Galileo serves second course

GPS World, May, 2008

The European GNSS rapidly gathered momentum in April, with a second satellite launched on April 27 (the scheduled date, not yet arrived as this magazine goes to press), a second interface control document (ICD) issued for comment, and a new governing directorate and director. Earlier in the month, European transport ministers moved closer to closure on the funding ruckus.

On April 16, the European Space Agency (ESA) appointed several directorate positions, including a director of the Galileo program and navigation-related activities. Rene Oosterlinck will serve a term through the end of 2010; he is currently the ESA's director of Legal Affairs and External Relations. Prior to that position, he had long exposure to and experience with Galileo preparations as head of the Navigation Depart-ment, dealing primarily with Galileo and EGNOS during 2000-2005.

The directorate will cope with the wide changes that have taken place recently. The system-level responsibility and primary industrial role that ESA will take on suggests new muscle that the agency is expected to assert on behalf of the European Commission, under the public procurement plan for Galileo, after scuttling of the public-private partnership last year.

The ESA also appointed a new director of Legal Affairs and External Relations, director of Human Spaceflight, director of Science and Robotic Exploration, and a director of Telecommunications and Integrated Applications.

"This result reinforces the team of directors that will support me in the coming years, introduces for the first time two women in that team, and ensures a right balance between internal promotion and new competences," said Jean-Jacques Dordain, ESA director general.

ICD. The European GNSS Supervisory Authority (GSA) has released a new version of the Galileo Open Service Signal-In-Space Interface Control Document (OS SIS ICD), and is seeking public comment.

This is the second version of the Galileo OS SIS ICD, following the first published in May 2006. The new version incorporates, among other things, the description of the multiplex binary offset carrier (MBOC) modulation for the Galileo E1 signal, according to the GSA. The MBOC modulation is the result of a cooperative effort between he European Union and the United States. In addition, the structure of the search-and-rescue (SAR) return link messages is described in this new version.

Even with the new information, the Galileo OS SIS ICD remains a work in progress, the GSA said. In order to fine tune it and make the document as useful as it can be, the group has opened a public consultation process on the European GNSS Supervisory Authority website to gather comments from the widest audience possible, both within and outside Europe. This consultation process will end in May. To comment, interested parties need to register and download a specific comment form at www.gsa.europa.eu/.> Implementation Plan. European Union transport ministers voted April 7 to approve the text of the Galileo Implementation Regulation. The regulation represents the legal basis for the implementation of the budget and sets out a new management structure for the project, seen as a key step following the bloc's guaranteeing funds for the project in its budget last year.[??]

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