Global Navigation Satellite Systems Engineering, Policy, and Design
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced this week that seven aerial photo and video production companies have asked for regulatory exemptions that would allow the film and television industry to use unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) with FAA approval for the first time.
By Inside GNSS
The GPS Independent Review Team (IRT), a key player in GPS policy for nearly 20 years, has been disbanded by the Air Force in what several sources say is an effort to save money.
Created in 1997 for a temporary three-month assignment, the IRT has been instrumental in shaping the current GPS constellation including designing military’s M-code — giving the signal its distinctive two humps — and pushing to get that signal into the constellation earlier than initially planned.
By Inside GNSS
Trimble has introduced its new BD930-UHF receiver and communication module, combining a triple-frequency GPS/GLONASS/BeiDou/Galileo receiver with an integrated UHF module.
Part of Trimble’s GNSS OEM portfolio, the new compact module features centimeter-level, real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning capabilities, according to the company. By integrating wireless communications on the same module, the BD930-UHF module is designed to significantly simplify the reception of RTK corrections.
The 2015 World Congress of the International Association of Institutes of Navigation will take place at a new venue, the Corinthia Hotel, close to the well-preserved historical center of Prague, Czech Republic, on October 20 – 23, 2015. This will be the 15th meeting of all of the member organzations, who will discuss the science and practice of navigation and related technologies.
By Inside GNSS
China’s BeiDou will accelerate the pace of its development, even as the world’s other three GNSS systems are experiencing delays and difficulties, according to speakers in the opening session of the China Satellite Navigation Conference (CSNC 2014) today (May 21) in Nanjing.
By Inside GNSS
Europeans agree — assisted GNSS or A-GNSS provides the best means for locating emergency callers using mobile phones. Although the question of who should pay is remains to be answered, new regulations aimed at enabling the service now seem inevitable.
By Inside GNSS
JPL uses GPS to find Sierra Nevada water weight; Near collision of drone and regional jet prompts questions, West Antarctic ice sheet melt at “point of no return,” First Galileo FOC satellites at launch site, China’s GBAS tested in Tianjin
By Inside GNSS
Companies hungry to offer commercial services in the United States with unmanned aircraft finally have something to chew on.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has laid out a process whereby a carefully selected set of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) may be granted an exemption to do for-pay flights before the first broad rules for U.S. flying unmanned aircraft are finalized.
By Inside GNSS
The 2014 CERGAL conference will be held at the Art’otel Dresden in Dresden, Germany on July 8 and 9, 2014. The conference will be held in English.
Online registration is now open.
By Inside GNSS
On Monday (May 5, 2014), the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that the University of Alaska’s unmanned aircraft system (UAS) test site has become operational — the second of six test organizations selected to take part in the congressionally mandated UAS in the National Airspace System (NAS) initiative that the agency is leading.
By Inside GNSS
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
SIDEBAR: Michel Monnerat’s Compass Points
“I was born in Arles, in the south of France,” says Michel Monnerat, “but I left France before my first birthday. We moved many times, from place to place.”
Monnerat’s father worked for a civil engineering company, specializing in maritime works — harbor construction, coastal protection, and such. His family lived in Ivory Coast, Cameroon, and Tunisia, but Monnerat spent most of my early life in Lomé, the capital city of Togo.
By Inside GNSS
Europe has been talking up its European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS, for short) — and why shouldn’t it? Talking about Galileo doesn’t get satellites off the ground. EGNOS, on the other hand, is up and running, and has been since 2009. If the object is to build confidence in European savoir faire, why not talk about a real success like EGNOS?
By Peter Gutierrez
