Galileo faces uncertain future

The future of the Galileo satellite system is in doubt

MPs have raised further concerns over the future of the European Union’s (EU’s) Galileo global positioning satellite system.

The Commons European Scrutiny Committee, which monitors the work of the EU, has expressed doubts over the plans for a public procurement of all 30 proposed satellites, after a space industry consortium undermined an attempt to proceed on the basis of a private finance initiative by refusing to accept the risks involved.

The committee says the European Commission’s argument that EU industry would lose out in the satellite positioning applications market without Galileo ignores the existing success exploiting the US-owned GPS system.

The MPs are calling for a full Parliamentary debate before further progress is authorised at the Council of Transport Ministers in October.

Galileo will provide Europe with next-generation positioning and navigation services that are independent of either the US system or planned Russian and Chinese rivals.

It started in 2005 with the launch of an experimental satellite, but the completion date has slipped from 2008 to 2011 and it has already cost EU member states €388m (£264m) more than expected.