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Engineering students from around the world will be flocking to Berchtesgaden amid the Bavarian Alps in July for ESA’s navigation summer school. It’s a picturesque choice, but also a practical one: the only place in the world where Galileo is already fully realised.

Berchtesgaden is the site of the Galileo Test and Development Environment. This is the single largest test range of its kind, with transmitters on nearby mountain peaks to simulate Galileo signals in advance of Europe’s own satnav system becoming operational, starting with the launch of the first two Galileo In-Orbit Validation satellites in August.
The summer school on global navigation systems, taking place 20–30 July, will therefore benefit from numerous practical demonstrations.

The event will provide a comprehensive understanding of the design and development of satnav systems, ranging from the satellites in space to supporting mission segments, the receivers relied on by service end-users and the development of new applications.

Guest lectures by internationally renowned scientists will supplement those given by the school’s directors. Beyond the technical fundamentals, topics covered will include Galileo, GPS, Russia’s Glonass, the Chinese Compass, Japanese Quasi-Zenith Satellite System and the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System.

The school is open to graduate students, PhD candidates and young researchers from industry and national agencies. The number of participants is limited to 50. For more information, visit the website.