19-May-2021
The Launch of the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA)
Building on the legacy of the European GNSS Agency (GSA), according to the new space regulation, GSA becomes the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA).
EUSPA’s mandate will now include:
- increased responsibilities in Galileo and EGNOS, including enhanced management responsibilities for the operations and service provision;
- the security accreditation of all the components of the EU Space Programme, the operation of the Galileo Security Monitoring Centre, together with operational security;
- the coordination of the user-related aspects of European Union Governmental Satellite Communications (GOVSATCOM), in close collaboration with the Member States and other involved entities;
- the development of downstream markets and fostering of innovation based on Galileo and EGNOS, and now including also Copernicus, leveraging funding mechanisms such as Fundamental Elements and Horizon Europe.
Bringing under the umbrella of one agency the management of downstream and combined applications based on Galileo, EGNOS and Copernicus, will make the possibility to strenghten synergies. These technologies can play a key role in supporting a digital and green transformation on their own, but exploring synergies and their combined use will facilitate the generation of innovative solutions that will bring a higher impact.
Source: the European Union Agency for Space Programme (EUSPA), 18.5.2021