Global Navigation Satellite Systems Engineering, Policy, and Design
On Wednesday morning, the GPS III Space Vehicle 06 (GPS III SV06) was launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida and the satellite successfully deployed. The satellite, the sixth designed and built by Lockheed Martin, will enhance accuracy and anti-jamming capability, helping to modernize the U.S. Space Force’s GPS constellation.
By Renee Knight
The Ministerial Council of the European Space Agency (ESA), meeting last fall (2022), agreed to extend the Navigation Innovation and Support Program (NAVISP), the agency’s funding mechanism for new navigation solutions that go beyond the use of GNSS signals and data. That means 2023 will see the launch of new NAVISP activities.
By Peter Gutierrez
CAMBRIDGE, UK—FocalPoint, the UK software company which provides next generation positioning solutions for mobiles, wearables and vehicles, has announced a strategic investment from GM Ventures, the venture capital arm of General Motors, and a collaboration with GM to explore the application of next generation GPS technologies to the automotive market.
By Inside GNSS
The European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) and the European Commission recently published two new documents outlining Galileo receiver guidelines: the Galileo Open Service Navigation Message Authentication (OSNMA) Signal-in-Space (SIS) Interface Control Document (ICD) and the Galileo Open Service Navigation Message Authentication (OSNMA) Receiver Guidelines.
By Inside GNSS
GMV and Lockheed Martin have plans to develop a global satellite based augmentation system (SBAS), changing the model for how navigation and precise point positioning (PPP) services are received.
By Renee Knight
While an independent report from NASEM has validated some NTIA GPS interference claims, no real mitigation is in in sight.
By Dawn M.K. Zoldi (Colonel, USAF, Ret.)
MADRID—The Spanish company UAV Navigation announced Nov. 14 it will participate in the OSNMAplus consortium, led by Italys’ Qascom, intended to authenticate signals from Galileo, the European satellite navigation system.
By Inside GNSS
After years of studying the concept of using low-Earth orbit (LEO) navigation satellites to supplement the Galileo system, the European Space Agency (ESA) is ready to move forward with an in-orbit demonstration as part of its new FutureNAV program.
By Renee Knight
ESA’s Ariane 6 launch vehicle, on which the deployment of the EU’s Galileo GNSS satellite constellation now depends, has taken another step towards first flight. A fresh series of hot fire tests of the rocket’s upper stage and all-new Vinci engine is now underway at Germany’s DLR center for engine and stage testing in Lampoldshausen.
By Peter Gutierrez
The European Space Agency’s new navigation head, Francisco-Javier Benedicto Ruiz, has a lot to say about GNSS, both present and future. We recently spoke with him about his views on satellite navigation, signal vulnerability and authentication, and the agency’s working relationship, or not, with Russia. The technical team behind the Galileo authentication service and industry representatives developing alternative positioning, navigation and timing solutions also share insights.
By Peter Gutierrez
RTCA is working to develop new standards to tackle GNSS growth and challenges. Here’s an update on the special committee’s progress, provided during a recent webinar.
By Dawn M.K. Zoldi (Colonel, USAF, Ret.)
Robustness to GPS jamming and spoofing is critical for military applications yet challenging, and numerous alternative sensing techniques have been explored over the years. Virtual aiding methods have proven effective, with the ability to constrain and localize the search space for improved operability in GPS-denied environments.
By Inside GNSS
The SAGAIE network was deployed in West-Africa in 2013 to assess the feasibility of an equatorial for ASECNA SBAS by studying ionospheric scintillation. This study of the network’s measurements, taken between 2013 and 2016, analyzes the characteristics of the scintillation recorded by five receivers that cover Sub-Saharan West-Africa.
By Inside GNSS
