In a statement published by the UK Government (on their website), they announced that as of January 1 the United Kingdom will cease participation in the European Galileo and European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) programs. This announcement follows the Brexit settlement negotiations that have been ongoing for some time.
The document, “Brexit transition: new rules for 2021,” states that the UK will “not use Galileo (including the future Public Regulated Service (PRS)) for defense or critical national infrastructure; have access to the encrypted Galileo Public Regulated Service; be able to play any part in the development of Galileo; be able to play any part in the development of EGNOS; be able to use the EGNOS SoL and EGNOSWorking Agreements (EWAs), which will no longer be recognized by the EU; be able to access or use EDAS.”
By contrast, UK membership in the European Space Agency (ESA) is not affected, as ESA “is not an EU organisation.” The country will participate in and be able to bid for ESA programs. The UK can also continue to participate in Copernicus, the satellite-based Earth observation and monitoring program managed by the European Commission in partnership with ESA. UK-based businesses, academics and researchers are expected to be able to bid for Copernicus contracts.
