EU could be forced to scale down Galileo system

Published: Apr 19, 2006
Source: news.ft.com



The European Union could be forced to cut back on the amount of satellites forming its flagship EUR3.2bn ($3.9bn) Galileo navigation system because of financial constraints, according to some experts.

Although it is struggling to keep its timetable, the EU hopes to start operating Galileo in 2008. The project involves deploying 30 satellites, including three back-up ones. However, following the successful launch of the first test Galileo satellite in December, some officials suggest that, if current financial difficulties persist, Galileo could still work effectively on a smaller scale. So far, financing has been secured only for the first validation phase, involving about four or five satellites.continue..