Global Navigation Satellite Systems Engineering, Policy, and Design
Last week marked a significant step toward providing a boost to the accuracy and reception of the existing GPS in Japan and to delivering a better positioning reading for the people in that country.
By Inside GNSS
Two further satellites — increasing the total number to 16 — have formally become part of Europe’s Galileo satnav system, broadcasting timing and navigation signals worldwide while also picking up distress calls across the planet.
These are the 15th and 16th satellites to join the network, two of the four Galileos that were launched together by Ariane 5 last November, and the first additions to the working constellation since the start of Galileo Initial Services in December.
By Inside GNSS
The VG380 vertical gyros modules. Photo source: MEMSIC Inc. MEMSIC Inc., with headquarters in Andover, Massachusetts, recently announced the addition of the VG380 to its portfolio of inertial modules. These new vertical gyros are designed to provide highly accurate pitch and roll (with respect to gravity), in both static and dynamic conditions. The static and dynamic accuracy is specified at +/-0.2 and +/-1.0 degrees (respectively) over the -40C to +85C temperature range.
By Inside GNSS
The Virginia firm that had been hoping to use satellite frequencies near the GPS band to support a terrestrial broadband network has changed its pitch to regulators. Ligado, previously named LightSquared, is working to convince the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that its frequencies are the way to provide connectivity to the broad internet of things (IoT) including unmanned aircraft, driverless cars and other unmanned systems.
By Dee Ann Divis
The output value of BeiDou, China’s satellite navigation and location-based service industry, increased more than 22% year on year and has topped 211 billion yuan (about 30.8 billion U.S. dollars) in 2016, according to news reports on a recently released industry white paper.
By Inside GNSS
The new GSS200D Interference Detector was developed as part of Spirent’s partnership with Nottingham Scientific Limited. Photo source: Sprirent.Spirent Communications has announced a solution that enables the civil aviation industry to evaluate the growing threat of GNSS interference, jamming and spoofing. The new GSS200D Interference Detector was developed as part of Spirent’s partnership with Nottingham Scientific Limited.
By Inside GNSS
The growing demand for precise location information, in combination with the ongoing evolution of GNSS technology, means that today’s GNSS market is bigger than ever. In the recently released European GNSS Agency (GSA) 2017 GNSS Market Report —the fifth edition of the agency’s popular report — it indicates the global GNSS market is expected to grow from 5.8 billion devices in use in 2017 to an estimated 8 billion by 2020.
By Inside GNSS
Figures 3 & 4Motivation and Background
By Inside GNSS
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
With designs on providing a boost to navigation safety and efficiency for commercial and general aviation, Raytheon Company on May 18 launched its GEO 6 satellite payload into orbit for its 12-year mission. It is the latest payload to support the Federal Aviation Administration’s Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) which enhances the reliability and accuracy of GPS signals for directing air travel.
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
Though civilian GNSS activities fared reasonably well in the just-signed 2017 federal budget, the White House has already forecast cuts across non-defense agencies next year leaving the funding outlook for civil GNSS programs uncertain at best.
President Trump signed the fiscal year 2017 (FY17) spending bill on May 5, preventing another government shutdown and ensuring funding for agencies including the Department of Transportation (DoT), which is responsible for supporting civil GPS needs.
By Dee Ann Divis
In an opinion released earlier this spring, the Florida Fourth District Court of Appeal ruled against law enforcement use of data (including GPS-based data) from a car’s "event recorder" or "black box" without a warrant. The decision was just one of many in recent months that deals with the subject, as technology advances and privacy issues are clashing on a regular basis.
By Inside GNSS
