Published by Roger Hart under SatNav (Non U.S. GNSS)
E urope’s Galileo satellite navigation system is bogged down by internal disputes and delays and will Galileo likely be more expensive and launch years later than its stakeholders have been led to expect. That’s according to a critical analysis by Rob Coppinger in FlightGlobal magazine .
Among the potential problems Mr. Coppinger notes:
* There are questions about using Arianespace’s EADS Astrium Ariane 5 rocket. Suggestions have bee made that 13 Samara Space Centre Soyuz 2-1b boosters would also be needed, which may extend length of time needed to get the entire constellation into orbit. * The European Commission previously announced it would sign Galileo procurement contracts the first quarter of this year. Now contract awards are to begin from the third quarter of this year. * Astrium CEO Evert Dudok told the magazine that splitting the contract for the initial 26 Galileo satellites among two competitors could add up to 40% more to the cost of each one as economies of scale would be lost. * Also there are questions being raised about the availability of rockets to put all the satellites into orbit.