA to ensure continuity and maintenance of the Galileo  operational capabilities, implement the planned evolutions and fulfill its new role as Galileo System Prime for the system in operation. The support is requested in separate lots each focused on different activities and expertise. EUSPA is committed to promoting the widest participation possible by economic operators, in particular start-ups, new entrants, and SMEs. 

The agency is thus organizing an industry day on 13 May 2022 at 16.00 to present the details of the procurement for “Engineering Services”. You can find the agenda here.

Potential participants will have the opportunity to learn more about the mission of the European Union Agency for the Space Programme and the procurement documentation and submission process.

To attend this industry day, 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).

After a challenging Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP) and Testing campaign during the pandemic times, Galileo satellite “Nikolina” (GSAT0223) is entering service provision as of today. The satellite will reinforce the performance and robustness of the EU’s satellite-based positioning system.

GSAT0223 was brought into space on 05/12/2021 with Galileo launch L11 after the usual design, acceptance, validation, launch and early orbit preparation and operations phases.

This was the first Early Orbit Operations phase conducted directly from the operational centre in Germany, under the responsibility of EUSPA. Thanks to the efforts of all parties involved, “Nikolina” is now a happy member of the Galileo family!

GSAT0223 and its launch-companion GSAT0224 (Shriya) are the first pair of the third batch of Galileo First Generation satellites to reach space. GSAT0223 will fill the last empty slot in Galileo’s orbital plane B. Shriya is soon completing its in-orbit validation and will then join the operational constellation. Furthermore, ten additional satellites of the same batch are continuing assembly, acceptance and launch preparations.

New horizons for the EU Space Programme and its Galileo component are opening up.

Stay tuned for more updates on I/NAV and the next entries into service!

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).

A new Memorandum of Understanding aims to better leverage Galileo and Copernicus to further the goals of the Common Fisheries Policy and the EU’s Green Deal.

Today, the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) and the European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA), the EU agency responsible for coordinating national operational activities in fisheries and assisting Member States in applying the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The cooperation agreement reflects the two agencies shared commitment to creating sustainable fisheries and aquaculture – both of which are key components to the European Union’s Green Deal.

“Through the MoU, EUSPA will help EFCA better leverage the EU Space Programme, particularly Galileo, the European Global Satellite Navigation System (EGNSS) and Copernicus, the European Earth Observation programme. This agreement allows EFCA to gain new tools for enforcing the Common Fisheries Policy and EUSPA will also be able to benefit from EFCA’s expertise, allowing us to better meet the needs of the fisheries control community,” says EUSPA Executive Director Rodrigo da Costa.

Cracking down on illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing

Both Copernicus and Galileo are already being used to assess the location of fish stocks and to track the location of vessels in an effort to prevent illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, an important aspect of the CFP. The key to doing so is to increase transparency and provide precise information to policy makers and regulators like the EFCA. To this end, Earth Observation services, including the Maritime Surveillance component of the Copernicus Security Service, along with GNSS-based solutions utilising Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) and Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS), are important tools in the fight against IUU fishing – a practice that not only costs the global economy between EUR 9 and 21 billion annually, but also threatens our oceans’ fragile biodiversity.

Galileo and Copernicus will improve EFCA capacity to detect, identify and categorise suspected non-compliant fishing activities and will result in safer, more sustainable and efficient maritime operations.

According to Dr Steele, EFCA is already using the EU Space Programme. Back in 2017, EFCA requested the support of Copernicus Maritime Surveillance (CMS) to monitor a vessel seen towing a cage of bluefin tuna – a strictly regulated species. By providing an optical image of a precise location, the agency was able to confirm that the targeted vessel was compliant with all relevant EU regulations.

Another good example of how Galileo and Copernicus are being used to curtail IUU fishing can be found in Norway, where the Norwegian Coastal Authority, in collaboration with Mercator Ocean, are combining GNSS and Earth Observation data with artificial intelligence to identify vessels with suspicious route patterns. The tool is contributing to a more efficient identification and monitoring of vessels that are possibly conducting illicit activities or are engaged in IUU fishing.

Supporting Europe’s growing aquaculture sector

Copernicus and Galileo are also being used to support Europe’s growing aquaculture sector. By providing information and data on environmental conditions (salinity, currents, temperature, etc.) and long-term weather forecasts, EO-based applications play a key role selecting ideal locations to establish aquafarms.

Once the aquafarm is up and running, much of the work is done by fully automated vessels that rely on the accurate positioning and navigation provided by Galileo.

Several projects set to benefit

To kick-off the MoU, EUSPA and EFCA have identified several EU-funded projects that could benefit from the agencies’ cooperation. These include Bluebox Porbeagle, which is developing a transceiver to report the position of vessels computed using Galileo and authenticated with Galileo Open Service Navigation Message Authentication, and GAMBAS, a project building a search and rescue beacon that can be remotely activated by rescue coordination centres. The MoU can be amended to expand the cooperation to include other projects and initiatives.

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).