Galileo at GNSS 2002 - global satellite navigation systems conference, 27-30 May, Copenhagen

Paris, 24 May 2002

The European Space Agency will be joining forces with the European Commission in a major contribution to GNSS 2002, the sixth in a series of international conferences devoted to global satellite navigation systems, to be held in Copenhagen from to 30 May 2002.

This European conference on navigation, organised by the Nordic Institute of Navigation, will offer a series of talks, debates and exhibitions centring on satellite navigation in today's and tomorrow's world. The European Space Agency and the European Commission will be contributing to the programme of talks and also to the industrial exhibition, where they will be jointly hosting a stand devoted to Galileo, the first civil satellite navigation and positioning system, given the go-ahead at the meeting of the European Union Transport Council on 26 March this year.

GNSS 2002 will be a valuable opportunity to report on just how matters stand with this strategic programme - and experts from both the Agency and the Commission will be on hand to deal with questions from journalists attending the conference.

Galileo system

Developed by ESA in collaboration with the European Union and co-funded by the two organisations on a 50-50 basis, Galileo is a complete civil system, designed to be operational from 2008 and to provide the world in general and Europeans in particular with an accurate, secure and certified satellite positioning system.

There are many potential applications in road, rail, air and maritime traffic control, synchronisation of data transmission between banks, etc., and the economic implications for the coming 15 years are tremendous, with an estimated 4.6 return on investment and the creation of more than 100 000 jobs.

GNSS 2 will be held at the Radisson SAS Falconer Centre, ENC GNSS 2002 Conference, ESA-EC Stand No 30-35, Falkoner Alle 9, located close to the historic heart of Copenhagen.

For further information, please contact:

ESA, Bureau des Relations avec les medias
Franco Bonacina
Tel: +33(0)1.53.69.7155
Fax: +33(0)1.53.69.7690

Dominique Detain
ESA Applications Directorate
Tel: +33(0)1.53.69.7726