BERLIN – Eight years late and billions over budget, European officials flipped the switch Thursday on a satellite navigation system meant to rival the U.S.-made GPS service that's become a staple feature of smartphones and cars worldwide. The Galileo system, named after the Italian engineer and astronomer, is designed to provide commercial and government customers with more precise location data than GPS. Being able to pinpoint a position is critical to a growing range of products and systems, including real-time logistics, self-driving cars and drone delivery services. Satellite systems such as GPS also play an important role in providing precision timing for financial transactions and energy grids. The launch of the first 18 Galileo satellites was hit by delays and several failures.