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The European Commission and the European GNSS Agency (GSA) confirm that the first generation of Galileo will already provide users with High Accuracy and Authentication services.

Welcoming the adoption of the Galileo Commercial Service Implementing Decision, the European Commission and the GSA confirm that the first generation of Galileo will provide users with High Accuracy and Authentication services. The Commercial Service will complement the Galileo Open Service by providing an additional navigation signal and added-value services in a different frequency band. Unlike the Open Service, the Commercial Service signal can be encrypted in order to control access to Galileo Commercial Services.

“The Commercial Service is unique in that its services are not provided by any other GNSS programme and thus represents a unique opportunity for Galileo to differentiate itself from other systems and offer users an added value to the standard positioning services already available,” says GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides.

With the Commercial Service, Galileo users will benefit from:

• a High Accuracy service based on the transmission of Precise Point Positioning (PPP) information through its E6-B signal, delivering accuracy below one decimetre worldwide; and
• a Commercial Authentication service based on the E6 signal code encryption, allowing for increased robustness of professional applications.

Following the Commercial Service Implementing Decision, the user community will also be able to use the Open Service Navigation Message Authentication (OS NMA) for free. The OS NMA is capable of protecting users from spoofing attacks by digitally signing the Open Service message in the E1 band.

“Galileo’s High Accuracy and Authentication services, including NMA, take advantage of already existing infrastructure,” explains European Commission Galileo Commercial Service Manager Ignacio Fernández Hernández. “This is why they can be provided in a timely and cost-effective manner, yet with very good performance.”

It is foreseen that the High Accuracy and Commercial Authentication services will be provided for a fee, and that at least one signal component of the Galileo E6 signals remains freely available, allowing user communities to benefit from signals in all Galileo bands.

To avoid disrupting existing professional markets, it is planned that the Commercial Service will be operated by at least one yet-to-be-determined commercial service provider. All three services are compatible with the current signal definition and are based on existing infrastructure.

After a test period, the Galileo Commercial Service will become available when Galileo reaches Full Operational Capability (FOC), which is expected by 2020. It will complement the Galileo Open Service, Public Regulated Service (PRS) and Search and Rescue (SAR) service – all available now via the Galileo Initial Services. Additional satellites will be successively added to the constellation, with the launch of the next four foreseen in 2017.

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), in cooperation with the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC), launches the Young GSA – New Navigation Horizons Scholarship. 

The Young GSA – New Navigation Horizons Scholarship, a joint initiative of the European GNSS Agency (GSA) and the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC), asks European students and young professionals to share their views on what Galileo means for society, business and European integration. 

To participate, all you have to do is create a 30-second video and write a 400-word essay answering one of the following questions:

1. With the introduction of Galileo, the idea of a multi-constellation environment has become a reality. With more global navigation satellite system (GNSS) satellites in orbit, users are now benefiting from better positioning and navigation accuracy than ever before. How can these benefits be harnessed in the future?
2. How can Europe’s space programmes – Galileo, EGNOS and Copernicus – strengthen the European Union?

The winner will receive up to USD 2 000 that can be used to attend both the 6th Space Generation Fusion Forum and the 33rd Space Symposium, scheduled for 2 to 6 April 2017 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA.

The details

The scholarship is open to European students and young professionals aged 18 to 35. In order to participate, one must be a registered SGAC member. You can register for a free membership here.

In addition to the video and essay, applicants must also submit their CV (with date of birth and country of citizenship). All submissions must be in English and must be received via the Scholarship's Submission Form no later than 23.59 GMT on 26 February 2017.

More information can be found here.

The SGAC is dedicated to bringing together university students and young professionals to think creatively about international, national and local space policy issues. Its objective is to inject the next generation’s point-of-view into the space policy of tomorrow.

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).