Galileo Ground Station Marks Milestone for Bonaire and the EU
A special moment took place on Bonaire today, November 28th, with the official handover of the first Galileo Sensor Station (GSS) on the territory of Bonaire. This advanced station, part of the European Galileo satellite system, was officially handed over by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (IenW) to the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA).
Key handover Galileo ground station
During the ceremony, Afke van Rijn, Director General of the Ministry of IenW, officially handed over the key to Guerric Pont, Galileo Programme Manager at EUSPA. After the handover, the station is commissioned by EUSPA to be operational by the end of April / beginning of May 2025. The ceremony was attended by representatives of local and international organisations, including commissioner Clark Abraham, the CEO of WEB, and other stakeholders.
What is a Galileo Sensor Station?
The GSS plays an important role in the Galileo satellite system that enables reliable navigation and timing worldwide. The station on Bonaire receives signals from Galileo satellites and processes the data for applications like navigation and precision location.
A local and international project
The GSS is an unmanned ground station and consists of a building with servers, three antennas (sensors), two communication dishes, and a fully secured site with fences and cameras and a guardhouse with 24/7 security. The construction was carried out by local contractors, with high-quality technical equipment imported from Europe. The project has already contributed to employment on Bonaire and guarantees at least 10 full-time jobs in operational services for the next 20 years.
Cooperation
The realisation of the GSS is the result of close cooperation between local and international parties, including the Ministry of IenW, the Central Government Real Estate Agency (RVB), the Public Entity of Bonaire (OLB), Water and Energy Company (WEB), Rijksdienst Caribisch Nederland (RCN), and local businesses. The Galileo ground station represents a significant step forward in cooperation between the Netherlands and Europe in the field of space technology. It strengthens Bonaire’s role in international technological innovation while contributing to the island’s ongoing development.
