A European version of GPS will go ahead now ...

[IrishMistRacing]

Galileo Gets the Green Light

A European version of GPS will go ahead now that bureaucratic budget squabbles are over. The Galileo navigation system is scheduled to go live in 2013.

The European Union agreed Friday to complete the development of a satellite navigation system to rival the American GPS network, beating an end-of-the-year deadline for approving the project.

[HoffaLives]

that really is a good development; it never set well with me that my chartplotter and gps are dependent on the military situation of the u.s.

select availability just isn't good enough when you sail in this area. of course that means buying all new equipment.

[mccary]

I thought Clinton stopped select availability in 2000.
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=1676

[sailboy21]

Originally Posted by mccary

I thought Clinton stopped select availability in 2000.
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=1676

Don't forget the other advancements WAAS and DGPS. The "military" issue is almost moot since so many critical applications use GPS, and they (or anyone else) can scramble local areas of strategic interest. I imagine the EU will have similar military controls over Galileo. Galileo, however, will have subscriber versions where you can pay for better accuracy.

[HoffaLives]

wasn't select availability briefly turned on during the iraq war in 2003? different presidente, different ideology.

[sailingdog]

Hoffa-

I don't think GWB even knows what GPS is, much less how to ask the boys to turn on Selective Availability...

[HoffaLives]

Originally Posted by sailingdog

Hoffa-

I don't think GWB even knows what GPS is, much less how to ask the boys to turn on Selective Availability...

maybe not, but he does like to push big, red buttons to amuse himself and to see what will happen.

[Idiens]

Further good news for us is:-

There's a US/EU agreement in place that Galileo and GPS III (3rd Generation) will share a common scheme for their L1 and L5 signals. So in about 2015, we will have an extraordinary improvement in performance.

The bad news is:-

We will have to buy new receivers to take advantage (but the old ones will still work).

To complicate things:-

Russian GLONASS and Chinese COMPASS are likely to be working too. We'll be spoilt for choice.

[camaraderie]

What a waste of time and money.

[Valiente]

(takes out sextant, lightly wipes down Vernier scale).

What? Did you guys say something?