Brussels, 29/01/2014 (Agence Europe) - In space policy, the priority of European Commissioner for Industry Antonio Tajani is to provide satellite navigation services with Galileo, and Earth observation services with Copernicus. He confirmed this at the European conference on space, which was held on Tuesday 28 January, on the sidelines of which he met major figures from the sector, who confirmed that 2014 will mark a turning point.
Maintaining dialogue. In order to “reinforce dialogue”, the commissioner held discussions with the director general of the European Space Agency (ESA), Jean-Jacques Dordain, and with the CEOs of the five main companies in the field of European space policy: Arianespace, Telespazio, Thales Alenia Space, OHB and Airbus Space and Defence. They reported back to him on recent progress made regarding two key EU projects and their firm intention of launching other satellites over the year. Indeed, the success of the Galileo and Copernicus programmes depends on the “commitment and support of the space industry and of the ESA”, the commissioner said.
Galileo: 6 more satellites. Following this exchange, Tajani was in a position to confirm at the conference that the tests carried out were conclusive for Galileo: “The precision is highly stable and unequalled, the anticipated performance excellent. We have a solid technical basis”. Six additional satellites are to be sent into orbit this year, bringing the constellation to 10 satellites, with the first launch scheduled for June. Therefore, the first Galileo services will be validated in the course of 2014, with a view to provision by the end of this year or early 2015, if all technical issues are resolved. With interest in these growing, on the part of European industry but also in America, Russia and China, Tajani stressed that he would not allow “the slightest obstacle”, such as patents, “to penalise companies wishing to use our system”.
Copernicus - first Sentinel. As for Copernicus, the regulation and budget for which have recently been approved (see EUROPE 11003), Tajani confirmed the launch of an initial “Sentinel” satellite at the end of March or early April. He likened this to “passing on the baton” of the responsibilities from the member states to the EU. This first satellite will monitor climate change, the marine environment and help with crisis management following natural disasters, for example (as was already the case when a typhoon struck the Philippines). At this point, emergency intervention aid services and monitoring services for the land environment are already operational. 2015 will see the launch of two further Sentinel satellites to improve the services of Copernicus.
Eurobarometer in favour. The commissioner also took the opportunity of this conference on space to announce the results of a Eurobarometer confirming the interest of the European citizens in the space activities of the EU. Six out of every 10 European citizens see this as a source of economic growth and scientific progress, and the same number recognised the asset of space technology as a means of avoiding threats linked to asteroids, comets and collisions with space junk. (MD/transl.fl)