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[rbenchley]

 

[Laekon]

I'm confused how the US could stop anyone from using the GPS system...

I guess if the US were to shut the satellites off?

If I remember correctly from my time in the Army the satellites send out multiple signals. US military equipment uses a different one that civilian GPS receivers. The reason is so that in a war zone the civilian signal can be set to be less accurate. They have never done it though and I think there was a bill preventing it in the future.

I was in communications in the Army and I think we had some of the first hand held GPS units in 1995. The funny thing is we really only used them as watches to make sure everyone was on the same time for frequency jumping radios.

It's strange to think we are all dependent on satellites flying around with 30 yr old technology in them.

 

[HK-47]

Get Toy Box up there. We got some new space junk

 

[neogaffer1]

That's a funky looking satellite.

 

[Konka]

French Guyana is part of Europe.

No it's a part of France and south america. Being in the EU doesn't mean being in Europe. Turkey isn't in the north Atlantic by being part of NATO

 

[mrklaw]

Can someone explain the 'inclination' part in more detail? To my Neanderthal brain it sounds like the angle of the or it around the earth. But then I wonder why it matters - these are the first two satellites of a constellation, so won't they need them in lots of different inclinations? Can't they refactor these and still use them as they are?

 

[runningjoke]

Can someone explain the 'inclination' part in more detail? To my Neanderthal brain it sounds like the angle of the or it around the earth. But then I wonder why it matters - these are the first two satellites of a constellation, so won't they need them in lots of different inclinations? Can't they refactor these and still use them as they are?

I can't explain it better than wikipedia, so here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orbital_inclination

You do need multiple satellites but if their orbits are unpredictable you don't really get a good fix. It'll sometimes take 1/8th of a second for the pings to reach you and sometimes 1/16th because of the elliptical orbit. If the satellite also orbits at a different speed than planned the clock will go too fast or slow.

Spoiler

I'm not a rocket scientist, all this may be wrong

 

[Alx]

If I remember correctly from my time in the Army the satellites send out multiple signals. US military equipment uses a different one that civilian GPS receivers. The reason is so that in a war zone the civilian signal can be set to be less accurate. They have never done it though and I think there was a bill preventing it in the future.

As a matter of fact, up until 2000 civilians were getting a less accurate information. When Clinton decided to shut down that feature, the positioning accuracy improved from 100m to 10m.

 

[xptoxyz]

Aren't these like the 5th and 6th?

 

[zomgbbqftw]

This is not the point.

But to answer your question, noone would have thought 10 years ago that the EU and Russia would boycott each other. Europe relies heavily on Russian gas and now everyone regrets it.


Just get the basic things done yourself. Learn to feed your family with your own means. No need to rely on others when you don't have to. Europe has the ability to get an own navigation system, so we should do it instead of sucking the tits of the USA. Backlashes are part of the way to get there, but you'll learn from them. Just like in real life.

That is wrong. There were plenty of voices in Europe saying we shouldn't buy Russian gas because they are not trustworthy long term partners. The US, otoh, is. The project is just part of an EU dick waving contest because the US has GPS and Russia GLONASS. GPS is accurate enough and this project was a waste of money even before it was bungled.

 

[mrklaw]

I can't explain it better than wikipedia, so here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orbital_inclination

You do need multiple satellites but if their orbits are unpredictable you don't really get a good fix. It'll sometimes take 1/8th of a second for the pings to reach you and sometimes 1/16th because of the elliptical orbit. If the satellite also orbits at a different speed than planned the clock will go too fast or slow.

Spoiler

I'm not a rocket scientist, all this may be wrong

ok that fits with what my initial thoughts were. If they can fix the elliptical nature and altitude of the orbit (which is sounds like they might be able to do - using up most of the fuel planned for lifetime adjustments), then I don't see why they can't be usable in some way?

 

[Metroxed]

It's a shame, but I don't think should (or will) affect seriously the viability of the project, that should move forward.

We (Europe/EU) should work to be less dependant on others, including the US. They have their system, great for them. We should have ours.

 

[mrklaw]

It's a shame, but I don't think should (or will) affect seriously the viability of the project, that should move forward.

We (Europe/EU) should work to be less dependant on others, including the US. They have their system, great for them. We should have ours.

And after it has deployed? Enact some stupid legislation requiring all smartphones sold in the EU to use this system rather than GPS which they all use? Otherwise what's the point - they'll just be orbiting white elephants

 

[runningjoke]

ok that fits with what my initial thoughts were. If they can fix the elliptical nature and altitude of the orbit (which is sounds like they might be able to do - using up most of the fuel planned for lifetime adjustments), then I don't see why they can't be usable in some way?

Yep, but they have to waste fuel to get it into a more preferable orbit, fuel they would've used to keep it in the proper orbit. This will affect life span

And after it has deployed? Enact some stupid legislation requiring all smartphones sold in the EU to use this system rather than GPS which they all use? Otherwise what's the point - they'll just be orbiting white elephants

Works for Russia

 

[CyclopsRock]

Just get the basic things done yourself. Learn to feed your family with your own means. No need to rely on others when you don't have to. Europe has the ability to get an own navigation system, so we should do it instead of sucking the tits of the USA. Backlashes are part of the way to get there, but you'll learn from them. Just like in real life.

I don't understand why people are saying that we shouldn't be reliant on other countries for this vital bit of infrastructure, and suggesting that this pan European alternative is the solution to that. We don't have a cohesive European foreign policy. The space port is in French territory, the headquarters are in Paris, and they have other centres in the Netherlands, Germany, Italy and Spain. Should the British military really feel more comfortable about using this rather than using something run by the US? Truck drivers? Every country in the EU will still be "relying on others when you don't have to" (?!)

 

[Bitmap Frogs]

The Galileo program has been a constant embarrassment ever since it started.

At this point (heck, who knows if that's all it ever was) it's just corporate wellfare for aerospace companies.

 

[Guerrillas in the Mist]

"Our rockets failed to deliver your expensive satellite system? What a terrible accident..."

 

[MarshMellow96]

It's all because of these bloody foreign satellites coming in and taking our orbits.

We should pull out of space altogether.