Overview
EUSPA — the European Union Agency for the Space Programme — is the EU's space agency, established in May 2021 in Prague as the successor to the European GNSS Agency (GSA). It is routinely confused with ESA, but the two are different organisations with different masters: ESA is an intergovernmental agency of 23 states that designs and builds space systems; EUSPA is an EU body that operates the services those systems deliver and drives their adoption in the economy.
The division of labour is cleanest with Galileo: ESA develops and procures the satellites, while EUSPA runs the service that more than four billion devices worldwide receive — the most accurate open navigation signal of any GNSS, including a free decimetre-level High Accuracy Service. EUSPA also operates EGNOS, the augmentation system European aviation relies on, manages secure governmental communications (GOVSATCOM), handles security accreditation for the whole EU space programme, and is central to IRIS², the EU's planned secure multi-orbit connectivity constellation.
Quick Facts
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full Name | European Union Agency for the Space Programme |
| Abbreviation | EUSPA |
| Jurisdiction | European Union |
| Headquarters | Prague, Czechia |
| Established | 12 May 2021 (successor to the GSA, est. 2004) |
| Head | Rodrigo da Costa (Executive Director) |
| Operates | Galileo services · EGNOS · GOVSATCOM · EU SST front desk |
| Website | www.euspa.europa.eu |
Key Programmes
Galileo services
EUSPA delivers and secures the Galileo navigation service — the world's most precise open GNSS signal, with the free High Accuracy Service reaching decimetre level. ESA builds the satellites; EUSPA runs what they broadcast.
EGNOS
Europe's satellite-based augmentation system, sharpening GNSS accuracy and integrity for aviation approaches at hundreds of European airports.
GOVSATCOM & IRIS²
Pooled secure satellite communications for EU governments today, expanding into IRIS² — the planned multi-orbit secure connectivity constellation for the 2030s.
Copernicus uptake & security
EUSPA drives commercial adoption of Copernicus Earth-observation data and provides security accreditation for the entire EU space programme.