The headquarters of the European Global Navigation Satellite Systems Agency (GSA) in Prague opened its doors to the public on 16-17 November 2018. This was the fourth annual edition of the event and the second since the GSA took over management of the operation of the Galileo global satellite navigation service in 2017. The open house, which took place this year as part of Czech Space Week, offered students and the general public a unique opportunity to gain an overview of what the GSA does and to meet the people behind the operation and successes of the European Global Navigation Satellite Systems (EGNOS) and Galileo.
Visitors to the GSA headquarters could view models of Galileo satellites and listen to lectures given by GSA employees and certain Czech start-ups that are involved in research and development projects financed by GSA funds. The lecturers spoke about why the European Union created its own satellite navigation system, how it works and how much one satellite weighs. The winners of the competition category of the Navigation Space Application Hackathon, which was organised by ESA BIC Prague together with other partners and held on 9-10 November 2018 in Prague, presented their Dronetag project. The programme of the open-house event also included seminars, exhibitions and programmes for school excursions and families with children. Those attending the event could also be photographed in a space environment, take a knowledge quiz and try landing with the use of satellite technologies.
On the occasion, the GSA also organised an official presentation of a report on the agency’s benefits for the Czech economy, from which it is apparent that the agency’s average annual contribution to Czech GDP amounts to approximately CZK 200 million.
More information is available in the attached press release from the GSA.