European government and industry officials have begun to doubt whether a political consensus exists in Europe to complete the Galileo satellite navigation system. In public and private comments here Sept. 11, officials said the main government backers - Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Spain - appear far apart on how best to finance the 30 satelite constellation and the remaining portion of the associated ground network.
Decisions at the European Union's executive commission and among EU governments in the coming weeks will determine whether any kind of Galileo network - with or without the special features that had set it apart from GPS - will be built.
Attending a meeting here organized by the French IFRI foreign-affairs institute, officials noted that Galileo's expected in-service date has been pushed back by one year every year since the program was approved in 2001. Originally foreseen as operational in 2008, Galileo will not be completed until 2013 at the earliest, officials said - and only then if decisions on its financing are made in the coming months.
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