Global Navigation Satellite Systems Engineering, Policy, and Design
No longer consigned to predicting what might one day happen, the folks at the Galileo program can now look at and talk about what is happening right now, starting with initial services. To help us understand what’s going on, we enlisted no less than Matthias Petschke, Galileo Program Director at the European Commission (EC).
By Peter Gutierrez
Though the United States has been working on a backup for GPS for years, and was actually close to completing an equipment update to that end in 2009, Europe may be the first to put in place a fully independent alternative for positioning and timing data — an economic insurance policy against satellite navigation signals being jammed or disrupted.
By Dee Ann Divis
Photo source: Rockwell Collins.Rockwell Collins and QinetiQ have signed a global alliance agreement to collaborate on the development of next-generation, multi-constellation open service and secure GNSS receivers.
The partnership is designed to develop a multi-constellation open service offering as both companies look to help address critical mission requirements of government and military customers as well as infrastructure operators.
By Inside GNSS
Ellipse-D inertial navigation system. Photo source: SBG Systems.VIAMETRIS has chosen the Ellipse-D inertial navigation system from SBG Systems to equip their new SLAM-based mobile mapping system: the vMS3D. The vMS3D is a complete mobile mapping solution which combines inertial, GNSS, and SLAM technologies designed to offer an economical option with optimal performance.
By Inside GNSS
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the United Nations agency responsible for working with countries to develop and adopt global aviation standards, is stretching beyond its regular role to help states develop harmonized rules for managing drone operations — and it’s asking for technical input from all sectors, including industry.
By Inside GNSS
Swift Navigation and Carnegie Robotics (CRL) rolled out their first joint product, a real-time kinematic (RTK) GNSS receiver called Duro, at the AUVSI XPONENTIAL trade show in Dallas, Texas, May 8-11.
The companies say Duro is targeted to robotics, precision agriculture, mapping, military, outdoor industrial and maritime markets.
By Inside GNSS
SPAN Land Vehicle. Photo source: Novatel. At this week’s AUVSI XPONENTIAL 2017 in Dallas, Texas, NovAtel introduced its new SPAN Land Vehicle technology for fixed wheel land vehicle applications. SPAN Land Vehicle is designed to optimize integrated GNSS + INS performance for land vehicles during periods of extended GNSS outage, in low dynamic operating environments, or in dense urban canyons. It ensures that accurate position, velocity and attitude is maintained during such difficult operating environments.
By Inside GNSS
When Inside GNSS first reported on the formal announcement to the start of Galileo Initial Services last December, there was plenty of excitement about the program’s potential, and with good reason.
By Inside GNSS
AGCO Corporation, a manufacturer and distributor of agricultural equipment solutions, is expanding its automatic guidance product offering. AGCO Auto-Guide™ and VarioGuide customers using the NovAtel SMART6-L receivers, can now acquire TerraStar satellite correction signals to enhance positioning performance.
By Inside GNSS
NASCTN test setup. Photo courtesy of NASCTN. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced that National Advanced Spectrum and Communications Test Network (NASCTN) will hold a public meeting on May 4, 2017 to inform the public about the NASCTN project “Impact of Long Term Evolution (LTE) signals on Global Positioning System (GPS) Devices”.
By Inside GNSS
The new GPS ground system has passed its most recent in-depth review and completed a schedule and budget re-baselining though a new government watchdog report says the program remains at "high risk of cost overruns, schedule delays and performance shortfalls."
By Inside GNSS
After a couple of changes in direction and spending some $18 million to verify the technical chops of their most likely suppliers, defense officials appear ready to buy up to 22 new GPS III spacecraft. Although three firms are now well positioned to bid on the potentially lucrative contract, the Defense Department continues to leave the contracting door ajar for newcomers, just in case.
By Inside GNSS
