Four more Galileo satellites enter space

[nitpicker]

http://www.dw.com/en/four-more-galileo-satellites-enter-space/a-36422029

Four more Galileo satellites enter space

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The European Space Agency (ESA) sends four new Galileo navigation satellites into space on an Ariane 5 rocket this Tuesday. It will bring the total number of satellites in the European navigation system to 22. The target is 30 satellites. After the launch, it can take several months to finalize the configuration of the satellites. Presently, 14 out of 18 Galileo satellites in space are fully operational.

Initial services, free to users worldwide, will be available only on smartphones and navigation units already fitted with Galileo-compatible microchips. The new system was originally designed to deliver more precise data for private and commercial users than the current US Global Positioning System (GPS) does. However, the second generation of GPS offers similar accuracy to Galileo.
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Officially Galileo started offering its services to customers at the end of 2016, even though the system is not yet able to cover the entire globe. To reach that target, the system needs at least 24 fully operational satellites. The next satellite launches are planned for July 2018 and for 2020.

Galileo is one of the prestige projects of the European Union. In contrast to the US GPS system, which is 20 years older, Galileo is civilian-controlled. Therefore, Galileo offers its private and commercial users the whole spectrum of precision navigation that is technically possible.

Galileo offers a precision of up to 4m for its fully open service. Commercial users and official government services can even receive a precision of a few centimeters. This is important, for example, for fully or partially automated planes, cars or ships. By 2018 Galileo should be fully operational, with at least 24 satellites in place. That is the threshold the system must reach before it can deliver a complete service.

The high precision offered by Galileo was one of the reasons why the Pentagon rejected the system in the first place. There were fears that adversaries of NATO or of other allies could use it for military purposes. However, engineers have found a solution to that problem: should a serious crisis arise, the military can jam a certain part of the broadcasting spectrum. This would cut off civilian use, but still retain the functions that are reserved for allied military purposes.
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[Canoe52]

1. Guess I shouldnt throw my old maps out...

“ should a serious crisis arise, the military can jam a certain part of the broadcasting spectrum. This would cut off civilian use”