Galileo plan to find own way

THE Global Position System (GPS) was developed by America’s defence department in the 1970s, providing navigation information from 24 satellites. It has, over time, been made available to civilians and has come to replace maps for many motorists.

The idea for the European programme emerged in the late 1990s, but its development has been repeatedly delayed. When it became clear in 2008 that investors weren’t keen to finance Galileo, the EU decided taxpayers would underwrite it. Many hope it will mean Europe is no longer dependent on the US network.