Global Navigation Satellite Systems Engineering, Policy, and Design
The National Standards Authority of Ireland’s National Metrology Laboratory (NSAI NML) has announced the launch of a verified GPS/GNSS Data Stream (VGDS) service, an extension to the National Timing Grid of Ireland.
By Inside GNSS
Ariane 6’s inaugural rocket launch took place from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana at 16:00 local time on 9 July. It has taken over from Ariane 5, featuring a modular design that can launch missions from low-Earth orbit and into deep space. Galileo Second Generation (G2) satellites are projected to join the constellation in 2026 with the Ariane 6 launcher. G2 satellites will use electric propulsion and host a more powerful navigation antenna, better atomic clocks and fully digital payloads.
By Inside GNSS
Iridium Communications Inc. has announced the expanded commercial availability of its Satellite Time and Location (STL) service to parts of Europe and the Asia Pacific region. This expansion is driven by increasing demand and aims to provide an alternative positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) solution to protect critical infrastructure against GPS and Galileo spoofing and jamming.
By Inside GNSS
The European Space Agency (ESA) has successfully executed a substantial upgrade to the ground segment of the Galileo satellite navigation system, achieving this milestone without any disruption to its users. This update enhances the Galileo Control Segment responsible for managing the constellation of orbiting satellites.
By Inside GNSS
For applications that require accurate UTC timing, the options are pretty limited. Yes, GPS provides timing, but it has its vulnerabilities. Iridium STL is the only other option with global coverage, but it has its drawbacks, too, as it’s restricted to L1 and can’t be leveraged for every application.
By Renee Knight
Adtran has announced that a leading Canadian hydropower producer is using its Oscilloquartz grandmaster device combined with its optical cesium atomic clock to achieve new levels of precision, reliability and resilience in its power grid synchronization network.
By Inside GNSS
Researchers from the Royal Observatory in Belgium, SYRTE in Paris, the Université Côte d’Azur and the European Space Agency (ESA) have published their findings on the “bounds on transient variations of fundamental constants, with typical timescales ranging from minutes to months, using clocks in space.”
By Inside GNSS
In a move to fortify Sweden’s national infrastructure against emerging digital threats, Netnod is implementing Adtran’s coreSync OSA 3300-HP, an optical pumping cesium atomic clock technology. This strategic upgrade aims to enhance the precision and reliability of timing services vital to the nation’s economy, spanning sectors from finance to next-generation telecommunications like 5G.
By Inside GNSS
The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) has taken a significant leap forward in enhancing the United Kingdom’s capabilities in the development of time-critical technologies. Marking the inauguration of the first of three innovation nodes, this initiative is aimed at sectors such as transport, telecommunications, fintech, and quantum with the application of accurate and precise timing.
By Inside GNSS
Vodafone Turkey has integrated Adtran’s Oscilloquartz optical cesium atomic clock technology into its national network. This move aims to enhance the resilience of network synchronization against disruptions in GNSS signals, a crucial step as the company progresses towards the implementation of 5G services.
By Inside GNSS
JILA, established by NIST and the University of Colorado Boulder, has played a pivotal role in advancing precision timekeeping through optical atomic clocks. These devices achieve extraordinary time measurement accuracy by utilizing the fundamental properties of atoms. Despite their advancements, the precision of these clocks is limited by quantum projection noise (QPN), arising from the quantum nature of the atoms.
By Inside GNSS
Two recent government reports have labelled Satelles’ Satellite Time and Location (STL) as a reliable source of resilient timing for critical infrastructure.
By Inside GNSS
Locata Corporation and Ursa Navigation Solutions, Inc. (UrsaNav) announced a technology partnership aimed at providing resilient PNT solutions to national governmental and commercial interests globally. Combining Locata’s high-accuracy local-area and UrsaNav’s very wide-area PNT produces a solution which lessens dependency on easily disrupted and increasingly vulnerable space-based signals, according to the two.
By Inside GNSS
