CR signs contract on transfer of Galileo agency to Prague

The move ends the Czech government's five year long efforts to move the seat of the institution to the Czech Republic.

Prime Minister Petr Necas said the Czech Republic should use GSA's presence to develop its industry in the area of technological innovation, which would increase the country's competitiveness.

"The transfer of the agency operating Galileo to Prague means the presence of the first European or all-European institution on the territory of the Czech Republic," Necas said.

The development of space technologies is a stimulating part of the industry which has great prospects, Necas added.

The Czech Republic met the conditions for the transfer of GSA seat to Prague at the end of last year.

GSA's staff of around 45 officials could start to move to the new headquarters, located in the former seat of bail-out agency CKA in Prague's Holesovice district, in May. The agency could start to operate on a regular basis during summer, according to Dobes.

"The host agreement defines the status of GSA in the Czech Republic because it (the country) does not recognise a European agency as an entity in its legislation. We either have international representations or diplomatic missions," Karel Dobes, a government commissioner for the Galileo programme, said.

Besides, the question of security had to be dealt with because part of the agency's staff will work under a security regime in Prague.

The first two satellites of the Galileo system were launched on the orbit at end-October 2011. By 2014, GSA expects to launch 18 satellites in total which are to enable the operation of a navigation system for drivers.

The other two services to be offered by Galileo as of 2014 are a signal for search and rescue missions and a coded service concerning states' security tasks.

Further two services will be added after all of the 30 planned satellites get on the orbit, that is in 2019 at the latest. They will be a coded signal for commercial purposes, such as land surveys and toll systems, and a certified signal for aircraft navigation.

One of the satellites of the system will be named after David Markarjanc, the winner of children's drawing competition which the European Commission declared in relation to Galileo.

Author: ČTK
www.ctk.cz