Europe’s own Global Navigation Satellite System

Galileo is Europe’s own Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), providing a highly accurate, global positioning service, interoperable with the US GPS and Russian Glonass systems. Galileo’s modern and efficient design will increase Europe’s technological independence, and help to set international standards for GNSS. Galileo is being developed and deployed in collaboration between the European Union and ESA. The complete Galileo constellation will consist of 24 satellites plus spares. With the satellites taking about 14 hours to orbit Earth, there will always be at least four satellites visible anywhere in the world. The satellites are being placed in three orbital planes at an angle of 56 degrees to the equator, which will provide coverage right up to the polar regions.