GNSS (all systems)

March 6, 2009

Munich Summit Highlights Satellite Navigation Plans, GNSS Program Struggles

Paul Verhoef, European Commission (left), and Yin Jun, China Ministry of Science and Technology


Highlights of the 2009 Munich Satellite Navigation Summit (March 3- 5):
Russia will place its first CDMA signal on the GLONASS L3 frequency that overlaps the European Galileo E5b spectrum; China plans to launch three Compass satellites this year and seven more next year to provide a regional capability for Compass/Beidou, followed by completion of the full 30-MEO, 5-GEO constellation after 2015 and before 2020; Galileo program discussions revealed tensions around negotiations with China about a frequency overlay of Compass signals on the security-oriented Public Regulated Service as well as the question of whether the costs to build Galileo can be kept within the €3.4-billion limit agreed by the European Council and the European Parliament; the GPS Block IIR-20(M) satellite with an L5 demonstration payload will be launched later this month in what may be the program’s last chance to secure primary GPS access to the frequency.

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By Inside GNSS
February 24, 2009

GNSS Vulnerabilities and Solutions Conference 2009

The 2009 GNSS conference will focus on problems and vulnerabilities, and in particular, on developments aiming to improve the accuracy and reliability of the various GNSSes. It will take place on the resort island of Krk during the Adriatic high season.

Two special sessions will be organised in order to address particular causes of GNSS vulnerabilities: Space Weather and Ionospheric Effects on GNSS, and Safety Critical Applications (concerning primarily the ITS).

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By Inside GNSS
February 13, 2009

Satellite Collision Raises Issue of Similar GNSS Risks

GPS Orbital Decay. Aerospace Corporation

The February 10 collision of an active Iridium satellite and a defunct Russian military communications satellite underlines a concern raised recently at the International Committee on GNSS (ICG) about the need to include coordination of space vehicle (SV) operations.

In comments during a session of Working Group A (compatibility and interoperability) during the ICG’s recent meeting in Pasadena, California, Professor Grigory Stupak of the Russian Institute for Space Device Engineering (RISDE), noted that Russia’s “position is that compatibility includes more than just signals,” among other things, “the sharing of orbits and disposal of satellites.”

Similar concerns have been expressed in recent years by organizations that have studied the possibility of GNSS satellites, particularly those that have been “parked” in disposal or graveyard orbits, to drift and possibly collide with one another.

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By Glen Gibbons
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January 27, 2009

NovAtel Names New CEO

Michael Ritter, NovAtel President & CEO

NovAtel, Inc., announced today (January 27) that it has named Michael Ritter as the company’s new president and CEO.

Ritter succeeds Jon Ladd, who will take on a new strategic advisory role with NovAtel’s parent company, Hexagon AB, of Sweden. A provider of core GNSS technology, including GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo receivers mostly in high-precision OEM form factors, NovAtel is based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

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By Inside GNSS
January 25, 2009

GNSS Providers Working Group to Discuss Compatibility, Interoperability

Munich Residenz in Germany, site of the ICG meeting.

The International Committee on GNSS (ICG) working group on compatibility and interoperability will meet March 2 and 3 at “der Residenz” in Munich, Germany.

The meeting, which takes place immediately before the Munich Satellite Navigation Summit 2009, follows on the most recent gathering of the full ICG and Providers Forum in Pasadena, California, last month. (Presentations from that meeting can be found here.) The Munich discussions will focus on compatibility and interoperability issues and system/service characteristics, such as current and planned signals, system time and geodetic reference frame standards, performance standards and actual system performance, service provision policies, and deployment and operation timetables.

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By Glen Gibbons
January 12, 2009

NavTech GPS Tutorials (held before ION GNSS 2009)

A series of GNSS tutorials and seminars will be held on Monday, September 21 and Tuesday, September 22, before the Institute of Navigation conference, ION GNSS 2009.

NavTechGPS will offer full and half day sessions at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. The full list will be available spring 2009. For the list of tutorials offered at the 2008 ION GNSS, go to the website below, or call the company for information.

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By Inside GNSS
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INTERGEO 2009

INTERGEO is a massive annual conference and trade show held in different cities in Germany each year. It covers geodesy, geoinformation and land management, particularly for the municipal IT sector.

The theme is "Knowledge and Action for Planet Earth."It will be held at Karlsruhe Trade Fair and Exhibition Center (Messe Karlsruhe) from September 22-24, 2009.

This year, it will also be a forum for ten start-up companies and the Open Source Park, highlighting open source GIS software innovations.

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By Inside GNSS
November 25, 2008

OnPOZ Precision Positioning Releases new GNSS Post-Processor with GLONASS Compatibility

OnPOZ Precision Positioning, a VGI Solutions division, has announced its new EZSurv GNSS Post-Processing version that offers full compatibility with GLONASS satellite signals.

According to the Montreal, Quebec, Canada–based company, EZSurv is compatible with most of the raw GNSS data formats on the market. The software computes high-accuracy geodetic results, enabling seamless data postprocessing among different brands of GNSS receivers and as a companion software for high-precision GNSS OEM receivers.

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By Glen Gibbons
September 29, 2008

ION 2009 Technical Meeting covers GNSS for developing countries: Abstracts due October 3

Abstracts for the Institute of Navigation’s 2009 International Technical Meeting (ITM) are due on October 3, 2008. Final manuscripts are due by January 5, 2009. Find out more online at the ION website, or email abstracts@ion.org.

The theme of this winter’s meeting is "GNSS Technology: A Path to Sustainable Economic and Social Benefits for Developing Countries."

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By Inside GNSS
September 25, 2008

Indra Team Begins Future EGNOS Study

Spain’s leading IT company, Indra, has begun a €1.5 million, 18-month project for the European Space Agency (ESA) to study the feasibility and definition of the European Geostationary Overlay Service (EGNOS) looking ahead towards a future multiconstellation regional system (MRS).

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By Glen Gibbons
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