Photo: ESA"The first test satellite of Europe’s €3.8 billion Galileo navigation system was launched on Wednesday from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
The system will rival the US Global Positioning System (GPS) and Russia’s GLONASS system. Galileo is a civilian project and promises the permanent provision of a navigation system – the US and Russia systems are both run by the military and could in theory be turned off at any time.
Wednesday’s launch came after two years of delays. A Russian Soyuz rocket carrying the test GIOVE-A satellite blasted off at 0519 GMT. About nine minutes after lift-off, the launcher's first three stages separated as scheduled.
A few hours later mission control officials announced the probe had been successfully placed in its final orbit 23,000 kilometres (14,000 miles) above the Earth. But the mission will only be declared a success when the satellite's solar panels and transmission systems have been successfully tested...." (Read More)
bwo ESA:
"Launch of GIOVE-A taking place on 28 December 2005 from Baikonur.
GIOVE A is the first of two Galileo In-Orbit Validation Elements which, with its sister spacecraft GIOVE B and their associated ground segment, make up the first stage of the in-orbit validation (IOV) of the Galileo system." (Link)
Videos:
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ESA earlier update video with project synopsis:
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2 comments:
GIOVE-A is essentially just a testbed, to lock in allocated frequency spectrum and to test atomic clocks and other elements. A minimum of four vehicles is needed, arranged in proper geometry, to get any kind of fix.
As to whether it is interoperable with the US-based NAVSTAR GPS is still to be seen. Currently TOPCON offers survey-grade GPS receivers that can receive both NAVSTAR and GLONASS signals, however separate components must process the signals, as these two are not directly interoperable.
Quote-Dave Smith: "GIOVE-A is essentially just a testbed, to lock in allocated frequency spectrum and to test atomic clocks and other elements. A minimum of four vehicles is needed, arranged in proper geometry, to get any kind of fix."
Right, the IOV. To me it is an important step just in the fact that it is civilian based instead of the military.
So, we'll be watching this in the future. Obviously, it could be years before it becomes operational.
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