zprávy

2020 has been a challenging year, yet thanks to the dedication of the GSA team and our cooperation with the European Commission, ESA, Member States, industry (upstream and downstream) and with our colleagues and stakeholders throughout Europe, we have managed to continue to deliver secure EGNOS and Galileo services to an increasing number of users around the globe.

The year started with the declaration of a key Galileo differentiator – the Return Link Service. The value of the service was demonstrated recently with the dramatic rescue of a French sailor when his solo round-the-world yacht race came to an end in rough seas. 

Another early success was the entry into service of the EGNOS GEO-3 payload, which will augment both GPS and Galileo in the L1 and L5 bands, provide additional satellite-based augmentation system service capabilities through a new SBAS channel on L5, and will deliver increased EGNOS service availability within and beyond the EU, supporting a growing number of users.

However, by March it was already clear that the Coronavirus situation was not going to go away any time soon. As Europe entered lockdown, across all GSA sites we started to work on ensuring business continuity. With little advance notice, and leveraging on the agility and creativity of the whole team, we quickly moved almost all our activities on-line without significant disruption. Together with the European Commission we looked into GNSS-based solutions to respond to the crisis, and developed an app to ease pressure at the EU’s internal borders. The “Galileo Green Lane” app proved to be very popular with border authorities and drivers and helped enable the efficient transit of critical goods, keeping EU borders open to freight at this critically important time.

Throughout the year, we continued to work on a series of initiatives to boost innovation and support European entrepreneurs working on ideas and applications leveraging Galileo, EGNOS and Copernicus, with a particular focus on synergies between the three. Engagement with the MyGalileoDrone, Geomatics on the Move, Farming by Satellite and MyGalileoSolution competitions has exceeded expectations. In October, we issued the third edition of our eagerly awaited GNSS User Technology Report. Do make sure you have a read through it yourself over the Christmas break if you have not yet done so.

Together we have put in place all the necessary measures to increase the resilience of operations at the Galileo and EGNOS operational centres in Europe and remote sites around the world. The success of this joint effort is measured by the quality of services delivered every day by EGNOS and Galileo. We have also deployed further system updates, in cooperation with ESA and industry, and have demonstrated the GSMC dual site operations with our new Galileo Security Monitoring Centre (GSMC) site in Spain. 

As we progress towards full operational capability, we are working non-stop to make Galileo more robust, continuously learning from day-to-day operations and our experience from past events. The Galileo Search and Rescue ground facilities have also been upgraded. The latest upgrades carried out on SAR/Galileo Local User Terminals in Spain, Cyprus and Norway are helping the International COSPAS-SARSAT Programme transition towards MEOSAR completion, which ultimately translates into more lives being saved.

All our events moved online, turning the physical restrictions imposed by Covid-19 into an opportunity to reach new user communities and go global, this was the case for example with the User Consultation Platform and our annual European Space Week online. The latter event, which was special to me since it was my first European Space Week as GSA Executive Director, was a great success with over 3000 participants from more than 100 countries. 

Looking to the year ahead, the transformation of the GSA into the European Union Space Programme Agency (EUSPA) will finally happen, with the new regulation expected to be formally adopted in early 2021. We will work together to overcome challenges and create opportunities, with a particular focus on exploiting the synergies between the different components of the programme.

As this challenging year ends, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my team at the GSA for their dedication, hard work, commitment and the great spirit demonstrated throughout the year. I would also like to thank our partners at the European Commission, at the European Space Agency and in the Member States and industry for your support in achieving our shared goals. Finally, I would like to thank you, the EUSpace user community, for your ongoing trust and support. It is thanks to this support that the GSA is growing from strength to strength and is able to continue delivering on the promise of space for Europe and its citizens.

Happy holidays to you all.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) 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 GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

2020 has been a challenging year, yet thanks to the dedication of the GSA team and our cooperation with the European Commission, ESA, Member States, industry (upstream and downstream) and with our colleagues and stakeholders throughout Europe, we have managed to continue to deliver secure EGNOS and Galileo services to an increasing number of users around the globe.

The year started with the declaration of a key Galileo differentiator – the Return Link Service. The value of the service was demonstrated recently with the dramatic rescue of a French sailor when his solo round-the-world yacht race came to an end in rough seas. 

Another early success was the entry into service of the EGNOS GEO-3 payload, which will augment both GPS and Galileo in the L1 and L5 bands, provide additional satellite-based augmentation system service capabilities through a new SBAS channel on L5, and will deliver increased EGNOS service availability within and beyond the EU, supporting a growing number of users.

However, by March it was already clear that the Coronavirus situation was not going to go away any time soon. As Europe entered lockdown, across all GSA sites we started to work on ensuring business continuity. With little advance notice, and leveraging on the agility and creativity of the whole team, we quickly moved almost all our activities on-line without significant disruption. Together with the European Commission we looked into GNSS-based solutions to respond to the crisis, and developed an app to ease pressure at the EU’s internal borders. The “Galileo Green Lane” app proved to be very popular with border authorities and drivers and helped enable the efficient transit of critical goods, keeping EU borders open to freight at this critically important time.

Throughout the year, we continued to work on a series of initiatives to boost innovation and support European entrepreneurs working on ideas and applications leveraging Galileo, EGNOS and Copernicus, with a particular focus on synergies between the three. Engagement with the MyGalileoDrone, Geomatics on the Move, Farming by Satellite and MyGalileoSolution competitions has exceeded expectations. In October, we issued the third edition of our eagerly awaited GNSS User Technology Report. Do make sure you have a read through it yourself over the Christmas break if you have not yet done so.

Together we have put in place all the necessary measures to increase the resilience of operations at the Galileo and EGNOS operational centres in Europe and remote sites around the world. The success of this joint effort is measured by the quality of services delivered every day by EGNOS and Galileo. We have also deployed further system updates, in cooperation with ESA and industry, and have demonstrated the GSMC dual site operations with our new Galileo Security Monitoring Centre (GSMC) site in Spain. 

As we progress towards full operational capability, we are working non-stop to make Galileo more robust, continuously learning from day-to-day operations and our experience from past events. The Galileo Search and Rescue ground facilities have also been upgraded. The latest upgrades carried out on SAR/Galileo Local User Terminals in Spain, Cyprus and Norway are helping the International COSPAS-SARSAT Programme transition towards MEOSAR completion, which ultimately translates into more lives being saved.

All our events moved online, turning the physical restrictions imposed by Covid-19 into an opportunity to reach new user communities and go global, this was the case for example with the User Consultation Platform and our annual European Space Week online. The latter event, which was special to me since it was my first European Space Week as GSA Executive Director, was a great success with over 3000 participants from more than 100 countries. 

Looking to the year ahead, the transformation of the GSA into the European Union Space Programme Agency (EUSPA) will finally happen, with the new regulation expected to be formally adopted in early 2021. We will work together to overcome challenges and create opportunities, with a particular focus on exploiting the synergies between the different components of the programme.

As this challenging year ends, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my team at the GSA for their dedication, hard work, commitment and the great spirit demonstrated throughout the year. I would also like to thank our partners at the European Commission, at the European Space Agency and in the Member States and industry for your support in achieving our shared goals. Finally, I would like to thank you, the EUSpace user community, for your ongoing trust and support. It is thanks to this support that the GSA is growing from strength to strength and is able to continue delivering on the promise of space for Europe and its citizens.

Happy holidays to you all.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) 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 GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

2020 has been a challenging year, yet thanks to the dedication of the GSA team and our cooperation with the European Commission, ESA, Member States, industry (upstream and downstream) and with our colleagues and stakeholders throughout Europe, we have managed to continue to deliver secure EGNOS and Galileo services to an increasing number of users around the globe.

The year started with the declaration of a key Galileo differentiator – the Return Link Service. The value of the service was demonstrated recently with the dramatic rescue of a French sailor when his solo round-the-world yacht race came to an end in rough seas. 

Another early success was the entry into service of the EGNOS GEO-3 payload, which will augment both GPS and Galileo in the L1 and L5 bands, provide additional satellite-based augmentation system service capabilities through a new SBAS channel on L5, and will deliver increased EGNOS service availability within and beyond the EU, supporting a growing number of users.

However, by March it was already clear that the Coronavirus situation was not going to go away any time soon. As Europe entered lockdown, across all GSA sites we started to work on ensuring business continuity. With little advance notice, and leveraging on the agility and creativity of the whole team, we quickly moved almost all our activities on-line without significant disruption. Together with the European Commission we looked into GNSS-based solutions to respond to the crisis, and developed an app to ease pressure at the EU’s internal borders. The “Galileo Green Lane” app proved to be very popular with border authorities and drivers and helped enable the efficient transit of critical goods, keeping EU borders open to freight at this critically important time.

Throughout the year, we continued to work on a series of initiatives to boost innovation and support European entrepreneurs working on ideas and applications leveraging Galileo, EGNOS and Copernicus, with a particular focus on synergies between the three. Engagement with the MyGalileoDrone, Geomatics on the Move, Farming by Satellite and MyGalileoSolution competitions has exceeded expectations. In October, we issued the third edition of our eagerly awaited GNSS User Technology Report. Do make sure you have a read through it yourself over the Christmas break if you have not yet done so.

Together we have put in place all the necessary measures to increase the resilience of operations at the Galileo and EGNOS operational centres in Europe and remote sites around the world. The success of this joint effort is measured by the quality of services delivered every day by EGNOS and Galileo. We have also deployed further system updates, in cooperation with ESA and industry, and have demonstrated the GSMC dual site operations with our new Galileo Security Monitoring Centre (GSMC) site in Spain. 

As we progress towards full operational capability, we are working non-stop to make Galileo more robust, continuously learning from day-to-day operations and our experience from past events. The Galileo Search and Rescue ground facilities have also been upgraded. The latest upgrades carried out on SAR/Galileo Local User Terminals in Spain, Cyprus and Norway are helping the International COSPAS-SARSAT Programme transition towards MEOSAR completion, which ultimately translates into more lives being saved.

All our events moved online, turning the physical restrictions imposed by Covid-19 into an opportunity to reach new user communities and go global, this was the case for example with the User Consultation Platform and our annual European Space Week online. The latter event, which was special to me since it was my first European Space Week as GSA Executive Director, was a great success with over 3000 participants from more than 100 countries. 

Looking to the year ahead, the transformation of the GSA into the European Union Space Programme Agency (EUSPA) will finally happen, with the new regulation expected to be formally adopted in early 2021. We will work together to overcome challenges and create opportunities, with a particular focus on exploiting the synergies between the different components of the programme.

As this challenging year ends, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my team at the GSA for their dedication, hard work, commitment and the great spirit demonstrated throughout the year. I would also like to thank our partners at the European Commission, at the European Space Agency and in the Member States and industry for your support in achieving our shared goals. Finally, I would like to thank you, the EUSpace user community, for your ongoing trust and support. It is thanks to this support that the GSA is growing from strength to strength and is able to continue delivering on the promise of space for Europe and its citizens.

Happy holidays to you all.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) 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 GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

The European GNSS Agency (GSA) has launched a call for expressions of interest to set up a database of Venture Capital Entities (VCs) interested in investing in European innovative companies working in the downstream space domain. The goal is to allow start-ups and SMEs in the downstream space segment to connect with investors that may be interested in their products.

In an effort to meet the needs of users of downstream space applications and services, the GSA has consistently taken action to support start-ups, SMEs and space-based R&D projects in developing innovative applications based on European GNSS. The present call is a continuation of this work.

The list of Venture Capitalists interested in investing in space will be published on the GSA website in the hope that this will make it easier for companies in the downstream space sector to get in touch with investors. The database of the VCs will be kept for 7 years.

Read this: Precise Point Positioning opens up new mass market possibilities  

Interested in registering?

If you are a VC and are interested in registering on the database, you should submit the following information to the email address research@gsa.europa.eu, clearly indicating “Call for expression of interest - VCs” in the subject line:

• Company name
• Market segments of interest
• Short description of the VC
• Link to the VC website
• Contact point

There is no registration deadline.

Creating jobs, improving lives

This call for expression of interest follows on from the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the GSA and the European Investment Bank in September last year to bring together the expertise and experience required to explore new investment support for the European space-based economy. Within the MoU the GSA agreed with the EIB to create a publicly available Space Venture Capitalists database.

And this: Timing is everything – GNSS and the energy grids of the future

The ultimate goal of these efforts is to create high-skilled jobs in the EU and improve the day-to-day lives of Europeans by supporting innovative companies and accelerating the development of new applications that use European global navigation satellite systems and Earth observation data. Cooperation with Venture Capitalists, facilitated by the new database, will support space-based companies in increasing competitiveness in the downstream space sector. 

For more information on the Call, click here.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) 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 GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

The European GNSS Agency (GSA) has launched a call for expressions of interest to set up a database of Venture Capital Entities (VCs) interested in investing in European innovative companies working in the downstream space domain. The goal is to allow start-ups and SMEs in the downstream space segment to connect with investors that may be interested in their products.

In an effort to meet the needs of users of downstream space applications and services, the GSA has consistently taken action to support start-ups, SMEs and space-based R&D projects in developing innovative applications based on European GNSS. The present call is a continuation of this work.

The list of Venture Capitalists interested in investing in space will be published on the GSA website in the hope that this will make it easier for companies in the downstream space sector to get in touch with investors. The database of the VCs will be kept for 7 years.

Read this: Precise Point Positioning opens up new mass market possibilities  

Interested in registering?

If you are a VC and are interested in registering on the database, you should submit the following information to the email address research@gsa.europa.eu, clearly indicating “Call for expression of interest - VCs” in the subject line:

• Company name
• Market segments of interest
• Short description of the VC
• Link to the VC website
• Contact point

There is no registration deadline.

Creating jobs, improving lives

This call for expression of interest follows on from the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the GSA and the European Investment Bank in September last year to bring together the expertise and experience required to explore new investment support for the European space-based economy. Within the MoU the GSA agreed with the EIB to create a publicly available Space Venture Capitalists database.

And this: Timing is everything – GNSS and the energy grids of the future

The ultimate goal of these efforts is to create high-skilled jobs in the EU and improve the day-to-day lives of Europeans by supporting innovative companies and accelerating the development of new applications that use European global navigation satellite systems and Earth observation data. Cooperation with Venture Capitalists, facilitated by the new database, will support space-based companies in increasing competitiveness in the downstream space sector. 

For more information on the Call, click here.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) 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 GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

Stakeholders from around Europe and the world gathered online on 7-12 December to attend this year’s edition of European Space Week. Despite the constraints put in place by the Coronavirus pandemic, the event was a great success, with over 3000 participants involved in the discussions, plenaries, consultation platforms and award ceremonies that took place during the week.

The first online edition of EUSW provided an occasion for members of the global space community to come together to celebrate the achievements of the European Space Programme. It was an occasion to hear from users about their needs and requirements, to discuss the strategic direction of EUSpace, and how to ensure that the programme continues to provide the services needed to meet Europe’s strategic priorities.

In total, there were around 100 speakers, who took part in 14 sessions spread across the week. Speaking at the week’s opening session, a plenary on the User Consultation Platform, European GNSS Agency (GSA) Executive Director Rodrigo da Costa noted that he was very happy to see that many people from Europe and around the world had registered to attend the event. “I am happy to see that we have quickly adapted to new circumstances, in the same way that the Space Programme has adapted to meet the needs of users,” he said.

Robust budgetary support

A series of plenary sessions early in the week discussed the latest developments in the EU Space Programme and its strategic direction for the coming years, along with how to support the development of business based on EUSpace. At the session, EC Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton noted that the space business was changing. “The cost of doing space is decreasing, competition is evolving and European space actors will have to adapt,” he said, adding that to support this change, the next Multi-annual Financial Framework would have a robust budgetary envelope of EUR 13 billion for space.

Read this: High accuracy and synergies in focus at UCP

In addition to the online format, there were a number of innovations at this year’s event. Copernicus was represented for the first time, with a session on the status and future of Europe’s eyes on Earth. There were also new sessions, such as on how to promote the EU space programme, and how to improve equality and inclusion in the industry. A session on secure satellite communications presented the GOVSATCOM programme, Europe’s response to cyber and hybrid threats and natural disasters.

There was also a high amount of interest in the Investor Forum, which brought start-ups/SMEs from a wide range of business backgrounds together with investors interested in investing in EU space technology. In total, 10 start-ups presented their ideas to the panel of investors. For more information on this session, click here. 

A week of celebration

EUSW was also an occasion to announce the winners of various innovation competitions organised by the European GNSS Agency (GSA) in partnership with other stakeholders. These included Geomatics on the Move, Farming by Satellite and the Galileo and Copernicus Masters. These competitions are an important source of innovative applications and solutions that meet current and future needs in various market segments.

Looking to the future, the GSA executive director noted that the year ahead would mark an important evolution for the European Space Programme, with the expansion of the GSA into the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA). “EUSPA will continue to be user-oriented. Our goal is to use safe and secure space services across all market segments, while increasing the competitiveness of downstream industry, contributing to sustainable growth, security and safety of the European Union.,” he said.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) 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 GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

Stakeholders from around Europe and the world gathered online on 7-12 December to attend this year’s edition of European Space Week. Despite the constraints put in place by the Coronavirus pandemic, the event was a great success, with over 3000 participants involved in the discussions, plenaries, consultation platforms and award ceremonies that took place during the week.

The first online edition of EUSW provided an occasion for members of the global space community to come together to celebrate the achievements of the European Space Programme. It was an occasion to hear from users about their needs and requirements, to discuss the strategic direction of EUSpace, and how to ensure that the programme continues to provide the services needed to meet Europe’s strategic priorities.

In total, there were around 100 speakers, who took part in 14 sessions spread across the week. Speaking at the week’s opening session, a plenary on the User Consultation Platform, European GNSS Agency (GSA) Executive Director Rodrigo da Costa noted that he was very happy to see that many people from Europe and around the world had registered to attend the event. “I am happy to see that we have quickly adapted to new circumstances, in the same way that the Space Programme has adapted to meet the needs of users,” he said.

Robust budgetary support

A series of plenary sessions early in the week discussed the latest developments in the EU Space Programme and its strategic direction for the coming years, along with how to support the development of business based on EUSpace. At the session, EC Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton noted that the space business was changing. “The cost of doing space is decreasing, competition is evolving and European space actors will have to adapt,” he said, adding that to support this change, the next Multi-annual Financial Framework would have a robust budgetary envelope of EUR 13 billion for space.

Read this: High accuracy and synergies in focus at UCP

In addition to the online format, there were a number of innovations at this year’s event. Copernicus was represented for the first time, with a session on the status and future of Europe’s eyes on Earth. There were also new sessions, such as on how to promote the EU space programme, and how to improve equality and inclusion in the industry. A session on secure satellite communications presented the GOVSATCOM programme, Europe’s response to cyber and hybrid threats and natural disasters.

There was also a high amount of interest in the Investor Forum, which brought start-ups/SMEs from a wide range of business backgrounds together with investors interested in investing in EU space technology. In total, 10 start-ups presented their ideas to the panel of investors. For more information on this session, click here. 

A week of celebration

EUSW was also an occasion to announce the winners of various innovation competitions organised by the European GNSS Agency (GSA) in partnership with other stakeholders. These included Geomatics on the Move, Farming by Satellite and the Galileo and Copernicus Masters. These competitions are an important source of innovative applications and solutions that meet current and future needs in various market segments.

Looking to the future, the GSA executive director noted that the year ahead would mark an important evolution for the European Space Programme, with the expansion of the GSA into the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA). “EUSPA will continue to be user-oriented. Our goal is to use safe and secure space services across all market segments, while increasing the competitiveness of downstream industry, contributing to sustainable growth, security and safety of the European Union.,” he said.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) 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 GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

Stakeholders from around Europe and the world gathered online on 7-12 December to attend this year’s edition of European Space Week. Despite the constraints put in place by the Coronavirus pandemic, the event was a great success, with over 3000 participants involved in the discussions, plenaries, consultation platforms and award ceremonies that took place during the week.

The first online edition of EUSW provided an occasion for members of the global space community to come together to celebrate the achievements of the European Space Programme. It was an occasion to hear from users about their needs and requirements, to discuss the strategic direction of EUSpace, and how to ensure that the programme continues to provide the services needed to meet Europe’s strategic priorities.

In total, there were around 100 speakers, who took part in 14 sessions spread across the week. Speaking at the week’s opening session, a plenary on the User Consultation Platform, European GNSS Agency (GSA) Executive Director Rodrigo da Costa noted that he was very happy to see that many people from Europe and around the world had registered to attend the event. “I am happy to see that we have quickly adapted to new circumstances, in the same way that the Space Programme has adapted to meet the needs of users,” he said.

Robust budgetary support

A series of plenary sessions early in the week discussed the latest developments in the EU Space Programme and its strategic direction for the coming years, along with how to support the development of business based on EUSpace. At the session, EC Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton noted that the space business was changing. “The cost of doing space is decreasing, competition is evolving and European space actors will have to adapt,” he said, adding that to support this change, the next Multi-annual Financial Framework would have a robust budgetary envelope of EUR 13 billion for space.

Read this: High accuracy and synergies in focus at UCP

In addition to the online format, there were a number of innovations at this year’s event. Copernicus was represented for the first time, with a session on the status and future of Europe’s eyes on Earth. There were also new sessions, such as on how to promote the EU space programme, and how to improve equality and inclusion in the industry. A session on secure satellite communications presented the GOVSATCOM programme, Europe’s response to cyber and hybrid threats and natural disasters.

There was also a high amount of interest in the Investor Forum, which brought start-ups/SMEs from a wide range of business backgrounds together with investors interested in investing in EU space technology. In total, 10 start-ups presented their ideas to the panel of investors. For more information on this session, click here. 

A week of celebration

EUSW was also an occasion to announce the winners of various innovation competitions organised by the European GNSS Agency (GSA) in partnership with other stakeholders. These included Geomatics on the Move, Farming by Satellite and the Galileo and Copernicus Masters. These competitions are an important source of innovative applications and solutions that meet current and future needs in various market segments.

Watch this: Thank you for joining the #EUSpaceWeek 2020

Looking to the future, the GSA executive director noted that the year ahead would mark an important evolution for the European Space Programme, with the expansion of the GSA into the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA). “EUSPA will continue to be user-oriented. Our goal is to use safe and secure space services across all market segments, while increasing the competitiveness of downstream industry, contributing to sustainable growth, security and safety of the European Union.,” he said.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) 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 GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).