OneWeb Alternative to EU Galileo Project Outrages Brexit Britain

Galileo is the European Union’s global navigation satellite system from before Brexit, whereas OneWeb is Britain’s satellite network. Galileo provides worldwide location services for automobiles, trains, airlines, and other industries. With Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, promising that the UK will become a science powerhouse, expanding the space industry is crucial for achieving that objective. According to Shadow Science Minister, Chi Onwurah, Britain’s space industry suffered a setback when it quit the EU project.

Brexit Led Britain to Rely on OneWeb

The UK was wrong by not taking part in Galileo anymore since it played an important role in the project, Ms Onwurah explained. She added that Britain had companies and researchers vesting interest in seeing Galileo become a success. The space industry is very important. There is plenty of employment, development, satellite communications, and spaceport opportunities, yet all Britain sees is confusion after Brexit, Ms Onwurah explained further.

While the UK’s OneWeb network of satellites doesn’t have a global position like Galileo, it is expected to compete one day with the EU’s efforts. OneWeb is a LEO satellite constellation partially under the government’s ownership. To begin with, it’s a broadband constellation that will transmit rural 4G and, eventually, 5G Internet signals throughout the country. A network of 648 satellites in LEO should provide coverage for the entire world by June 2022.

Britain Is Heavily Funding Space Projects

Ms Onwurah, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to believe OneWeb compensates for Britain’s decision to leave the EU’s Galileo project. She mentioned that everyone had doubts about building up the UK’s own Galileo, so OneWeb was bought instead.

OneWeb is focused on bringing broadband to communities that are difficult to reach. It is not a substitute for Galileo since it requires significant technology shifts to provide global positioning.

Ms Onwurah added that she’s not convinced that the UK’s space industry understands what OneWeb is intended for. However, there might be alternative solutions available. For example, the UK’s first Defence Space Strategy (DSS) was released on Tuesday. £1.4 billion is set aside over the following ten years. £61 million has been reserved to investigate leading laser communications technology that might carry space data to Earth at superfast internet speeds and while Brexit had a negative impact on the UK space industry, OneWeb constellation can mend the situation.