GSA, French Officials Break Ground on Galileo Security Monitoring Center - Inside GNSS - Global Navigation Satellite Systems Engineering, Policy, and Design

GSA, French Officials Break Ground on Galileo Security Monitoring Center

GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides, ESNC photo by Simone Hörmann

European officials broke ground today (November 16, 2012) at the site of the primary Galileo Security Monitoring Center (GSMC) in Saint Germain en Laye outside Paris.

The GSMC — the future heart of Galileo program security — will be responsible for several major tasks including overall management of Galileo system security, management of the Public Regulated Service (PRS) access, command and control of European GNSS in accordance with the European Unions Joint Action principle, and provision of PRS and GNSS security expertise and analysis


European officials broke ground today (November 16, 2012) at the site of the primary Galileo Security Monitoring Center (GSMC) in Saint Germain en Laye outside Paris.

The GSMC — the future heart of Galileo program security — will be responsible for several major tasks including overall management of Galileo system security, management of the Public Regulated Service (PRS) access, command and control of European GNSS in accordance with the European Unions Joint Action principle, and provision of PRS and GNSS security expertise and analysis

Construction of the GSMC facility, organized by the French space agency CNES in collaboration with the French Ministry of Defense, is scheduled to be completed in 2013. The center will be run by a staff of approximately 30 professionals from across Europe.

Carlo des Dorides, Executive Director of the European GNSS Agency (GSA), the European Union Agency responsible for operating the GSMC, took part in the ground-breaking ceremony. “This marks a key step in the development of the Galileo programme”, said des Dorides. “The excellent collaboration with France on the GSMC is a positive step for Galileo as well as for Europe.”

Yannick d’Escatha, president of CNES and France’s interministerial coordinator for the Galileo program, said, “The progression of the GSMC project is very positive. It is one of the key steps for the success of Galileo and another proof of the interest of France for the security of this major European program.”

In addition to the Saint Germain en Laye site, a second GSMC facility will be located in Swanwick, United Kingdom.

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