The European Union has firmly established itself as a global space powerhouse. For proof, one needs to look no further than Galileo, the European Union’s very own Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) system.
Not only does Galileo provide the world’s most accurate and secure positioning and timing information, but Galileo High Accuracy Service is also more precise than any other GNSS, including GPS. Furthermore, with the Open Service Navigation Message Authentication (OSNMA), Galileo is now the only GNSS allowing users to verify the authenticity of its navigation message, ensuring that positioning (and timing) data has not been manipulated, offering an increased resilience against certain types of spoofing.
But Europe’s space prowess is by no means limited to GNSS. Copernicus, the European Earth Observation (EO) programme, offers the world’s most comprehensive EO data, including for environmental monitoring, disaster management and security.
In response to mounting security concerns, the Union has also added secure satellite communications (secure SATCOM) to its space services portfolio. This includes GOVSATCOM. The system aims to provide secure, resilient and cost-efficient satellite communications capabilities to security and safety critical missions and governmental operations managed by the Union and its Member States, including relevant EU Agencies and institutions. The GOVSATCOM Hub is delivering services since January 2026 and is managed by EUSPA, leveraging pooled resources made available by several Member States.
