Global Navigation Satellite Systems Engineering, Policy, and Design
One of the more popular sessions in recent years at the annual ION GNSS+ technical meeting is the panel discussion on a variety of satellite-based navigation systems, and it appears as if Chinese officials will have plenty of updates on its BeiDou navigation and positioning system to share.
By Stan Goff
With Europe’s Galileo constellation in space now expanded to 26 navigation satellites – and Galileo Initial Services available to users worldwide – the infrastructure on the ground that controls them is undergoing a corresponding expansion.
By Inside GNSS
Today, high-precision GNSS technology is integrating with autopilot for guidance and control solutions for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) to deliver new and expanding capabilities all the time.
By Stan Goff
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
The European GNSS Agency (GSA) and the H2020 Space NCP Network COSMOS2020 are organizing a Horizon 2020 International Space Information Day and Brokerage Event at the GSA’s Prague headquarters on October 11-12, 2018.
By Inside GNSS
The Korea Research Institute of Ships and Oceans Engineering (KRISO) has awarded UrsaNav, through its agent, Dong Kang M-Tech, a contract to supply an eLoran Transmitter TestBed System in the Republic of Korea. UrsaNav, the exclusive, worldwide distributor of Nautel’s NL Series transmitters, will provide eLoran transmitter technology, as well as timing and control equipment.
By Inside GNSS
The Institute of Navigation (ION) has announced that nominations for ION Fellows and Annual Awards are now being accepted. The ION Annual Award Program recognizes individuals making significant contributions or demonstrating outstanding performance relating to the art and science of positioning, navigation and timing.
By Inside GNSS
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
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
With Wednesday’s successful Ariane 5 launch of four more Galileo satellites, the Galileo constellation grew to 26 satellites, extending the global coverage of the constellation.
By Stan Goff
The European Space Agency (ESA) has launched a new initiative to
support space-based enhancements to Europe’s railway network.
Space4Rail will highlight
ESA funding programs that could support the use of GNSS in rail applications
while raising awareness of the added value that space systems can deliver.
GNSS is already being employed within the rail network to monitor
trains and check the integrity of rail infrastructure, and ESA, as a research
and development agency, has various programs dedicated to supporting such
activities.
Space4Rail has been set up as a one-stop shop for the rail industry
to learn about the agency and facilitate the submission of proposals for
partnerships. ESA offers financial and technical support to projects –
including access to its specialists and agency laboratories – while acting as a
broker between the space industry, the railway industry, and service providers.
ESA is already contributing to the Next Generation Train Control
(NGTC) project through a satellite expert group, providing technical expertise
on integrating satnav into future railway signaling systems.
Coordinated by the European rail manufacturing industry association
UNIFE and supported through the European Commission’s Seventh Framework Program,
NGTC is a consortium made up of the main rail system signaling suppliers,
together with mainline operators and infrastructure managers as well as urban
rail operators.
One example of such ESA-aided efforts is the 3InSat (Train
Integrated Safety Satellite System) project on a regional railway in Sardinia
(Italy), co-funded within the framework of the ESA´s ARTES 20 program. Led by
Ansaldo STS, the 3InSat team is developing and validating satellite-based
services compatible with the European Railway Traffic Management System
(ERTMS).
In September, a series of tests iwill validate the GNSS-based
location services that will eventually be integrated into the telecommunication
network.
The European-wide standard for train control and command systems,
ERTMS, has been promoted by the European Union to ensure cross-border
interoperability and simplify procurement of signaling equipment. Since 2004,
ERTMS has been deployed not only on an increasing number of European rail lines
but also on railways in other parts of the world as well, such as in China and
New Zealand.
Introducing satellite navigation and communications into ERTMS has
been a significant challenge due to the stringent safety requirements with
which railway signaling systems must comply. Once the approach is validated, however,
space-based systems could play an important role in making rail transport safer
and expanding the market opportunities for ERTMS.
The two main components of standard ERTMS implementations are the
European Train Control System (ETCS), a standard for in-cab train control, and
GSM-R, which is a GSM-based mobile communications standard for railway
operators. Up to now, trains using ERTMS determine their location by means
of balises, electronic beacons
or transponders, which are placed along a railway every 500–1,500 meters. This
information is transmitted via a dedicated GSM-R terrestrial network to rail
traffic control centers, which use the same network to transmit route data,
recommended speeds and other information to train operators, taking into
account the proximity of other trains.
The ESA/JRC International Summer School on GNSS is hosted this year by Austria from July 16-27, 2018 in Loipersdorf, Austria. It is in cooperation with Stanford University in the United States, the Institut Supérieur de l’Aeronautique et de l’Espace ISAE-SUPAERO in Toulouse, France, Graz University of Technology in Austria and the University FAF Munich in Germany.
By Inside GNSS
The connected car is a reality, as are robotics playing a critical role in just about every industry in which they’ve been deployed. To ensure safe and effective operation, it is essential to have the ability to test, enhance and optimize connected and autonomous vehicle systems.
By Stan Goff
