It was created on the basis of the European Agency for the Satellite Navigation System Galileo
PRAGUE, May 12. /TASS/. The European Union's Space Program Agency (EUSPA) has been operating in Prague since Wednesday. It was created on the basis of the European Satellite Navigation System Agency Galileo, whose head office was located in the Czech capital since 2012 and was transformed into the headquarters of EUSPA. This was reported by Czech Television.
"EUSPA will play a key role in the implementation of the EU space program and the realization of the community's ambitions to explore the Universe," said Rodrigo da Costa, executive director of the new agency, who previously headed the European Satellite Navigation System Agency Galileo.
He stressed that the EUSPA should optimize the effectiveness of the EU's growing investment in space research. "This goal will be achieved by strengthening cooperation between the individual components of the [EU] space program, primarily in the field of navigation and Earth observation. The goal is to encourage innovation across a wide range of industries [science and economics], " said Rodrigo da Costa.
EUSPA will have 600 employees. So far, there are 200 experts working there, who joined the new structure from the European Agency for the Satellite Navigation System Galileo. A new EUSPA building is planned. At the moment, its headquarters are located in the Golesovice district of Prague.