Space Sovereignty — incident
Brexit and Galileo PRS
The Brexit referendum ignites a quiet dispute over the UK's role in Galileo's encrypted Public Regulated Service. Westminster has paid in by the hundreds of millions; Brussels begins drafting the lockout.
The 23 June 2016 Brexit referendum ignites a quiet but consequential dispute over the United Kingdom's role in Galileo's encrypted Public Regulated Service. Westminster has by that point contributed nearly £1.4 billion to the programme and built core ground-segment hardware.
Brussels begins drafting access restrictions consistent with the EU treaties — restrictions that, two years later, harden into a full lockout. The UK's experience becomes a cautionary tale studied carefully in every other state that has joined a multinational space programme on the assumption that membership is permanent.