Satellite navigation is slowly becoming an essential part of daily life. As our dependence on the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) technology deepens, so does the need to protect it
To combat this, the European Union has launched the European Galileo OSNMA, a new service designed to safeguard the integrity of satellite signals.
Threats to satellite signals
GNSS signals, including those from Europe’s Galileo system, are highly reliable but increasingly under threat. Two main types of interference are becoming more common: spoofing and jamming.
Spoofing involves sending fake GNSS signals to mislead receivers, potentially redirecting aircraft, ships, or even drones. Jamming, on the other hand, floods the radio frequencies used by GNSS with noise, effectively blocking the signal and disrupting navigation and timing.
Recent data indicate a sharp increase in this type of interference, particularly in Eastern Europe. In January 2025 alone, Poland reported over 2,700 incidents, while Lithuania recorded over 1,000. Aviation reports confirm ongoing disruptions in areas near the Baltic and Black Seas.
The rise in spoofing and jamming is concerning because the devices required to carry out these attacks are inexpensive and readily accessible, posing a serious threat to everything from transportation networks to financial systems.
What is OSNMA?
To address this growing risk, the European Commission has rolled out OSNMA. OSNMA is the world’s first public navigation message authentication service for civil users, available free of charge through the Galileo satellite system.
At its core, OSNMA acts like a digital signature embedded in Galileo’s navigation messages. This allows GNSS receivers to verify that signals really come from the Galileo satellites and haven’t been tampered with or replayed.
Because GNSS signals are often received in challenging environments, like urban areas with tall buildings or mountainous regions, OSNMA has been designed to work reliably even with limited signal quality. The only requirement is that receivers be synced to Galileo System Time, ensuring accurate authentication.
The development of OSNMA began over a decade ago, with early testing starting in 2013. After years of technical refinements, operational trials, and collaboration across Europe, OSNMA officially launched on 24 July 2025 as part of Galileo’s Initial Service Declaration.
This milestone makes Galileo the first GNSS provider in the world to offer open authentication to users, setting a new standard for satellite navigation security.
Impact across critical sectors
OSNMA is expected to benefit a wide range of industries. In aviation and maritime transport, it helps ensure navigation signals are genuine. In the automotive sector, OSNMA is already being integrated into smart tachographs used in EU trucks, supporting road safety and compliance.
It also plays a key role in critical infrastructure. Financial institutions and power grids rely on precise satellite timing to authenticate transactions and maintain system stability. By verifying that timing data is authentic, OSNMA enhances the resilience of these systems.
The launch of OSNMA is just the beginning. Work is ongoing to support its adoption across various sectors. More advanced features, such as signal-level authentication and improved performance, are on the roadmap as part of Galileo’s next generation.
![Figure 1 - The figure illustrates the diversity and multi-scale nature of the structures in the Galaxy. The first two lines are real astronomical images, which go from the galactic disk itself and down to the planet-forming disks. The last two lines are generated from numerical simulations and aim to understand and interpret the observations. [adapted from Facchini et al. 2025, Göller et al. 2025, Hennebelle et al. 2022, Lebreuilly et al. 2024, Molinari et al. 2016, 2025, Reissl et al. 2016]](https://www.openaccessgovernment.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/figure-100x70.png "Predictive modelling of galactic star and planet formation")
