Global Navigation Satellite Systems Engineering, Policy, and Design
The U.S. Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin the GPS Control Segment Sustainment II (GCS II) contract to continue to sustain and further modernize the Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite constellation’s ground control system through 2025. This is the follow-on contract to Lockheed Martin’s current GCS contract awarded in 2013.
By Inside GNSS
Smartphones are seemingly omnipresent in our everyday lives. But new usage suggests that these mighty miniature devices can utilize crowd sourcing to defeat GPS jamming. For the latest on this critical topic, make sure to register for this 90-minute webinar on January 22 that will explore and compare the potential and current limitations of using smartphone density, ease of deployment and signal utility against the capabilities of dedicated networks.
By Inside GNSS
Veteran journalist, consultant and educator Abe Peck has joined Autonomous Media as Executive Editor of Inside Unmanned Systems and Inside GNSS. The magazines cover autonomous vehicles from ground to air to sea, and the satellite navigation that empowers them.
By Inside GNSS
Manassas, Virginia, January 8, 2019–Due to the extended impasse between U.S. Congressional leaders and the White House that has created a partial U.S. government shutdown, the Institute of Navigation (ION) has decided to postpone the Cognizant Autonomous Systems for Safety Critical Applications (CASSCA) Conference scheduled to take place January 28-29, 2019 at the Hyatt Regency Reston in Reston, Virginia.
By Inside GNSS
An Israeli firm is introducing a technology to detect the spoofing of GPS and other satellite navigation signals that is packaged into a device so small it can be integrated into existing receivers for drones, ships and autonomous vehicles — and, soon, maybe even cell phones.
By Dee Ann Divis
Though 2019 is brand new there are a host of GPS-related issues carrying over from 2018. This is one in a series of stories on satellite navigation issues on the table as the new year gets underway.
Virginia-based Ligado Networks and its predecessor firm LightSquared have been pushing since 2011 to change the rules governing how its spectrum can be used — a move essential to building a ground-based communications network that navigation experts insist will interfere with GPS receivers.
By Dee Ann Divis
At approximately 12,550 miles (20,200 kilometers) up … turn left. You have arrived at a new era for the Global Positioning System (GPS).
A major milestone in the U.S. Air Force’s plan to bring new technology and capabilities to the GPS constellation, the first Lockheed Martin-built GPS III satellite began “talking” with engineers and operators from ground control, as planned, following its successful launch Sunday morning.
By Inside GNSS
The Federal Communications Commission — after a multi-agency process that started in October 2013 — approved on November 15 of this year a request from the European Union that Galileo signals be allowed to be received in the United States.
By Dee Ann Divis
UPDATE: According to SpaceX, the launch has been pushed back a second time. Initially the company had not selected a new launch date, but on Dec. 20 they stated that the new date was to be Dec. 22.
Here are some details from the SpaceX website published on Dec. 20:
SpaceX is now targeting December 22nd for launch of the United States Air Force’s first Global Positioning System III space vehicle (SV) from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. Weather is 80% favorable for the launch window which opens at 8:55 a.m. EST, 13:55 UTC.
For this mission, the satellite will be deployed to medium Earth orbit approximately 1 hour and 56 minutes after liftoff. Due to mission requirements, SpaceX will not attempt to land Falcon 9’s first stage after launch. You can watch the live launch webcast, starting about 15 minutes before liftoff.
By Inside GNSS
The Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Standards (ATIS) sent a letter to multiple government officials at the end of last month asking them to “…mitigate the impacts of GPS vulnerability to the public.”
By Inside GNSS
U.S. small satellite launch company Rocket Lab has launched its third orbital mission of 2018, successfully deploying satellites to orbit for NASA. The mission, designated Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa)-19 , took place just over a month after Rocket Lab’s last successful orbital launch, “It’s Business Time.” Rocket Lab has launched a total of 24 satellites to orbit in 2018.
By Inside GNSS
It’s hard to believe — with all of the developments that have taken place just this past year alone involving Galileo — that this week marks two years since the launch of Galileo Initial Services.
By Inside GNSS