Global Navigation Satellite Systems Engineering, Policy, and Design
The first of the U.S. Air Force’s advanced new, higher-power, harder-to-jam GPS III satellites is making its way to the launch pad.
By Inside GNSS
CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Fla.– The U.S. Air Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) Global Positioning Systems (GPS) Directorate achieved a major program milestone Aug. 21, successfully delivering the first GPS III satellite to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida to begin launch processing.
By Inside GNSS
Featuring multi constellation with L-Band and satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS), theF90 GNSS/RTK receiver from Geneq Inc., tracks GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou and can maximize the tracking to observe all visible GNSS satellite signals, thereby providing maximum performance for accuracy and real-time measurements. F90 also supports L-Band function and can get centimeter accuracy with just one receiver, according to the company.
By Inside GNSS
As the first Lockheed Martin-built GPS III satellite prepares to ship to the launch pad, the U.S. Air Force has declared that the second GPS III satellite is complete, fully tested and ready to launch.
By Inside GNSS
The newly signed Defense Authorization Act incorporates a number of GPS-related provisions though a measure ordering the creation of a GPS timing back-up was pulled by conferees as they hammered out their final deal.
By Dee Ann Divis
While news broke last week of a Department of Defense (DOD) policy to prohibit GPS-enabled devices in deployed settings, no one should expect a drop in usage of popular devices such as Fitbit fitness trackers from the general public.
By Stan Goff
The Global Positioning Systems (GPS) Directorate will host the 2018 Public Interface Control Working Group and Open Public Forum on September 12, 2018 for the following NAVSTAR GPS public documents: IS-GPS-200 (Navigation User Interfaces), IS-GPS-705 (User Segment L5 Interfaces), IS-GPS-800 (User Segment L1C Interface), ICD-GPS-240 (NAVSTAR GPS Control Segment to User Support Community Interfaces), and ICD-GPS-870 (NAVSTAR GPS Control Segment to User Support Community Interfaces).
By Inside GNSS
The Galileo constellation took another big step towards full operational capability with the successful launch last month of four satellites on-board an Ariane 5 launcher. Representatives of leading industry that have adopted Galileo then held a special press briefing for journalists from across the continent to address updates on how European citizens and businesses are already taking advantage of benefits delivered by Galileo.
By Stan Goff
The United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF) is excited to announce the addition of Al Di Leonardo and Patty Mims to the Foundation’s Board of Directors. USGIF’s Board includes 26 directors representing the many aspects of the broad and expanding GEOINT Community.
Di Leonardo is an experienced intelligence and special operations officer and is widely recognized as a subject matter expert in analytical tradecraft, and Mims is currently director of Global National Government at USGIF Organizational Member Esri.
“I am pleased that professionals of this experience and caliber are part of the USGIF leadership,” said The Honorable Jeffrey K. Harris, Chairman of USGIF’s Board of Directors.
Di Leonardo has more than 25 years of government experience centered at the National Security Agency, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and Joint Special Operations Command. As a career U.S. Army Intelligence Officer, he earned the Bronze Star Medal from U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) for his work in Afghanistan and Iraq and led SOCOM’s first geospatial big data innovation cell. After retiring from the Army, Di Leonardo founded HumanGeo, a tech company that created software solutions at the intersection of big data, social media, and geospatial intelligence that he later sold to The Radiant Group. As president of The Radiant Group, he led the integration of five companies while simultaneously rebranding the team as “Radiant” and significantly growing revenue, leading to Radiant’s acquisition by DigitalGlobe.
“Al brings rich operational and analytic experience across important market sectors to the USGIF boardroom,” Harris said. “His understanding of both mission and business effectiveness will be invaluable to help drive the USGIF working groups and technical forums.”
In her current role at Esri, Mims oversees all business development across the U.S. federal government, including intelligence, defense, public safety, and civilian as well as provides support to nonprofit programs globally and national government organizations around the world. Mims was Esri’s Director of Intelligence Programs from 2012 to 2015, and in this role managed all activities across the U.S. Intelligence Community and State Department. She has also held positions at Esri as team lead for the company’s Defense Installation Team and account lead for the Defense and Intelligence Team. Prior to joining Esri, Mims worked for an international software company where she supported customers around the world as manager of Technical Support and Training.
“Patty operates at the intersection of commercial and defense and intelligence geographic information systems,” Harris said. “Her market understanding and technical expertise will add great value to the Foundation as we help build improved tradecraft.”
By Inside GNSS
The nation’s leading GPS experts voted unanimously Monday to oppose allowing Ligado Networks to use spectrum neighboring the GPS band for terrestrial communications.
By Dee Ann Divis
For the fourth year in a row CRP USA is attending the Small Satellite Conference and Exhibit at Utah State University, Logan, Utah, from August 4-9. The event is held at the Taggart Student Center, and CRP USA is displaying cutting edge solutions for the space industry manufactured in the Windform family of high performance materials.
By Inside GNSS
The European Space Agency (ESA) recently ran an internal competition for its trainees to develop an app capable of making positioning fixes using only Galileo satellites. ESA challenged these young graduate and national trainees to develop smartphone apps to perform satellite navigation fixes solely with the use of Galileo satellites. Three teams developed apps in their spare time, presenting their results to a jury of experts from ESA, the European Global Navigation Satellite Systems Agency (GSA) and Google.
By Inside GNSS
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will conduct demonstrations of GPS receivers this fall to support the buying plans of first responders, the Coast Guard and other agencies within DHS. The tests aim to clarify how well the receivers stand up to jamming and spoofing while being used on small, unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS or drones) for maritime missions.
By Dee Ann Divis
