GNSS Supervisory Authority and ESA sign cooperation agreement
The European Space Agency (ESA) and the Supervisory Authority of the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) have signed an agreement opening up the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) and Galileo programmes to further cooperation. The agreement is intended to ensure the continuity of cooperation between ESA and the European Community in the implementation of the European global navigation satellite systems. 'As we approach the end of research and development efforts on EGNOS and the start of full operations, this agreement provides us with a solid foundation for the type of complementary activity and teamwork needed to transform state-of-the-art technology into a full-fledged working system,' said Pedro Pedreira, Executive Director of the GNSS Supervisory Authority (GSA). 'EGNOS will be the first concrete example of how European satellite navigation and positioning systems benefit our society, and we are fully dedicated to making it successful.' The agreement will facilitate cooperation and exchange during a number of forthcoming activities: the Galileo In Orbit Validation phase; the integration of EGNOS into Galileo; EGNOS and Galileo certification and security activities; and the transfer of the ownership of satellites and other EGNOS and Galileo IOV assets from ESA to the GSA. The agreement also provides for cooperation in areas such as research and development in relation to the programmes. The GSA took over from the Galileo Joint Undertaking (GJU) in January 2007. The GJU was established on a temporary basis to manage the development phase of the Galileo project.