Europe's satellite technology evolves
The Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) represents cutting-edge technology aiding in navigation and study of the environment. This is particularly important in a world threatened by climate change and scarcity of resources. The technology has been embedded in the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), which provides valuable decision support tools on topics such as climate, energy, disasters, biodiversity, ecosystems, agriculture and water. With this in mind, the EU-funded project 'GNSS for Global Environmental Earth Observation (GEEO) and GEOSS' (GFG2) worked on bringing experts together in the field to further these key technologies and systems. It established a web portal and social media mechanisms to launch the initiative, in addition to creating a European GEEO and GEOSS map of past and ongoing GNSS activities. The project successfully explored novel applications in the field and identified existing barriers and future enablers for their implementation. It outlined technological and research challenges that hinder progress and evaluated relevant advances related to the European GNSS independent constellation (EGNOS-GALILEO). Another key GFG2 achievement involved advancing public understanding of GNSS for GEEO and GEOSS research. The project promoted the technology's use for EO communities through a number of events and summer schools aimed at young researchers. It created a website and various social media channels to advance knowledge on the topic and involve the public and other stakeholders. Many relevant workshops were also organised for outreach purposes, including a TEDx event. GNSS technology is set to play an important role in monitoring and managing the environment in Europe, from studying environmental impacts to enhancing agriculture. Through its workshops, online initiatives, summer schools and publications, the project has furthered GNSS to harness the best of this technology and boost its usefulness.
Keywords
Satellite system, Earth observation, global positioning, navigation, energy, climate, monitoring
