Alenia Spazio, a Finmeccanica company, is participating, as part of the Galileo Industries consortium, in NavSat, the exhibition dedicated to satellite navigation being held in Nice, November 13-15.
At the Galileo Industries stand, it will be possible to watch multimedia films demonstrating the Galileo satellite navigation system and see the different services it will offer in the near future.
The Italian interest in the programme has meant that the country has actively supported its development from the beginning.
Furthermore, in May 2000, Alenia Spazio, together with Alcatel Espace and Astrium, set up a joint-venture to manage the European programme: Galileo Industries, in which the Italian company has a 25% share.
Alenia Spazio is heavily committed to the Galileo programme and is industrial prime contractor for the constellation of 30 satellites. Starting in 2008, the system will inform any type of transport of its position in real time and with a margin of error of a few metres.
Designed to provide global (anywhere in the world) and multi-mode (all categories of transport) coverage, the Galileo satellite system will be dedicated to civilian applications and will undoubtedly become a key element for the movement of vehicles, people and goods. In fact, the programme will be able to provide information and data on traffic conditions and assistance during movement, generating a reduction in costs and an increase in the advantages to all transportation sectors.
For example, in air navigation, Galileo will improve flight safety, reducing the likelihood of accidents and allowing the shortest routes to be selected. Above all, the system will have a key role in air traffic control and safety in the air. The constellation functions as a technological eye able to survey even the smallest portion of the sky from above, continuously and reliably.
In the near future, the utilisation of Galileo will spread to many other sectors, such as agriculture, fishing, ecology and civil engineering. Moreover, the satellite will be of vital help to personal mobility, both for assisting the blind and for localisation and aid for people involved in accidents or natural disasters.
