My profile:
BRUSSELS -- The European Commission launched a procurement program on Tuesday for the bulk of its Galileo satellite project, which will include 30 satellites and is aimed at rivaling the U.S. Global Positioning System.
Galileo, Europe's biggest single space program, has been plagued by delays and squabbling over funding that ended only when the 27-nation EU agreed to funnel public money into it.
The procurement program is for 26 satellites and the remaining ground control infrastructure, a spokesman for the European Union's executive Commission said.
"The indicative value is around 2.1 billion euros ($3.3 billion) from a total budget of 3 billion euros for Galileo," the spokesman told a regular briefing.
Critics have labeled the system too expensive, despite commission arguments that it will create thousands of jobs and ensure independence from the U.S. service.
Contracts will be awarded by mid-2009 with the aim of deploying the satellites by 2013, the spokesman added.
EU Challenge to GPS to Be Launched
03 July 2008
Reuters
Discussion
Comments
To post comments you must be registered
Comments via Facebook
Most Read
1.
Authorities Audit Bank Navalny Has Accounts In
Authorities have launched an investigation into a bank that holds accounts related to anti-government blogger Alexei Navalny, one of the organizers of protests against Prime Minister Vladimir Putin before next month’s presidential election.
1.
Putin Chasing Imaginary American Ghosts
Here we go again — another round of anti-Americanism from the Kremlin and state-controlled media. Blaming outside forces for Russia's woes has a long history in the country. The closer we get to the March 4 presidential election, the more intense the anti-American hysteria becomes.
2.
Putin Plan Targets Population Drop
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin unveiled his plan on social policy Monday, focusing on how Russia will boost its dwindling population amid a demographic crisis that threatens to turn the country into "void space."
3.
Moscow Is Unlovable and Unlivable
Today's Moscow is unlovable and unlivable, overdeveloped, underserved by public utilities and choked by traffic. You can't drive, you can't breathe, there is no place to park and walking is impossible thanks to giant SUVs lining the sidewalks.
4.
Journalist Booted After Visa Violation
A prominent French writer and journalist has been kicked out of the country on the grounds that she did not have the right to research a book while on a business visa.
5.
Report: United Russia Might Be Dismantled
United Russia, the country's dominant political party for more than a decade, might be radically reformed or even dissolved in the coming months.
6.
Officer on Atomic Submarine Commits Suicide
A senior lieutenant serving on the Gepard atomic submarine, part of the Northern Fleet, hanged himself in his cabin.
7.
Start of Stadium Demolition Draws Outcry
Architectural preservation group Arkhnadzor said Monday that demolition at the constructivist-era Dynamo football stadium as a part of ongoing building work was against the law.
8.
Putin's Campaign Manager Calls Liberals "Filth of the Nation"
Vladimir Putin's campaign manager Stanislav Govorukhin quoted Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin in calling the liberal intelligentsia "the filth of the nation" in an interview published Monday.
9.
Putin Aide: Corruption Was 'Civilized'
Corruption in Russia was "normal" and "civilized" during Vladimir Putin's first stint as president and support for him has grown stronger as a result of recent opposition rallies, the prime minister's campaign manager has boasted.
10.
Moskva Hotel Reopens as Mall
A slew of Moscow real estate players unveiled a reconstructed Moskva Hotel on Tuesday, relaunching the premier Soviet hotel as a commercial center with 70 shops, a department store, underground parking and a hotel.
1.
Election Webcam Installation Begins
In a city that was once the cradle of Russian democracy, an unprecedented new campaign kicked off over the weekend to install web cameras in every polling station around the country in an effort to prevent voting fraud.
2.
Feminist Punk Band Become Unlikely Putin Foil
Pussy Riot, a feminist punk collective from Moscow, creates protest through its dissident songs and unsanctioned performances, including a brief unauthorized concert in late January on Red Square.
3.
Why Putin Will Never, Ever Give Up Power
If Putin gave up power at any age, he and dozens of his friends and colleagues who have become millionaires and billionaires over the past 10 years through their Kremlin-connected businesses could face serious corruption charges. This is why the best, and perhaps only, way for Putin to preserve immunity is to stay in power until death.
4.
Why Putin Is Mad at Me
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin got very angry last Wednesday when he met with the editors-in-chief of Russia's top media outlets.
5.
Russia Seeks Proof U.S. Zapped Failed Probe
A Russian state commission investigating the crash of the Fobos-Grunt Mars probe will conduct tests to see whether U.S. radar played a role in the spacecraft's failure.
6.
Putin Stand-In Faces Zhirinovsky Fire
In Tuesday's second presidential debate of the campaign season, firebrand Vladimir Zhirinovsky harangued Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's levelheaded proxy over her patron's refusal to debate and alleged desire to rule for life.
7.
Recruiters Say Mother Russia Seeking Talent
Demographics make it a candidate’s market, but foreigners have to offer something unique to find their place.
8.
Pro-Putin Song Is Web Hit
A schmaltzy music video hailing Prime Minister Vladimir Putin as Russia's savior became a hit on the Russian Internet on Tuesday, with many bloggers and YouTube users poking fun at the song's hyperbolic lyrics.
9.
From Protest to Nausea
The history of successive authoritarian regimes in Russia reveals a recurring pattern: They do not die from external blows or domestic insurgencies.
10.
Why Putin Is So Scared of Debates
Putin has always been the ultimate "Teflon president" — but certainly not in the Ronald Reagan sense of the word. Putin's brand of Teflon is clearly made in Russia. Because he wants to avoid uncomfortable questions about his decade-long rule, Putin is once again refusing to participate in presidential debates.
