ESA signs Irish deal in satellite navigation project
The European Space Agency (ESA) has reached an agreement with the Irish aviation authority to install satellite navigation equipment at Cork airport, Ireland. The contract, signed on July 24 this year, is part of the European geostationary navigation overlay service (EGNOS), Europe's satellite navigation system. EGNOS augments the reliability and precision of existing global positioning signals from USA and Russian global satellite systems, ensuring their safety for use in air traffic control and ship, train and road transport navigation systems. The new equipment will become one of 34 Ranging and integrity monitoring stations (RIMS) deployed to monitor signals. Similar contracts have already been signed with the Bulgarian air traffic service authority and with the Icelandic civil aviation authority. Contracts are soon to be finalised with air traffic authorities in Canada, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, Israel, Poland, Singapore, Sweden, Tunisia and Turkey. The EGNOS project is part of Galileo, a joint European Commission and ESA initiative to create Europe's own global satellite navigation system consisting of 30 satellites under civilian control. Galileo is expected to become fully operational from 2006-2008. EGNOS and Galileo represent the European contribution to the development of a global positioning and navigation satellite system called GNSS.