Europe to Loft Its Own 'Birds' ; It Is Seeking Less Economic and Military Dependence on United States

Peter N. Spotts writer of The Christian Science Monitor, The Christian Science Monitor

At any given moment, dozens of US and Russian navigation satellites whiz by high above the earth, guiding airliners, cars, and backpackers to their destinations.

But the Europeans have no "birds" of their own to navigate by.

Yesterday, leaders of the European Space Agency (ESA) took steps to rectify that - and then some. They decided to build Europe's own constellation of navigation satellites. Today, they expect a go- ahead from the European Union, which is needed for the joint effort to take flight.

The project is part of a major strategy shift, designed to link the 25-year-old space agency more tightly with the Continent's high- tech …

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Publication information: Article title: Europe to Loft Its Own 'Birds' ; It Is Seeking Less Economic and Military Dependence on United States. Contributors: Peter N. Spotts writer of The Christian Science Monitor - Author. Newspaper title: The Christian Science Monitor. Publication date: December 21, 2000. Page number: 1. © 2009 The Christian Science Publishing Society. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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