Environment Archives - Page 10 of 14 - Inside GNSS - Global Navigation Satellite Systems Engineering, Policy, and Design

July 31, 2013

Exit Interview: GPS Directorate’s Col. Bernie Gruber

USAF Col. Bernie Gruber, GPS Directorate. Air Force photo

Last month, USAF Col. Bernard Gruber stepped down after three years of running the Global Positioning Systems Directorate at Los Angeles Air Force Base.

The GPS Directorate, originally established in 1974 as the NAVSTAR GPS Joint Program Office, is responsible for development, acquisition, fielding and sustainment of all GPS space segments: the modernized operational control segment (OCX), the next-generation GPS III satellites, and modernized GPS user equipment (MGUE).

By Inside GNSS

June 28, 2013

Homeland Security’s National Risk Estimate on GPS Disruption: Still a Lot of Unknowns

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has released an abbreviated fact sheet and a summary report on its evaluation of the risks to U.S. critical infrastructure from GPS disruptions.

The unsurprising “bottom line,” as the public summary put it: “U.S. critical infrastructure sectors are increasingly at risk from a growing dependency on GPS for positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) services. Such dependencies are not always apparent.”

By Inside GNSS

June 18, 2013

EU Calls Out European Industry on GNSS Opportunities

Gian Gherardo Calini. GSA photo

According to European Union (EU) figures, there should be €90 billion in benefits to be reaped by industry as a result of Europe’s €11 billion investment in Galileo. But what that really means is that there will be €90 billion in new income out there for someone to take.

By Inside GNSS

May 28, 2013

Di Qiu: Opportunities of Signals

Di Qiu at the site of her current employer

SIDEBAR: Di Qiu’s Compass Points

Landing all-weather aircraft safely in storms. Protecting sensitive data not only through encryption but based on the location at which it is being accessed. Ensuring that accurate and timely information reaches first responders responding to emergencies.

Although still in the early part of her career, Di Qiu has already made significant contributions to these crucial applications of navigation technology.

By Inside GNSS

May 20, 2013

GENIUS Workshop: Vulnerabilities of GNSS

The October entry in this EU-sponsored series of free GNSS training workshops concerns GNSS vulnerability. It will take place at the University of Nottingham on October 8, 9 and 10.

The instructors will be Terry Moore, Alan Dodson and Marcio Aquino, all faculty at University of Nottingham Geospatial Institute.

The topics:

GNSS Overview: Position fixing, dead reckoning, space segment and SV blocks, ground control and improvement programs,user segment and applications

By Inside GNSS

May 13, 2013

White House Moves to Harden Infrastructure against GPS Disruption

System engineers across the country may soon be planning, in some cases perhaps for the first time, what they would do if they could not use the GPS service.

The effort is part of an expanded White House initiative to protect the nation’s critical infrastructure. Alhough infrastructure protection programs have been under way for some time, they did not necessarily address GPS vulnerabilities explicitly.

By Inside GNSS

May 2, 2013

MUSTER

Existing methods for improving the GNSS performance commonly attempt to enhance the signal processing and navigation estimation parts of a single receiver. Such approaches, however, leave unexplored the potential benefits inherent to the integration of data from multiple receivers.

By Inside GNSS

April 10, 2013

GPS Design Changes Will Add Waveform Generator, Dual-Launch Capability, and More

A redesign of the GPS satellites under development by Lockheed Martin will add a signal waveform generator, search and rescue payload, laser retroreflector array (LRA), and dual-launch capability beginning with Space Vehicle 9 (SV09).

By Inside GNSS

April 2, 2013

GNSS Technologies and Applications for Sub-Saharan Africa Conference

This new international conference on GNSS technologies and applications for the development of sub-Saharan African countries will take place May 30 and 31 at the new bayside Terrou-Bi hotel and conference center in Dakar, Senegal.

The event targets entrepreneurs and companies from the EU and Africa that use GNSS technologies. The event is designed to showcase and promote African technical competencies with solid potential for success using EGNOS and Galileo services and the space sector in general.

By Inside GNSS

March 18, 2013

eCall Rising

eCall is the European Union (EU) initiative aimed at reducing road casualties by increasing the speed and efficiency of emergency response. It involves a device installed in cars that will automatically dial the EU’s “112” emergency phone number in the event of a serious road accident.

Key data including time, date, and GNSS coordinates will be sent to the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) and then relayed to the most appropriate emergency service. The eCall is triggered by airbag deployment and impact sensor information.

By Peter Gutierrez

March 9, 2013

Assessing GNSS Data Message Performance

Working Papers explore the
technical and scientific themes that underpin GNSS programs and
applications. This regular column is coordinated by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Günter Hein, head of Europe’s Galileo Operations and Evolution.

By Inside GNSS