European Union ministers have voted to pursue the Galileo satellite navigation system, approving a design framework and funding after a five-year delay, reports the Financial Times. A European Commission official told the newspaper that Galileo would give Europe “strategic independence,” providing a system “that nobody can deny us and will always work.” US officials have indicated a willingness to share signals and develop compatibility with America’s GPS satellites.
The Space Force expects to award $905 million in contracts over the next five years through a new Maneuverable GEO program, which aims to form a commercial fleet of mobile communication satellites in geosynchronous orbit.
