Galileo Figaro-Magnifico: Euro GPS System Sucks-Up More Cash

Robert Farago
by Robert Farago

Hey Eurocrats, what's the matter? Don't your guys trust the U.S. to continue supplying Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) data for your military and civilian sat nav systems? Or is it simply a question of doling-out billions of Eurozone tax dollars to aerospace contractors for your very own GPS system that you want, but don't really need? And the answer is… yes. Anyway, WardsAuto reports that Europe's Galileo GPS project has floundered on the rocks of the usual government mismanagement and waste, blowing-out its budget by billions and missing its launch date by five years… and counting. So the European Union has shut down the project, declared it an enormous waste of time and money, and apologized to tax payers. Just kidding. The EU Council of Ministers has decided to shovel another €2.4 billion ($3.6 billion) into the project. But hey, the "lion's share" of the money's coming from unspent agricultural subsidies. In their defense, "Galileo’s supporters say the network will provide navigational services that are more accurate than those available through the U.S. Global Positioning System." Oh, that's OK then.

Robert Farago
Robert Farago

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  • Readingthetape Readingthetape on Dec 18, 2007

    You don't have to worry about the US turning off the GPS system; you have to worry about the US turning off Galileo (and the Russian and Chinese analogs). What do you think the mission is of the US Space Command at Peterson AFB in Colorado Springs?

  • BuckD BuckD on Dec 18, 2007

    Being a citizen of the USA, a fault-free country graced with the finest leadership money can buy, I know how fun it is to bash those kooky Europeans. But even I have to admit it's hard to argue with the logic for having their own GPS system (That's assuming that one employs logic when arguing an issue).

  • Yankinwaoz Yankinwaoz on Dec 18, 2007

    Actually, Galileo was dead by 2001, having blown their budget. It was a letter from Paul Wolfowitz after Sept 11 asking the EU to drop the Galileo project because of US security concerns that promoted the EU to decide that Galileo was a critical project.

  • Robert Schwartz Robert Schwartz on Dec 18, 2007

    I see a little silhouetto of a man, Scaramouche, Scaramouche will you do the Fandango? Thunderbolt and lightning, very very frightening me Galileo,Galileo, Galileo Galileo Galileo figaro, Magnifico But I'm just a poor boy and nobody loves me He's just a poor boy from a poor family Spare him his life from this monstrosity Easy come easy go, will you let me go Bismillah! No, we will not let you go, let him go Bismillah! We will not let you go, let him go Bismillah! We will not let you go, let me go Will not let you go, let me go Will not let you go let me go No, no, no, no, no, no, no Mama mia, mama mia, mama mia let me go Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me, for me, for me

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