UK Government’s alternative to Galileo

News & Press: Space

29 August 2018 (0 Comments)

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UK industry will benefit from a £92 million injection to design a national alternative to Galileo.

The Government announced on 29 August that the £92 million will come from the £3 billion Brexit readiness fund and will cover an 18-month study to look at the possible design and development of a UK programme. This in turn will lead to an informed decision on whether or not to create a UK system system as an alternative to Galileo.

The UK Space Agency (UKSA) will lead the work with full support from the MoD.

The Government has made it clear that the UK wants to remain involved in the Galileo programme, and is negotiating with the European Commission to this end. But it explains that, without the assurance that UK industry can collaborate on an equal basis now and in the future and without access to the necessary security-related information for military functions, the UK would be obliged to end its participation in the project.

The engineering, design and development project will deliver a detailed technical assessment and schedule for a British Global Navigation Satellite System (BGNSS ?) that would provide both civilian and encrypted signals and be compatible with GPS and other systems.

The UK Business Secretary concludes: ‘Britain is a world leader in the space industry and satellites. We are investing in an alternative option to Galileo to ensure our future security needs are met using the UK’s world-leading space sector. Our position on Galileo has been consistent and clear. We have repeatedly highlighted the specialist expertise we bring to the project and the risks in time delays and cost increases that the European Commission is taking by excluding UK industry.’

Details from www.gov.uk