This week's release of the poll came just days ahead of key talks between EU governments on whether they should invest an extra $3.25 billion in public funds to salvage a European satellite system known as Galileo. The EU has abandoned plans to share the cost with business.

So far, only one out of 30 planned satellites that are to be part of Galileo has been launched _ in December 2005. The second satellite missed its initial autumn 2006 launch date after it short-circuited during final testing.

No wonder, then, that in the EU's survey on the subject _ which questioned 25,664 citizens across the 27-nation bloc last month _ 40 percent said they had not even heard of the Galileo project.

Source: The Sunday Morning Herald