Galileo GPS app

ByMoises Campos
Galileo GPS app
Photo by Mael BALLAND on Unsplash

Satellite geopositioning is now widely used in many industries and sectors. For this reason, the European Union and the European Space Agency (ESA) are developing the European satellite positioning system project known as the Galileo, and you will find all the information you need below.

What is the Galileo system?

Galileo is a satellite navigation system from Europe, which is five times more accurate than its counterparts. It began operating at the beginning of 2018 and has made a difference in the field of transport.

The geopositioning programme by Galileo satellite of the European Union was launched in 2003. The main reason for this project was to develop its own satellite system, independent of the American GPS, the Russian GLONASS and the Chinese Beidou. Its implementation has had a real impact on European transport operations.

Evolution of the Galileo programme

Since the programme was launched, it has made the following progress:

  • The positioning system Galileo was hired in 2003.
  • In 2004, the initial testing phase began, which consisted of making a prototype or version 1.
  • In 2005, the next phase was initiated with the first satellite Galileo experimental, Giove A.
  • Then, with Giove B in 2008, the first stations were experimented with, testing receivers from different manufacturers to assess accuracy.
  • In 2010, the first part of in-orbit variation began with four satellites, the minimum number required to give an accurate position.
  • To date there are 26 satellites and by 2024 it is expected to reach 38. The full installation would be 30, but with 8 back-up satellites to make up for the failure of any of them.

This is how it has evolved Galileo in its first phase. The second generation will be launched in 2024.

Characteristics of Galileo

The implementation of the Galileo system is causing a major shift in satellite geo-positioning in the freight sector.

  • It has a continuously moving satellite system which, although not fully operational, already has a number of functionalities.
  • These satellites have more inclined orbits than GPS satellites. They can therefore be more accurate, even at high latitudes. The Galileo system is compatible with GPS to optimise its implementation.
  • Although much less widely used than GPS, Galileo already has more than 100 million users, who have the system installed on their mobile devices or in their transport vehicles. It is expected that this new technology will soon be present in every mobile phone.

Galileo Ground Control

The ground control and monitoring of this system is currently located in the Madrid Technology Park. However, it is intended to extend the control centres to Germany and Italy when the 100% comes into operation.

Who the Galileo system is aimed at

A remarkable aspect of the new positioning system is that it is entirely aimed at civilian use, which raises expectations for the development of new and precise technologies in the future.

For example, its global search and rescue functionality is interesting. Here, satellites will be equipped to receive and relay distress signals sent by users.

Advantages and disadvantages of Galileo implementation

The implementation of Galileo has triggered a major development in geolocation operations in Europe due to its high accuracy. Autonomous driving systems have been boosted to a large extent because their excellent performance is based on satellite geolocation.

Logistics and banking data systems have also become more efficient. Especially by taking advantage of the following benefits that Galileo offers in the accuracy of its systems:

  • Dependence on the US GPS and Russian GLONASS satellites is being phased out. However, it is clear that in each particular situation the most efficient one must be used automatically.
  • Significant reduction of the margin of error, as Galileo provides near-perfect geolocation.
  • Communications in any transport sector, whether by sea, air or land, have been enhanced by real-time geolocation accuracy.
  • Thanks to the use of 10 different radio frequencies, its coverage becomes much more accessible.
  • GPS-enabled electronic devices such as mobile phones and tablets in Europe have an additional satellite network to optimise their effectiveness and accuracy. However, these devices have to incorporate for this, al Galileo system in their software.
  • Errors caused by reverse logistics are reduced, resulting in increased customer-facing functionalities.
  • The implementation of the system Galileo significantly enhances the multiple services that a fleet management platform can bring to transport companies.
  • Galileo has been developed for the civilian sector, allowing common users a higher positioning accuracy of less than one metre.

The disadvantages that the Galileo system can bring in its implementation process are the following:

  • As it is a new system, it still has to undergo an extended testing period.
  • Many devices will not be compatible, in particular because many manufacturers do not have support and updates for this system.
  • New devices will need to develop and adjust their software or hardware to support this new system.

Relevant Galileo services

Among the most important services of Galileo are as follows:

  • The GalileoOpen Service (OS). Any user of a post-2017 smartphone carries a Galileo receiver inside it that gives it satellite positioning.
  • The service of Save and Rescue beacon system makes it possible to locate people, especially at sea. Compared to other systems, it allows positioning of a person with a beacon with a Galileo receiver in 10 minutes and within a radius of 5 kilometres. Other systems do it in 3 hours and within 10 kilometres.
  • A government service, the Public Regulated Service (PRS), which, in addition to offering much greater precision, can be geolocated in centimetres.