GSA and ESA launch EGNOS agreement, ensuring the system’s future

The European GNSS Agency (GSA) and European Space Agency (ESA) met to formally launch activities related to a recently signed working agreement for EGNOS, creating a strong foundation for the navigation system to further develop.

Following the signing of a working agreement for EGNOS in July, the GSA and ESA met last week to coordinate on a roadmap for the system’s future. The working agreement created a strong base for the navigation system to develop further, and the meeting in Toulouse provided an opportunity for the two parties to set specific goals for organisation, procurement processes, standardisation, and planning.

“This working agreement ensures that the future versions of EGNOS deliver major technical improvements, leveraging ESA’s expertise in EGNOS system evolutions,” said GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides. “These evolutions will enable GSA to ensure that Europe’s space technology continues to meet users’ evolving performance requirements.”

As Europe’s first concrete venture into satellite navigation, EGNOS uses geostationary satellites and a network of ground stations to receive, analyse and augment GPS. EGNOS increases accuracy of existing satellite positioning signals, provides for an integrity message and transmits an accurate universal time signal.

The working agreement sets general conditions for implementation of tasks related to the design of new versions of EGNOS. It outlines procurement, technical and programme management elements between GSA and ESA. Under the agreement, ESA will be responsible for the development and procurement of future EGNOS evolutions, such as the forthcoming release of V2.4.2, and a new generation of the EGNOS system (V3). ESA will report regularly to the GSA on its progress through the duration of the contract, which runs until March 2021, with a comprehensive review set for early 2017.

“I have many expectations,” adds des Dorides. ”And I fully believe this renewed cooperation will be the foundation of the EU GNSS Programmes’ success.”

The agreement is in line with the governance scheme established by EU Regulation 1285/2013 and EGNOS tasks delegated to the GSA by the European Commission.

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