US Cracks Europe GPS Satellite Codes
United Press International ^ | Jul 11, 2006

US Cracks Europe GPS Satellite Codes

Brussels (UPI) Jul 11, 2006

U.S. scientists have reportedly cracked the European Union's secret satellite navigation codes. The codes, to be used by the EU's Galileo satellite system, casts doubt the $4.2 billion project will pay for itself through commercial fees, The London Telegraph reported Tuesday. Cornell University Professor Mark Psiaki said he and colleagues cracked the coded data being beamed to Earth by a prototype orbiting satellite.

That, The Telegraph said, is potentially devastating for the EU, which wants to charge high-tech firms license fees to access that data, before they can make and sell compatible navigation devices to the public.

Galileo is to be a European rival to the United States' military-controlled GPS system, which supplies signals without charge. Galileo's designers, however, say it will be more accurate than GPS.

The European Commission said Monday Cornell's success in cracking codes for the prototype is irrelevant, since the final Galileo codes will be different.

Galileo, due to be operational by 2010, is a joint venture of the European Commission, the European Space Agency and private investors, including an arm of the Chinese government.

Source: United Press International