Is this the end of Galileo?

GPS_fan · Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2007 4:46 pm Post subject: Is this the end of Galileo?

BBC News reports on a £1.7bn shortfall in funding for the Galileo project

Darren · Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2007 5:00 pm Post subject:

Was listening to an interesting discussion on the radio about this. Unsurprisingly, the private investors have pulled out because the costs have spiralled and any possibility of recouping their investment is slim.

The major issues seem to be cost, with no firm budget few are willing to commit and many of those who have a vote on the program are not committed financially.

Galileo could be a welcome addition to the constellation but any thoughts of charging end users are foolish when they can access Navstar free of charge. We ought to have one if for no better reason than industry is heavily reliant on a GPS system and as such we should fund one that we have a measure of control over.
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Darren Griffin

GPS_fan · Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2007 9:05 pm Post subject:

Darren · Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2007 9:14 pm Post subject:

Yes of course, costs need to be strictly controlled, SST built the first at a cost of £2m, if they can build the entire constellation at £2m a piece then there is no reason why it can't be done at reasonable cost. But as well know, the costs of projects such as this have a nasty habit of spiralling out of control Sad

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Darren Griffin

GPS_fan · Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2007 9:30 pm Post subject:

Yes, but it's Wembley Stadium syndrome all over again.

At least we have a GPS system that we can use in the meantime Laughing

A bit of a dumb question, but I guess that the two systems wouldn't be interchangeable so that a GPS picks up a signal from 2 satellites in one constellation and 2 satellites in the other constellation to produce a usable signal that a GPS could interpret - I guess that a GPS will use one or the other rather than both.
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Andy
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Darren · Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2007 9:39 pm Post subject:

Not dumb at all, we've already seen chip-sets being demonstrated in Taiwan that were capable of using Navstar, Galileo and Glonass. Whether they could combine a mix of signals I don't know though.
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Darren Griffin

GPS_fan · Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2007 9:58 pm Post subject:

Wouldn't it be great if they could though - all those extra satellites to choose from Laughing

...but the investors will want their money back, so I doubt very much that this will be the case and it will be like the TrafficMaster / iTIS situation with the TMC - one or other, but not a combination.
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Andy
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Fred333 · Occasional Visitor Joined: Nov 01, 2007 Posts: 25

That would be very nice. But who knows if they will get those sats.

Skippy · Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2007 11:24 pm Post subject: Re: Is this the end of Galileo?

portman · Posted: Fri Nov 16, 2007 6:54 pm Post subject:

The Governments of Europe best support it because the shipping around the world relies on GPS, proper navigation is a dying art, could get very expensive with clean up operations around the coast when those foreign crews which all the shipping companies employ get it wrong!!!! All your eggs in one basket springs to mind!!
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Skippy · Posted: Fri Nov 16, 2007 9:15 pm Post subject:

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