GPS vs. Galileo; Where Are They Headed?

ben_ writes "This keynote speech from the recent European Navigation Conference talks about the history between the US military's GPS and the proposed EU Galileo system, as well as where they're both going. Interested in how you know where you are and what's going to happen to those satellites?"

Comments

Here's the big question:

[MtViewGuy]

Will the ESA Galileo satellite navigation system be sufficiently different that you'll need all-new receivers to pick up Galileo navigation information?

That could get VERY expensive as manufacturers of satellite navigation receivers will have to accommodate both systems for airplanes, automobiles, trucks, boats, etc.

Re:Essential to Ending US Dominance

[AKAImBatman]

The truly messed up part is that many European nations (*cough*Sweden*cough*) would need to rely on the US military in the case of a major assault. The EU has troops and weapon systems, but it's doubtful they would be sufficient to defend against a major superpower. While many Europeans are upset over Iraq, the US is unlikely to be the aggressor in any major European conflict. That leaves two other possibilities:

1. Someone more intelligent than Putin takes over Russia and uses Putin's communist-like infrastructure to once again impose a military state.
2. China decides that they have the most people in the world and that someone else should give up some land to support them.

While the second is more likely, either one would spell defeat for the European Union. Only the US currently has the necessary military power to stop another superpower. On the upside, China might be more inclined to take on the US first since we have more undeveloped land. It wouldn't be much of a war though. We'd fight until the Chinese start lobbing nukes. Once that happens, China can kiss their population goodbye when a few neutron bombs fall.