Global Navigation Satellite Systems Engineering, Policy, and Design
The U.S. Air Force’s Rocket Systems Launch Program Office, part of the Space and Missile Systems Center’s Launch Enterprise, last week released a solicitation for the Orbital Services Program-4 Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity contract.
By Inside GNSS
Parachute safety solution manufacturer Drone Rescue Systems GmbH supports the European research project Formation flight for in-Air Launcher 1st stage Capturing demonstration (FALCon). Under the leadership of DLR, research is being conducted on how launch vehicles can be returned to the launch site as efficiently as possible for re-use.
By Inside GNSS
The second satellite to join the constellation that forms the European Data Relay System (EDRS) was launched by Arianespace on August 6, at 21:30 CEST (19:30 UTC). The satellite was launched on board an Ariane 5, together with a second passenger, Intelsat 39, from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
By Inside GNSS
Airbus has been selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) to build the European component of the SMILE satellite (Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer). SMILE will be the first joint satellite mission between ESA and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), following on from the success of the Double Star / Tan Ce mission which flew between 2003 and 2008.
By Inside GNSS
Collins Aerospace Systems, a unit of United Technologies Corp., has begun taking orders for its latest-generation Miniature PLGR Engine – M-Code (MPE-M) GPS receiver set for 2020 production deliveries. According to independent testing, the MPE-M is the lowest Size, Weight and Power (SWaP) small Type II form factor ground receiver available and incorporates the company’s recently certified Common GPS Module (CGM).
By Inside GNSS
ION’s Joint Navigation Conference (JNC 2019) will be held July 8-10, at the Hyatt Regency Long Beach, Long Beach, California; and the U.S. ONLY CLASSIFIED sessions will be held July 11 at The Aerospace Corporation.
By Inside GNSS
Enables Complex Military Missions in GNSS Denied Environments
At last week’s Paris Air Show in Le Bourget, France, Safran and Orolia announced the signing of a strategic partnership to offer the latest resilient positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) solutions for military forces, especially in GNSS denied environments.
By Inside GNSS
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLORIDA — NASA is poised to demonstrate an advanced atomic clock that could someday markedly improve satellite navigation.
By Dee Ann Divis
UPDATE: A week after this story appeared the news broke that Fred Kennedy had quit as the head of the Air Force’s new Space Development Agency after just four months on the job. News reports suggested that issues with his boss, Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Mike Griffin, were at the heart of the resignation. — Dee Ann Divis
The director of the Department of Defense’s new Space Development Agency (SDA) said Friday that one of his priority projects is to create an alternate GPS capability using frequencies different from those of the current constellation.
By Dee Ann Divis
Our digital economy depends on keeping data safe from hackers, and cybersecurity is a priority for the Government of Canada. The Canadian Space Agency’s Quantum EncrYption and Science Satellite (QEYSSat) mission will test quantum technology that protects communications in space.
By Inside GNSS
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (May 22, 2019) – Collins Aerospace Systems, a unit of United Technologies Corp., has received the Global Positioning Systems Directorate (GPS-D) security certification from the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center (USAF SMC) for its Military Code (M-Code) Common GPS Module (CGM). Security certification validates compliance to the stringent Military GPS User Equipment (MGUE) hardware and software security design specification. With security certification, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) can significantly expand MGUE receiver integration and testing locations supporting the operational deployment of M-Code.
By Inside GNSS
Satellite navigation has become a global utility, but one that is vulnerable to interference. The European Space Agency’s new NAVISP research and development program is prioritizing research into countering jamming and spoofing of satnav signals, with partner companies exploring varied approaches.
By Inside GNSS
In a response to an inquiry by House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Peter DeFazio, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) provided an outline of its process to implement a terrestrial timing system to complement and backup GPS signals.
By Dana A. Goward