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Today, the EU and its citizens celebrate the signing of the Schuman Declaration, the historic agreement that laid the foundation for a united Europe and planted the seeds to what would evolve into the European Union. 

A lot has been achieved in the seven decades since the declaration was signed on 9 May 1950. For example, we’ve established the freedom of movement for EU citizens, built one of the world’s biggest single markets and even won a Nobel Peace Prize. We continue to protect our citizens with robust consumer protection laws and are on our way to becoming the world’s first climate neutral continent. 

We also built an independent space programme that is both competitive and innovative and that delivers real benefits to citizens and businesses alike. “The data and services provided by the EU Space Programme support EU interests and goals like the Green Deal and Digital Transformation and are indispensable to the daily lives of Europeans,” says EUSPA Executive Director Rodrigo da Costa. 

A comprehensive EU Space Programme 

Over 4 billion people currently use Galileo, the world’s most precise positioning system, while many governments, national agencies, institutions, researchers and businesses are leveraging the information coming from Copernicus, the world’s best Earth Observation system.

The EU Space Programme also includes EGNOS, Europe's regional satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS) that is used to improve the accuracy and reliability of GNSS positioning information. Originally designed to benefit aviation, EGNOS has revolutionised the way we fly – creating greater access to small and regional airports, increasing safety and facilitating more efficient and sustainable flight routes across Europe. 

Rounding out the EU Space Programme are Space Situational Awareness (SSA), which provides comprehensive knowledge about space hazards, and the forthcoming GOVSATCOM, which aims to provide secure and cost-efficient communication capabilities to security and safety critical missions and operations. 

The latest addition is IRIS² (Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite). The new satellite constellation will provide secure communication services to the EU and its Member States as well as broadband connectivity for European citizens, private companies and governmental authorities. Initial services are expected to launch next year, with full operational capability happening by 2027.

The link between space technology and user needs 

Not only is Europe Day an opportunity to celebrate the achievement that is the EU Space Programme, it also coincides with EUSPA’s anniversary. Established two years ago as the European Union’s only agency dedicated to space, EUSPA serves as the essential link between space technology and user needs.

In addition to implementing the EU Space Programme, EUSPA is responsible for providing reliable, safe and secure space-related services and maximising their socio-economic benefits for all of society. By fostering the development of innovative and competitive upstream and downstream sectors and by engaging with the entire EU Space community, EUSPA helps drive innovation-based growth across the European economy. It also contributes to the safety of EU citizens, the security of the Union and its Member States and reinforces the EU’s strategic autonomy.

“At the heart of our work is a commitment to support an innovative and competitive EU space sector, ensuring that space continues to drive innovation-based growth in Europe and deliver services and applications that meet the challenges of both today and tomorrow,” adds da Costa. 

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).

To make the best use of the Galileo services, users rely on much more than the satellites orbiting the Earth at an altitude of 23.000km. Dedicated facilities such as the Galileo Control Centres (GCCs), sensor and uplink stations are some of the most important components that make up the so-called ‘’Galileo Ground Segment’’ the role of which is to support the service provision of Europe’s own Global Navigation Satellite System. An important element of the Galileo Ground Segment is the Galileo Sensor Stations.

So, what are GSSs and why are they important to the constellation? 

The Galileo Sensor Stations (GSS) is a network of antennas deployed at remote sites located around the world. They have small omnidirectional receiving antennas around just 50 cm high, and their role is to check the accuracy and signal quality of individual satellites in real-time and to pinpoint current satellite orbits.

These measurements are transmitted via secure satellite communications to the Galileo Control Centres in Fucino, Italy. Here they serve as the basis of a set of corrections – accounting for timing or orbital slips – to be uplinked to the satellites via a network of 3m-diameter uplink stations. This is then rebroadcasted within navigation messages to users, currently updated every 50 minutes. 

A GSS located in Numea.

A thorough process

Establishing the GSS is not an easy procedure, and it requires meticulous attention as well as security accreditation by the Security Accreditation Board (SAB) of EUSPA.

The decision for the new location was made in June 2020 but due to the COVID pandemic, deployment began only in summer 2022. In October 2022, the second mission to Wallis and Futuna took place to complete the deployment of the GSS and connect it to the Ground Mission Segment network for data collection.

"EUSPA has been significantly upgrading the ground segments of both Galileo and EGNOS to ensure optimum performance Europe's satellite navigation systems," says EUSPA Executive Director, Rodrigo da Costa. "Wallis and Futuna are a strategic location which allows us to increase the coverage of Galileo in the southern hemisphere" he concluded.

Check out this map to learn more about Galileo sensors and stations across the globe.

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).

According to the latest edition of the European State of the Climate Report (ESOTC), 2022 was yet another year of extremes. Not only did Europe see its hottest summer ever recorded, with temperatures reaching 1.4°C above average, much of Europe experienced prolonged and intense heatwaves. 

Europe’s lakes and seas also saw increasing surface temperatures. While 73% of Europe’s lakes recorded warmer-than-average temperatures, average sea surface temperatures were the warmest on record. 

Exacerbated by low precipitation, which continued through spring and summer for most regions in Europe, together with the exceptional heatwaves, Europe also experienced a widespread and prolonged drought in 2022. On the whole, the year was 10% drier than average. This lack of precipitation, including winter snow, combined with the exceptional summer heatwaves, contributed to a record loss of ice from glaciers in the Alps. 

The European State of the Climate Report, which is published annually by the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), provides key climate indicators plus insights and in-depth analysis on climate conditions during the previous calendar year. The Report’s findings are based largely on an analysis of the data and services provided by the Copernicus Earth Observation programme.

Meaningful action starts with critical data 

By providing authoritative information about the rapidly changing climate in Europe, Copernicus helps climate researchers and authorities make informed decisions and take effective action. It is also providing entrepreneurs with data and information to face these changes and adapt their activities.

Copernicus is particularly useful for helping local authorities be more proactive to climate-related risks. For example, national and local authorities use C3S-produced heat stress predictions to implement heat-related action plans. These actions can include things as simple as limiting outside activities and drinking plenty of fluids to actively monitoring at-risk populations or designing cities in a way that could help mitigate heat-related risks. It is also providing entrepreneurs opportunities to prepare the future and develop applications.

ESOTC: an instrumental publication for EUSPA

"For us at EUSPA, the European State of the Climate (ESOTC) report is an instrumental publication for various reasons. Firstly, because it’s a confirmation that Union must accelerate its green transformation, and secondly because our agency has a role to play in the delivery of the EU Green Deal by providing space-based solutions," says EUSPA Executive Director, Rodrigo da Costa.

Since its creation in 2021, EUSPA has been entrusted with the promotion and market uptake of Copernicus services and products such as those of the Copernicus Climate Service (C3S).

According to the EUSPA EO and GNSS Market Report, the total revenues from the sale of both EO data and services in the Climate services sector in 2021 amounted to €318 m and will grow by almost 50% over the next decade to reach €451 m in 2031.

"It is therefore crucial for the EUSPA Market Development team to have up-to-date information and data about the state of the climate to support accordingly innovators and creators to propose the appropriate solutions" adds Fiammetta Diani, EUSPA Head of Market, Downstream and Innovation.

EUSPA has been actively utilizing various funding streams to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in climate-related products, services, and applications. This effort includes initiatives like Horizon Europe calls and innovation competitions such as the myEUspace competition, which is part of the CASSINI Initiative. As a result of these efforts, projects like 100KTREEs, SWIFTT, and MAGDA have been able to receive support.

• 100KTREEs is a Decision Toolbox designed to help cities improve air quality, biodiversity, human well-being, and reduce climate risks (such as urban heat islands and heatwaves) by planting more trees in urban areas.
• SWIFTT is an early warning system that uses EU space data and Artificial Intelligence to protect forest health and production by detecting forest threats such as forest bugs, heatwaves, fires, windthrow, and other climate-related events.
• Project MAGDA leverages GNSS (including Galileo) and drones to provide the agricultural sector with precise atmosphere monitoring. This project utilizes EU Space to predict and prepare for the future of weather, climate, and water.

A clear path forward

While the ESOTC report leaves no room for doubt that the climate is changing and that these changes are having extreme consequences here in Europe, it also gives us hope. If we fully leverage the wealth of data that Copernicus provides free of charge – and then act on it – there can be a clear path forward to a liveable future. 

You can read the full European State of the Climate Report 2022 here. 

C3S is implemented by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) on behalf of the European Commission.

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).