02/11/2016 (Agence Europe) – As Galileo prepares to launch its initial services (see EUROPE 11567), the European Global Navigation Satellite Systems Agency (GSA) awarded a special prize on Wednesday 26 October to Drones2GNSS for the most innovative application idea of the year on how to use data delivered by the initial services of the European navigation programme. Drones2GNSS developed a project that will use drones to increase positioning accuracy in urban areas that are difficult to access (“urban canyons and vegetated areas”). Satellite signals are often obstructed by buildings and skyscrapers or by vegetation and drones could act as intermediate carriers of high precision signals, the GSA says in a press release. The use of the services and data derived from space programmes is crucial and a significant focus was put on it in the space strategy for Europe presented earlier in the month (see EUROPE 11655). (PH)