Europe has submitted evidence of the successful transmission of navigation signals on frequencies planned for the Galileo satellite system to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), which regulates worldwide radio spectrum use.
The ITU requires evidence of use to give an operator legal rights over frequencies. ESA says the Galileo frequencies have been secured by the first Galileo In-Orbit Validation Element (GIOVE-A) test satellite, built by the UK’s Surrey Satellite Technology.
Success for GIOVE-A means launch of the second test spacecraft, the Galileo Industries-built GIOVE-B, will be delayed from April to September. Larger than GIOVE-A, the second satellite will test the atomic clocks needed for calculating user position and spacecraft orbital mechanics.
ROB COPPINGER / TOULOUSE