Global Navigation Satellite Systems Engineering, Policy, and Design
Representatives from the world’s GNSS system and augmentation providers spent a sun-laden week in Pasadena, California, recently, advancing aspirations for their separate enterprises while refining the basis for compatibility and interoperability among them.
By Glen Gibbons
Günter HeinThe European Space Agency (ESA) has appointed Prof. Dr. Günter Hein to serve as Head of Galileo Operations and Evolution with duties in Noordwijk, Netherlands, and Paris, France.
With an initial four-year term beginning December 1, Hein will report directly to René Oosterlinck, ESA’s director of the Galileo program and navigation-related activities (D/GAL).
By Glen Gibbons
Compass Constellation in 2010(updated 12/8/08) China plans to launch 10 Compass satellites during the next two years in order to create a regional positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) capability in the Asia-Pacific region by 2010.
By Glen Gibbons
Combined GPS + Galileo constellation. Image source: Nottingham Scientific Ltd., UKRepresentatives of the United States and the European Community (EC) meeting October 23 in Washington, D.C., reaffirmed their commitment to the 2004 cooperation agreement on Galileo and GPS in the first plenary session convened under the agreement.
By Glen Gibbons
One is tempted to paraphrase Julius Caesar, “Galileo est omnis divisa in partes tres,” because, as with any global navigation satellite system, Galileo as a whole is divided into three main parts: the political, the infrastructural, and the user application marketplace.
By Inside GNSS
The U.S. government has committed itself to maintaining the signals characteristic needed for semi-codeless GPS applications until December 31, 2020.
By Glen Gibbons
Eleven contenders have been selected to build elements of the Galileo system — the so-called fully operational capability (FOC) infrastructure.
In a September 19 announcement, the European Commission (EC) and the European Space Agency (ESA) said they had chosen the candidates out of 21 applicants in the initial phase of the procurement procedure.
Following an invitation issued July 1, interested parties submitted a “Request to participate.” Candidates were short-listed on the basis of pre-defined selection and exclusion criteria.
By Glen Gibbons
The European GNSS Supervisory Authority has awarded Logica, a UK-based IT and business services company, a framework contract for the provision of security for the Galileo program.
The framework contract will run for up to four years and will enable the GSA to procure specialist support for the analysis and definition of security aspects related to Galileo with a shortened procurement cycle. It was awarded after a competitive tender and positions Logica as the preferred supplier for Galileo security, according to the company.
By Inside GNSS
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has approved the addition of 67 billion rubles (US$2.62 billion) to the GLONASS program budget for the years 2008–11.
By Glen Gibbons
UPDATED OCTOBER 19 2008: Organizers of the third meeting of the International Committee on GNSS (ICG) scheduled for December 8–12 in Pasadena, California, are actively seeking the participation of industry and interested members of the GNSS community.
By Glen Gibbons
Tanker refueling. Northrop Grumman imageA U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) assessment that the U.S. Air Force made “significant errors” in awarding a $35 billion contract for refueling tankers to a consortium including the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company (EADS) may affect the prospects of foreign participation in development of the Galileo system.
By Glen Gibbons
Doug TaggartDouglas S. Taggart has been named president of Overlook Systems Technologies, Inc., effective June 1, 2008.
A professional engineering and technical services firm headquartered in Vienna, Virginia, Overlook has extensive experience in GPS and Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) technologies, operations ,and applications, as well as electronic warfare, space and information operations, and space control.
By Glen Gibbons
GPS manufacturers and users who employ so-called codeless and semi-codeless techniques based on exploiting the L2 carrier phase of the military P(Y)-code signals may want to comment on a new proposal to ensure that capability through 2020.
By Glen Gibbons
