Euro Sat Nav

[dazdaz1]

Year or so ago, the third satellite was launched. For a European a-b road navigation. It has come to my notice Tom Tom are now going ape to keep offering free map updates for the US sat's.

Any updates as the Euro Sat Navs. Can one buy one?

Daz
Ps. Or words to that effect.

[OFSO]

There are currently four Galileo satellites - however the good old USA has said that in the event of a conflict or global conflict or some such thing which requires them to turn their own GPS system off they will 'disable' the European system. From colleagues at work I understand 'disable' in this context means 'disable permanently'.

There are no navigation devices currently available that use the Galileo system only.

Personal comment: if the EU Member States had left the whole mission to ESA it would be up and running by now. However it was taken over by the European Commission - hence it is years late and only four satellites are in orbit from the 12-15 needed.

[MG23]

Turning GPS off? That's a laugh.

Either they have no idea how much critical infrastructure relies on GPS, or they want to do the other guy's job for them.

[dazdaz1]

Thank you UFSO for the information.

Daz

[LookingForAJob]

Personal comment: if the EU Member States had left the whole mission to ESA it would be up and running by now.

But wasn't it because the ESA Member States wouldn't/couldn't pay the ever-rising bill - and there really didn't seem to be justification for an independent positioning system any more - that the EU/European Commission ended up playing its current role?

[OFSO]

Turning GPS off? That's a laugh.

An inaccurate statement on my part. In fact during such times the US reduces the accuracy of the fix obtained from GPS. This has already been done on several occasions.

[spannersatcx]

Tom Tom update their maps 4 times per year, November being the latest update. They update UK and western Europe maps if you have them at the same time.
tomtom map updates

[mixture]

In fact during such times the US reduces the accuracy of the fix obtained from GPS. This has already been done on several occasions.

Yes, but the whole point of this other system is that it operates independently of the US operated GPS. The US can obviously do what they want to their own satellites.

So any action by the US on EU satellites would be limited to putting political pressure on Brussels or limited localised attempts at jamming.