E.U. Agrees To Launch Galileo Satellite Location System

waimate writes "The European Union today decided to go ahead with Galileo, the constellation of 30 satellites which will compete with the U.S. GPS system. The U.S. abolished selective availability three years ago partly to make GPS more useful for all mankind, but also to dissuade other countries from developing their own navigational satellite system, and thus be dependant on the U.S. for both peaceful and military purposes. Since the demise of the Russian GLONASS system, GPS is the only game in town. Evidently recent events make Europe feel less comfortable about such things, and so they're building their own. Good thing for commercialization of space, or bad thing for world peace?"

Comments

Peace?

[Scrameustache]

or bad thing for world peace?

Er, I you mean good thing for world peace.

Unless you want to imply that the USmilitary is going to attack europe to stop them from lauching its satelittes...

Re:It serves us right

[Ken@WearableTech]

"Americans can't blame anyone for not trusting us after the whole Iraq thing"

Thank God!!! Maybe next time France is invaded they will call somebody else.

Re:Given what we just heard

[Anonymous Coward]

since when do they own space???

Since we became the only country still in existence that has successfully launched people into space, and the only country that landed people on the moon. We won it by default.

The Moon belongs to America, and anxiously awaits the return of our astro men. Will YOU be among them???

Re:I think it's a good thing

[AlgUSF]

(I can feel the Karma melting away)

I believe the Iraqi people are free, and a brutal dictator is gone? The US and Britain were right, and Europe was wrong. Now the French and Russians are kissing our ass in order to get us to do some business with them. Great time to be an American, and GWB will be re-elected. Jeb in 2008? :-)

What an Orignal Name!

[Ken@WearableTech]

Doesn't the US have some trademark or some other crap on the name "Galileo" relating to a spacecraft?

Can't Europe do something orginal. Sure copy GPS, but do you need to copy our mission/ship names too?

Re:It serves us right

[Rumagent]

At the rate things are going right now, the next time France is invaded it will probably be *by* the USA.

You mean liberated of course.

Re:Given what we just heard

[Anonymous Coward]

but then the russians seem to be the only ones that can return people from space alive...

Re:It serves us right

[cperciva]

You mean liberated of course.

No, France doesn't have any oil reserves. When France is invaded it will be for the purpose of disarming them.

The Fun has Only Begun

[serutan]

Wait until the US military decides Galileo is a potential tool for terrorism.

Re:It serves us right

[maxpublic]

Well, they *do* have weapons of mass destruction. Several hundred of them, in fact.

Max

Re:Begging the question or what?

[Malcontent]

Who nellie no fair injecting facts. You are arguing with americans here.

Re:Cake, eating of and having of

[mark2003]

I don't believe a word of it - we all know that the US has the world's best trained soldiers. I mean it must be true as they tell us it so often...

Like the CNN quote, wonder if I can get a transcript from CNN.

Re:Cake, eating of and having of

[Anonymous Coward]

Fact is, if it wasn't for Britain, there would be no US.

Best case scenario for North America sans UK:
American Indians making beads.

Re:Cake, eating of and having of

[eoinatstraylight]

I was once told that during WW II:

When the Germans fired, the British ducked,
when the British fired, the Germans ducked, and when the Americans fired, everyone ducked.

I guess some things don't change that much.