United Kingdom Global Navigation Satellite System

The United Kingdom Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) was a UK Space Agency research programme which between May 2018 and September 2020 developed outline plans for a conventional satellite navigation system, as a UK alternative to the European Union’s Galileo Global Navigation Satellite System after Brexit.

UK Global Navigation Satellite System
Country/ies of origin United Kingdom
Operator(s)UK Space Agency
TypeMilitary, civilian
StatusReset into new programme
CoverageGlobal

In September 2020 the programme concluded and relaunched as the UK Space Based Positioning, Navigation and Timing Programme.

History

The United Kingdom GNSS was first discussed by the UK government in May 2018,[1][2] after the European Union told the United Kingdom that it would no longer be able to use the secure component of the Galileo system,[3] the European equivalent of the United States' GPS. One suggested name for the UK system was Newton, after the English mathematician Sir Isaac Newton.[4]

The system would be run by the United Kingdom Space Agency.[5] Medium Earth orbit satellites were planned to be launched from the proposed spaceport in Sutherland, Scotland using a vertical launch platform in 2025,[6][7] with the United Kingdom GNSS planned to be fully operational by 2030.[8] In 2019, it was estimated that the cost of the project would be £5 billion.[9][10]

The United Kingdom government said that it wanted its GNSS to be openly compatible with the United States' Global Positioning System (GPS) and Five Eyes. The U.S. and the other Five Eyes nations contributed expertise to assist the planning and construction, and in exchange these nations would gain access to the United Kingdom's GNSS encrypted area after it is launched.[11][12][13]

In November 2019, the United Kingdom's Space Trade Association released a United Kingdom Space Manifesto, in which they state that United Kingdom "participation in a new global satellite navigation system must be secured".[14][15]

In July 2020, the United Kingdom government and India's Bharti Enterprises were successful in a joint bid to purchase the bankrupt OneWeb satellite company, with the U.K. paying US$500 million (£400 million) for a 45% stake. The U.K. government is considering whether OneWeb low Earth orbit satellite constellation could in future provide a form of GNSS service in addition to its primary purpose of fast satellite broadband.[16]

On 24 September 2020, the UK government announced that the program would be replaced with a new project – the Space Based Positioning, Navigation and Timing Program – that will explore innovative ways to provide satellite navigation services to the UK, building on findings from the concluded UK GNSS programme.[17] The UK government had allocated £90 million to developing the proposals.[18][7]

References
  1. "Space sector to benefit from multi-million pound work on UK alternative to Galileo". GOV.UK. 29 August 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
  2. Dan, Sabbagh (28 August 2018). "Teresa May pledges Galileo alternative if U.K. locked out of satnav system". The Guardian.
  3. Smith (University of Portsmouth), Anne (18 May 2018). "Galileo row: Brexit will bar U.K. from E.U. sat-nav programme, but Britain could build its own". The Conversation.
  4. Europa, Government (20 February 2019). "UK Galileo replacement proposed". Government Europa.
  5. "UK Space Agency leads work on options for independent satellite system". GOV.UK. 2 May 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
  6. Inside, GNSS (14 February 2020). "Scottish rocket site planned could it launch British GNSS". Inside GNSS.
  7. Foust, Jeff (25 September 2020). "U.K. to revise strategy for satellite navigation system". SpaceNews. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  8. Hoare, Callum (9 December 2019). "£5billion Galileo replacement revealed as Boris Johnson plans 2030 "full system" launch". Express.
  9. Kantaria, Priya (20 February 2019). "UK Galileo alternative costs just 3% of the EU satellite". Verdict.
  10. McGrath, Ciaran (23 August 2019). "Forget EU! UK can build a BETTER version of Galileo - for just a fraction of the cost". Express.
  11. Hoare, Callum (10 December 2019). "UK Galileo replacement to integrate with U.S. GPS as Brexit inspires "new relationship"". Express.
  12. Titcomb, James (19 August 2019). "UK seeks "Five Eyes" alliance on satellite rival to EU's Galileo". The Telegraph.
  13. GNSS, Inside (21 August 2019). "A Very British GNSS Could Be On the Horizon". Inside GNSS.
  14. Chaturvedi, Aditya (26 November 2019). "2020 manifesto emphasises UK's own GNSS system, calls for national space program". Geospatial World.
  15. Cozzens, Tracy (2 December 2019). "UK Space Manifesto Recommends Post - Brexit GNSS". GPS World.
  16. "U.K. takes £400m stake in satellite firm OneWeb". BBC News. 3 July 2020. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  17. "Government to explore new ways of delivering 'sat nav' for the UK". GOV.UK. 24 September 2020. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
  18. Field, Matthew (27 September 2020). "Inside the battle to build a British version of the Galileo satellite system". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 28 September 2020.

Further reading
  • Andreou, Alex (30 June 2020). "UK's Rival to Galileo: A Brexit Farce". Byline Times. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
  • Gutierrez, Peter (30 November 2020). “The rocky road to a UK GNSS”. Inside GNSS.
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