EGNOS (European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service)
A European satellite navigation system intended to augment the two operational
military satellite navigation systems – the American GPS
and the Russian GLONASS – and make
them suitable for safety-critical applications such as flying aircraft or
navigating ships through narrow channels. Consisting of three geostationary
satellites and a network of ground stations, EGNOS will transmit a signal
containing nformation on the reliability and accuracy of the positioning
signals sent out by GPS and GLONASS. It will allow users in Europe and beyond
to determine their position to within 5 meters, compared with about 20 meters
at present. EGNOS is a joint venture of ESA
(European Space Agency), the European Commission, and the European Organisation
for the Safety of Air Navigation. It is Europe's contribution to the first
stage of a global navigation system, GNSS,
and is a precursor to the Galileo
satellite navigation system.
It was announced on Jul. 28, 2005, that the transfer of EGNOS operations
from ESA to the operating company, European Satellite Services Provider,
had begun. Prior to the system becoming fully operational, users could acquaint
themselves with the facility using a test signal broadcast by two Inmarsat
satellites.
Related category
• SATELLITES
AND SPACE PROBES
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