UPSC Prelims 2007 Q132: Science & Technology – Space Technology & Astronomy

UPSC Prelims 2007, General Studies Paper I · Science & Technology

What is the Galileo project which has been in news recently?

(a) An inter - country programme of missile shield developed by the United States of America
(b) A project developed by India with assistance from Canada
(c) An environmental protection project being developed by Japan
(d) A multi - satellite navigation project being developed by the European Union

Answer: (d) A multi - satellite navigation project being developed by the European Union

Explanation

Galileo — Europe's satellite navigation system

Detail	Fact
Built by	European Union with the European Space Agency (ESA)
Type	Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) — civilian controlled
Initial services	December 2016
Constellation	~30 satellites planned (24 operational + spares) in medium Earth orbit
India's role	India signed to join Galileo in 2005, but later built its own system

World navigation systems:

Answer: (d) A multi-satellite navigation project being developed by the European Union.

(a) Incorrect. The US missile shield is the National Missile Defense programme, not Galileo.
(b) Incorrect. Galileo is not an India-Canada project.
(c) Incorrect. Galileo is not a Japanese environmental project.
(d) CORRECT. Galileo is the EU's global satellite navigation system.

Galileo = EU's civilian GNSS. GPS (US), GLONASS (Russia), BeiDou (China), NavIC (India, regional).

Galileo is the European Union's satellite navigation system.

Confusing the Galileo navigation system with NASA's Galileo probe to Jupiter (1989-2003).
Thinking India is a full Galileo partner — India built its own NavIC.
Calling NavIC a global system — it is regional (India + ~1,500 km around).

Global four: GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou. Regional two: NavIC, QZSS.

European Space Agency — Galileo
ISRO — NavIC (IRNSS)
NCERT Class XII — Fundamentals of Human Geography, Ch 8 (Transport and Communication)