A month ago the European Commission with great fanfare announced the release of the first services of the European navigation system Galileo – a rival to American GPS and Russian GLONASS.
- the System demonstrates the technological excellence of Europe, a high level of know-how, which has, and its determination to provide services of the highest quality satellite and offer their use – used by the EU Commissioner for industry Elizabeth Bieńkowska. And the Deputy head of the EC Maroš Šefcovic, cried out: – all European entrepreneurs, apply today call: start imagination, let’s see what can give you Galileo, do not hesitate, open innovation!
the Enthusiasm in Brussels was clear. Because Galileo is the most expensive and the most ślimaczący the project, the infrastructure of the EU. By the end of this decade, the construction of the European satellite navigation will absorb 7 billion euros from the EU budget. This system was initially supposed to be launched in 2008, and recently the deadline was postponed to 2020.
it May be that it was too optimistic announcements, and the enthusiasm in Brussels is premature.
Clocks in the Galileo satellites became
the Problem is that the atomic clocks on the Galileo satellites have started the avalanche to come out and these failures were recorded in the middle of the satellites of the system, as shown by bi-BI-si.
atomic Clocks do not look like an ordinary watch. This is a device that measures time uses oscillations of atoms or molecules. Due to the fact that such devices are extremely accurate. One of the types of atomic clocks that are installed on the Galileo satellites is accurate to 1 second in 3 million years.
Due to the fact that the time information from atomic clocks, sent back to Earth using radio waves allow owners of satellite navigation devices to very accurately determine your location.
in Other words, in case of breakdown hours satellite the satellite navigation device may stop working or to take us in the field. You may also experience interference in electronic banking systems or telecommunications systems.
On each of the Galileo satellites has four atomic clocks. Two is hours rubidowe, and two is a lot more expensive masery of hydrogen, which was supposed to provide in the Galileo precision aiming is much better than the previous generation of GPS. Because of this, the European navigation had to compete with the American system.
But, says BCC, representatives from the European Space Agency (ESA) told reporters that to date has recorded five failures maserów three hours rubidowych. One of hours was able to start. All the satellites are still working, but one of them only work two hours.
For European specialists of the accident are a mystery, because the same atomic clocks work flawlessly for satellites in the Indian navigation system.
anyway, Luke
This issue casts a shadow on the plans for the completion of Galileo. For proper operation of the system needs 24 satellites and currently in the Navy 18 Galileo satellites. In accordance with the current plans, in the year of 2020. in the Navy for three orbits Galileo had to circulate 24 satellites satellites plus 6 copies.
After the avalanche accidents in atomic clocks, ESA has a dilemma: either to stop the launch of more satellites, if not to abandon these plans. Someone might say that we should wait until we find the solution [to the problem of accidents of atomic clocks]. But it does mean that if you leave it more hours, opportunities Galileo will be limited. If we are going to produce new satellites, at least we will keep the existing features [of the system], it is not possible to increase them. But then we run the risk that the problem was not included – said General Director of ESA, Jan Woerner, quoted by bi-BI-si.
in Other words, no new satellites, the system may stop working, if I move even an atomic clock. And if you do not know the accident, the EU can no end to make another companion to keep the system efficiency.
In both cases, this means further delays and large costs. There is no doubt that in such a situation, the fate of Galileo will not solve the engineers, but unijni policy.
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