| |
PRZOOM - /newswire/ -
Luxembourg City, Luxembourg, 2005/12/28 - The GALILEO Project made possible by both the European Union and the European Space Agency is about to revolutionize the Satellite Navigation world and will offer endless of applications from transportation to emergency assistance.
|
| |
GALILEO is based on a constellation of satellites and ground stations providing information concerning the positioning of users in many sectors such as social services (e.g. assistance for the disabled or elderly), transportation (route searching, vehicle location, speed checking, guidance systems), departments of Justice and customs services (border controls, location of criminals), search and rescue systems, entertainment, and leisure.
How does work Satellite Navigation System (SNS)?
This technology, which has been developed over the last 30 years, essentially for military purposes originally, enables anyone with a receiver capable of picking up signals emitted by a group of satellites to instantly determine their position in time and space very accurately. Satellite navigation will continue to offer leading-edge technology, an accuracy far beyond that possible by simply observing the sun and the stars.
GALILEO the operating principle is simple: the satellites in the constellation are fitted with atomic clocks measuring time very accurately. The satellites emit personalised signals indicating the precise time the signal leaves the satellite. The ground receiver, incorporated for example into a mobile phone, has in its memory the precise details of the orbits of all the satellites in the constellation. By reading the incoming signal, it can thus recognise the particular satellite, determine the time taken by the signal to arrive and calculate the distance from the satellite. Once the ground receiver receives the signals from at least four satellites simultaneously, it can calculate the exact position. Source ©European Communities, 1995-2005
Who was Galileo?
Galileo Galilei was an Italian astrologer, physicist, astronomer, and philosopher. He has been referred to as the "father of modern astronomy," as the "father of modern physics," and as "father of science." His achievements include improvements to the telescope, a variety of astronomical observations, the first law of motion and the second law of motion, and effective support for Copernicanism (Nicolaus Copernicus).
|
