Global Navigation Satellite Systems Engineering, Policy, and Design
Russia is showing ever-stronger signs of a serious intention of not merely restoring its GNSS system, GLONASS, but of turning it into a true dual-use system with a presence in civil and commercial markets.
By Inside GNSS
The 14-year (and counting) history of Europe’s Galileo program has always made for a complex story line.
And it’s not getting any simpler.
Among the latest complications: the transition of responsibilities from the Galileo Joint Undertaking (GJU) to a new GNSS Supervisory Authority (GSA, also referred to as the Galileo Supervisory Authority), further extension of negotiations over a long-term concession contract to operate Galileo, and growing pressure from commercial companies to allow them to sell Galileo technology that they have developed or want to develop.
By Inside GNSS
China has confirmed what many have been expecting for some time: it will construct the world’s fourth GNSS system — joining the systems operated by the United States, Russia, and Europe.
By Inside GNSS
As the clock runs out on the Galileo Joint Undertaking (GJU) that has guided the institutional development of the European GNSS program for the past four years, negotiators from the GJU and a consortium seeking to build and operate the system are nearing completion of a “head of terms” agreement.
By Inside GNSS
The GPS Block IIF program continues to lose ground, with first launch of a satellite now projected as no sooner than May 2008 and as late as January 2009 in a “worst case,” scenario, according to the U.S. Air Force. Program costs are also increasing.
By Inside GNSS
Within weeks of a bilateral working group’s recommendation for a common civil GNSS signal design, the European Galileo and U.S. GPS programs have filed draft interface specifications (IS) or interface control documents (ICDs) for the new signals planned for the L1 frequency (around 1575 MHZ).
By Inside GNSS
Russia gave a Christmas gift to the GNSS world with its launch of three GLONASS satellites, including two modernized GLONASS-M spacecraft, on December 25 2005.
By Inside GNSS
Civil GPS users now have a second full signal available to them — albeit on only one satellite and “at the user’s own risk” — courtesy of the first modernized Block IIR (IIR- 14M) spacecraft launched last September. And the world’s geodetic community is already moving to take advantage of it with announcement of an addendum to the receiver autonomous exchange (RINEX) format used to combine high-precision position data from different types of GPS receivers.
By Inside GNSS
European Space Agency (ESA) and Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd.(SSTL) operators have completed the on-orbit preparations and activated the navigation payload for GIOVE-A, the first Galileo satellite launched December 28.
By Inside GNSS
