Europe’s GPS-type constellation Galileo down
For as yet unexplained reasons, Europe’s entire Galileo constellation of GPS-type satellites has been out-of-operation for the past four days.
The European GNSS Agency (GSA), the organization in charge of Galileo, has not published any information in regards to the root of the outage, which began four days ago, on Thursday, July 11. On that day, the GSA published an advisory on its website alerting companies and government agencies employing the Galileo system that satellite signals have degraded and they “may not be available nor meet the minimum performance levels.” The agency warned that the Galileo system “should be employed at users’ own risk.”
The GSA published a more dire warning on Saturday, July 13, when it said that Galileo was experiencing a full-service outage and that “signals are not to be used.”
I cannot imagine any technical problem on the satellites themselves that would cause them all to fail at the same time. Instead, this appears to be some form of sabotage, a variation of the recent Russian tactic of disrupting GPS in areas they consider sensitive.
It also may explain the announcement yesterday by French president Macron that France is going to create its own space command.
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For as yet unexplained reasons, Europe’s entire Galileo constellation of GPS-type satellites has been out-of-operation for the past four days.
The European GNSS Agency (GSA), the organization in charge of Galileo, has not published any information in regards to the root of the outage, which began four days ago, on Thursday, July 11. On that day, the GSA published an advisory on its website alerting companies and government agencies employing the Galileo system that satellite signals have degraded and they “may not be available nor meet the minimum performance levels.” The agency warned that the Galileo system “should be employed at users’ own risk.”
The GSA published a more dire warning on Saturday, July 13, when it said that Galileo was experiencing a full-service outage and that “signals are not to be used.”
I cannot imagine any technical problem on the satellites themselves that would cause them all to fail at the same time. Instead, this appears to be some form of sabotage, a variation of the recent Russian tactic of disrupting GPS in areas they consider sensitive.
It also may explain the announcement yesterday by French president Macron that France is going to create its own space command.
Readers!
Every February I run a fund-raising drive during my birthday month. This year I celebrate my 72nd birthday, and hope and plan to continue writing and posting on Behind the Black for as long as I am able.
I hope my readers will support this effort. As I did in my November fund-raising drive, I am offering autographed copies of my books for large donations. Donate $250 and you can have a choice of the hardback of either Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8 or Conscious Choice: The origins of slavery in America and why it matters today and for our future in outer space. Donate $200 and you can get an autographed paperback copy of either. IMPORTANT! If you donate enough to get a book, please email me separately to tell me which book you want and the address to mail it to.
Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black. My analysis of space, politics, and culture, taken from the perspective of an historian, is almost always on the money and ahead of the game. For example, in 2020 I correctly predicted that the COVID panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Every one of those 2020 conclusions has turned out right.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four ways of doing so:
1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.
2. Patreon: Go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation.
3. A Paypal Donation or subscription:
4. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
P.O.Box 1262
Cortaro, AZ 85652
You can also support me by buying one of my books, as noted in the boxes interspersed throughout the webpage or shown in the menu above.
The Russian subversion of GPS in local areas is a form of jamming. This sounds more like a cyber-warfare attack, possibly involving replacement of the software loads aboard each satellite in the Galileo constellation. It’ll be interesting to see what the public explanation turns out to be.
And might an event like the recent black out in NYC’s Times Square for several hours over the weekend…………………and no one knows who, what or why it happened be associated?
Con Edison is baffled.
Little reminders of how vulnerable we actually are in todays world? A potentially very powerful weapon, and not one shot is fired.
The reason now being given is a problem at a “Precise Timing Facility” in Italy.
Could you imagine the outrage if the USA lost access to GPS? It would mean war and even the hippy dippy American hating marxists and chemtrail huffers would be for it.
The “chemtrail huffers” – nice turn of phrase by the way – might be for it. The Marxists, not so much. They’ve been looking to surrender the U.S. to some communist state for decades and are, no doubt, getting twitchy now that time seems to be running out. With the only actual Marxist tyrannies – Cuba, Venezuela, North Korea – looking notably wobbly our domestic commies may have to settle for working toward our surrender to some merely notionally Marxist state like China before long.
Of course for those domestic Marxists whose hatred of the U.S. exceeds their actual commitment to Marxism, pretty much any authoritarian country will do as the U.S.’s future overlord. Russia and Iran likely top the list, but even Belarus or Zimbabwe would probably do in a pinch.
NBR show just highlighted 50th aniversary moon landing with interview of SNC company and owner, Fatih Ozmen. Interesting space projects but little public exposure like Musk, Bezos, and Branson. I think he is building the highly debateable moon orbiting platform for NASA? I do like his Dream-Chaser air craft idea !!
Very interesting privately owned space company!!