Global Navigation Satellite Systems Engineering, Policy, and Design
Solar flare viewed January 23, 2012. NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory image.Although it was billed as the strongest for the past eight years and coincided nicely with the American Meteorological Society (AMS) annual meeting in New Oreans, this week’s solar storm apparently had a limited effect on GPS receivers and users.
By Inside GNSS
In an effort to improve constellation sustainment, on or about Feb. 1, 2012, SVN-49 will resume transmitting an L-band signal using PRN24 as a test asset, according to the U.S. Air Force Space Command. Upon completion of the test event, SVN-49 will once again be decommissioned from active service. PRN24 will then once again be available for future satellite service.
By Inside GNSS
The U.S. Air Force has awarded Lockheed Martin a $238 million contract for production of the third and fourth satellites in the next-generation GPS constellation, known as GPS III. The acquisition of the next two GPS IIIA satellites at one time will allow the Lockheed Martin-led team to maximize efficiencies in satellite manufacturing.
By Inside GNSS
GPS III satellite. Lockheed Martin illustrationThe U.S. Air Force has awarded Lockheed Martin a $21.5-million contract to provide a launch and checkout capability (LCC) to command and control all GPS III satellites from launch through early on-orbit testing.
By Inside GNSS
[Updated January 3, 2012] China released a long-awaited “test version” interface control document (ICD) for its Compass (BeiDou-2) GNSS system today (December 27, 2011). The 11-page publication covers its open B1 civil signal centered at 1561.098 MHz.
By Inside GNSS
The European Space Agency (ESA) has reported its first successful reception of triple-frequency signals from a Galileo in-orbit validation (IOV) spacecraft.
The weekend of December 17 all Galileo signals were activated simultaneously for the first time across the European GNSS system’s three spectral bands, known as E1 (1559–1592 MHz), E5 (1164–1215 MHz), and E6 (1.215–1.300 MHz). The accompanying graphic displays the signals spectral profile.
By Inside GNSS
GPS III pathfinder satellite testbed. Lockheed Martin photoThe Lockheed Martin team developing the U.S. Air Force’s next-generation GPS satellites (GPS Block III) has delivered the program’s pathfinder spacecraft to the company’s Denver, Colorado–area facility.
The program remains on schedule for a 2014 launch of the first Block III space vehicle (SV).
By Inside GNSS
The PRN 11E5b autocorrelation function as monitored by TAS-I receiver (x axis represents chip spacing y, time in seconds).[Updated December 14, 2011] Today (December 12, 2011), the first of two Galileo IOV satellites launched October 21 began transmitting its payload signals.
Researchers at several European organizations have reported initial acquisition and tracking results of the E1 signals from the Galileo-ProtoFlight Model (PFM) satellite (previously incorrectly identified as Flight Model-2), also identified by its pseudorandom noise code (PRN 11).
By Inside GNSS
Paul Weissenberg of the European Commission’s Enterprise and Industry directorateAfter years of arduous political navigation filled with delays and disappointments, Europe’s GNSS programs appear to have found firmer ground as it heads into a crucial deployment phase.
Today (November 30, 2011), the European Commission (EC) proposed a €7 billion (US$9.41 billion) allocation for Galileo and EGNOS in the European Union’s next budget cycle (2014–2020) and delegation of the programs “exploitation” to the European GNSS Agency (GSA) and the systems’ deployment, to the European Space Agency (ESA).
By Inside GNSS
Russia launched a single GLONASS-M satellite into orbit on Monday (November 28, 2011) from the Plesetsk space center north of Moscow.
This is the fifth and the last launch of a GLONASS satellite this year, according to the Russian Federal Space Agency.
Typically, Russia launches three of the modernized satellites at a time on Proton rockets, including three GLONASS-Ms sent up November 4 from Baikonur, Kazahkstan, and placed in orbital plane 1. Monday’s launch used the smaller Soyuz rocket to place the satellite into plane 3.
By Inside GNSS
Europe’s first two Galileo satellites have reached their final operating orbits, opening the way for activating and testing their navigation payloads.
Marking the formal end of their launch and early operations phase (LEOP), on November 3, control of the satellites was passed from the CNES French space agency center in Toulouse to the Galileo Control Center (GCC) in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany.
By Inside GNSS
Russia launched a Proton-M rocket carrying three GLONASS-M satellites from the Baikonur space center at November 4 after a 24-hour delay due to technical reasons, a spokesman for the Federal Space Agency Roscosmos said.
This was first launch of a Proton-M rocket with GLONASS satellites from Baikonur since a failed attempt last December. That led to the dismissal of several top officials in the space agency and industry and the appointment of Vladimir Popovkin to head the space agency.
Proton-M rocket on launch pad at Kazakhstan, cosmodrome. Roscosmos photo.Russia launched a Proton-M rocket carrying three GLONASS-M satellites from the Baikonur space center at 16:51 Moscow time [12:51 GMT] on Friday (November 4, 2011) after a 24-hour delay due to technical reasons, a spokesman for the Federal Space Agency Roscosmos said.
By Inside GNSS
