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Launched onboard EUTELSAT’s Hotbird 13G satellite in November 2022 from Cape Canaveral, the EGNOS payload is ready to transmit the first EGNOS V3 test signals, as of Thursday, 1 June 2023. Placed in a geostationary orbit some 35,000 km away from the Earth, the payload underwent a rigorous testing phase before entering service. It is expected to have a life duration of 15 years. 

"With the new payload in service, the EGNOS Space segment is now fully ready for the move to the next generation, EGNOS V3" said Jean-Marc Piéplu, EGNOS Exploitation Programme Manager at EUSPA. "Our role at EUSPA is to ensure the operability and the safety of the system with the core aim to benefit end users" he concluded.

Enhanced performance and increased autonomy for Europe

The next generation of EGNOS - EGNOS V3 - will augment both GPS and Galileo in the L1 and L5 bands. It is also set to provide additional satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS) 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.

Aviation has benefitted greatly from EGNOS, namely from the system’s Safety of Life service. This has enabled better access to small and regional airports, increased safety and facilitated more sustainable flight routes across Europe.

Other transport means including maritime and rail also benefit from the EGNOS Safety of Life service. Thanks to its Open Service, EGNOS also increases the positioning accuracy for other land-based applications, notably precision farming, geomatics, and land management.

Read this: Are all signals the same?

In addition to the improved user experience, the new EGNOS payload is another reaffirmation of the Union’s investment in advanced space technologies. Together with the EGNOS GEO-5 and with the deployment of the next generation Galileo satellites, Europe further increases its autonomous access to space. 

About EGNOS

EGNOS is Europe's regional satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS). It is currently used to improve the performance of GPS and will augment Galileo from 2025 onwards. EGNOS was deployed to provide safety of life navigation services to aviation, maritime and land-based users.

EGNOS uses GNSS measurements taken by reference stations deployed mainly across Europe and North Africa. These measurements are transferred to a central computing centre where differential corrections and integrity messages are calculated. These calculations are then broadcast over the covered area using geostationary satellites that serve as an augmentation, or overlay, to the original GNSS message. 

The information provided by EGNOS improves the accuracy and reliability of GNSS positioning information while also providing a crucial integrity message. In addition, EGNOS also transmits an accurate time signal.

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 famous frog once sang, ‘it’s not easy being green’. 

Clearly, he didn’t know about EU Space. 

“With the wealth of data, services and information that the EU Space Programme provides, ‘being green’ has become a whole lot easier,” says EUSPA Executive Director Rodrigo da Costa.

As Europe prepares to celebrate EU Green Week from 3 – 11 June, let’s look at some of the ways EU Space supports the package of policies and initiatives that is the European Green Deal – Europe’s roadmap to becoming the world’s first climate neutral continent. 

Energy Performance of Buildings Directive

Our homes, offices, schools, hospitals, libraries, and other buildings are, collectively, the single largest consumer of energy. They’re also one of the largest emitters of carbon dioxide, responsible for 36% of all greenhouse gas emissions.

In other words, the path to climate neutrality starts with energy efficient buildings.

Here, the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service helps monitor emissions in residential areas of cities. With this information in hand, urban planners can focus on renovating the worst-performing buildings first.

Last year, EUSPA also kicked-off a series of Horizon Europe projects that aim to support the transversal objectives of the European Green Deal. Among these projects, BUILDSPACE aims to enable greener and more sustainable management of buildings and urban areas in European cities, using Digital Twins powered by EU Space data. The city services of Piraeus, Riga and Ljubljana are expected to validate the digital twin services delivered by the project.

Renewable Energy Directive / RePowerEU 

Today, approximately 22% of the EU’s energy comes from renewable sources. These initiatives seek to not only more than double this, but to do so in just a few years’ time.

Unfortunately, we don’t have a ‘magic switch’ that we can flip to go from our current fossil fuel- based energy system to one based on renewables. But what we do have is EU Space. A recently initiated EUSPA project called RESPONDENT uses Galileo timing and synchronization services to allow for smarter grid monitoring, improved power balancing and overall better operation of the infrastructure of renewable energy sources.

From choosing the best location for wind turbines to understanding how dust storms might impact solar energy production, the EU Space Programme will be a key enabler of Europe’s energy transition.

Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive

Large listed businesses, banks and insurance companies with over 500 employees are required to reports on their Environment-Social-Government (ESG) policies and performance. To do so, many are turning to Earth Observation. 

High-quality, objective, independent, verifiable, regularly updated, comprehensive, global – these are all reasons why Earth Observation data is so well-suited for environmental risk assessment and monitoring. Furthermore, Earth Observation has the benefit of allowing users to quickly and cost-effectively collect and analyse large amounts of information over a large spatial extent in a consistent, unbiased, repetitive and cost-effective manner.

Regulation on Land Use, Land Use Change & Forestry

Both Galileo and Copernicus play a role in preventing illegal logging. By flagging potential development and road construction happening within forests, Earth Observation data helps authorities look for illegal activity and predict where such activity is most likely to occur. Authorities can also leverage the precise positioning provided by Galileo to track timbre movements, which increases the transparency and traceability of the timber supply chain and reduces the likelihood that illegal exportation goes unnoticed. 

Carbon Offset and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation

Once an airline’s collective emissions surpass 2019 levels, CORSIA requires them to offset all additional carbon emissions. But instead of just paying to offset, airlines are also working to reduce their carbon footprint. For example, using Galileo, airlines and airports can improve their ground operations, saving fuel and thus cutting greenhouse gas emissions.  

EGNOS also helps make flights more sustainable. On the one hand, EGNOS allows for a smooth, continuous glide path approach that is significantly more fuel efficient. On the other hand, the lower decision height that EGNOS enables can help pilots better evaluate visibility conditions, which in many cases means avoiding the need to circle or divert – two manoeuvres that burn a lot of fuel. 

Supporting companies’ green transformations 

While each of the above listed initiatives are essential to achieving Europe’s ambitious climate change goals, policy without action amounts to nothing more than empty promises. In fact, each of these goals requires that companies take a deep look at their internal operations, as well as their supply chains, to identify opportunities for reducing their own environmental footprints. 

Here too EU Space plays a role.

While the EU Space Programme and the data and services it provides are important assets to supporting the implementation of the Green Deal, businesses stand to benefit too. For example, Copernicus, Galileo and EGNOS supply the information companies need to monitor environmental indicators, reduce their environmental impact, comply with relevant policies and regulations, become more sustainable and drive the green transformations. Better yet, much of this data is openly accessibly and provided free of charge.

To help companies utilise this data as a means of driving their own sustainability journeys, EUSPA has published its first EU Space for the Green Transformation report. The practical guide is full of best practices and real-world examples on how EU Space can make being green easier for companies of all shapes, sizes and sectors.

 “If this report is a trusted roadmap for a green transformation and sustainability journey for companies willing to evolve towards a sustainable future, EUSPA's work on Horizon Europe also creates new opportunities for businesses and reinforces the Union's green ambition. Together, we can drive positive change and seize the benefits of sustainable practices, " concludes da Costa.

You can download your free copy of the EU Space for the Green Transformation report 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).

On May 17, 2023, the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) and Naviair, signed a cooperation agreement aimed at strengthening the monitoring capabilities of the Galileo Search and Rescue (SAR) Service by establishing a new site in Greenland. This collaboration marks a significant step towards ensuring the redundancy, of the SAR/Galileo system and therefore the safety and security of the European Union and its surrounding regions.

EUSPA, as the user-oriented operational agency of the EU Space Programme, is dedicated to promoting sustainable growth, security, and safety within the European Union. Naviair, a company owned by the Danish state and represented by the Ministry of Transport, specializes in air navigation and related infrastructure services.

The SAR/Galileo component of the EU Space Programme plays a crucial role in the detection of emergency signals transmitted by distress beacons in support of the internationally recognized Search and Rescue (SAR) Cospas-Sarsat programme. As part of this programme, the Galileo SAR Service utilises SAR instruments onboard Galileo satellites, Medium Earth Orbit Local User Terminals (MEOLUTs), and a network of SAR Reference Beacons (REFBE) located across Europe.

Recognizing the need to strengthen SAR Service monitoring capabilities, particularly around the edges of the European area, EUSPA and Naviair have joined hands to extend the ground segment and the current capabilities. As part of the agreement, Naviair will contribute to the Galileo Programme objectives by procuring, deploying, hosting, and operating a REFBE nearby the Kangerlussuaq airport in Greenland.  This initiative will play a pivotal role in supporting SAR Service monitoring in cooperation with EUSPA.

SAR Reference Beacons in European Coverage Area and Indian Coverage Area

Rodrigo da Costa, Executive Director of EUSPA, highlighted that “Naviair's commitment aligns perfectly with the goals of EUSPA to constantly strengthen and advance the capabilities and services provided ensuring the safety and security of individuals within the European Union and beyond.” 

Mads Kvist Eriksen, Chief Executive Officer of Naviair, expressed his enthusiasm about this collaboration, stating, "Naviair is looking forward to hosting a SAR/Galileo Reference Beacon in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, to support SAR Service monitoring capabilities around the edges of the European area in cooperation with EUSPA." 

In addition, the cooperation agreement between EUSPA and Naviair sets a precedent for future partnerships, clearly exemplifying the spirit of international cooperation that drive the Search and Rescue efforts worldwide.

The new SAR/Galileo Site and REFBE will be strategically located around the margins of the declared Service Coverage Area (see Figure 2) and will be fully integrated to SAR Ground Segment, raising the number of REFBEs to total of eight. The REFBEs provide data for service performance monitoring and there are currently five in the European Coverage Area and two in the Indian Ocean Coverage Area.

The REFBEs are fitted with vertical linear polarized antenna that transmit timely synchronised signals equivalent to a standard 406 MHz Cospas-Sarsat beacon which combined to their well-known position enables specific SAR/Galileo Service performance indicators to be derived.

The new site is bound to be ready by the fourth quarter of 2023.

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).