Global Navigation Satellite Systems Engineering, Policy, and Design
GINA On-Board Unit (OBU)For at least the past two decades, managing traffic on Europe’s road networks has been a growing concern for European policy makers and citizens alike. While demand for transport has consistently increased over the years, Europe’s road network capacity has failed to keep pace, leading to increasing levels of congestion and pollution.
By Inside GNSS
Six GNSS business, technical and applications experts will judge the USA Challenge, North America’s first regional foray into the the 7-year old European Satellite Navigation Competition (Galileo Masters). The ESNC has become a worldwide race to see who can develop the most innovative applications ideas using GPS, GLONASS, Galileo or EGNOS, Compass/Beidou 2 or any of the regional and augmentation systems.
By Inside GNSS
Interoperability in a world of multiple global navigation satellite systems—everybody talks about it, but not much has been done about it in practice. The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) hopes to change that with a five-year campaign demonstrating the benefits and opportunities of maximizing the use of the more than 100 GNSS space vehicles that will be operating over the Asia-Oceania region in the next decade. (See accompanying satellite-visibility graphic).
By Inside GNSS
Stanford GNSS Monitor Station AntennaInitial analyses by researchers in the United States and Germany of the transmissions from the first GPS Block IIF satellite indicate generally strong and healthy signals, although the some aspects of the new L5 signal are drawing close attention.
The researchers’ efforts will be reported in two articles in the July/August issue of Inside GNSS magazine.
By Inside GNSS
For the complete story, including figures, graphs, and images, please download the PDF of the article, above.
Evolution of GNSS into a global system of multiple systems opens up a new world of aviation applications, improving such factors as integrity, accuracy, and availability of positioning.
By Inside GNSS
For the complete story, including figures, graphs, and images, please download the PDF of the article, above.
By Inside GNSS
With the launch of the Delta IV rocket on May 27 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station the first satellite (space vehicle number 62 or SVN62) of the latest GPS generation Block IIF (F, for “follow-on”) was carried into earth orbit — a major step with roots in the past.
Eight years ago in August 2002 the United States decided in coordination with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU-R) to transmit a new civil signal on a third frequency known as L5.
By Inside GNSS
Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) ConceptThe Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) accelerated its move toward a Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) with contracts awarded to Boeing, General Dynamics and ITT on May 26 and performance requirements for aircraft tracking equipment announced May 28.
NextGen, to be completed by 2025, will rely heavily upon GNSS to increase capacity, efficiency, and safety in the National Air Space (NAS) while reducing adverse environmental effects.
By Inside GNSS
A Boeing technician works on a GPS IIF satellites moving through the “pulse line” at the company’s Satellite Development Center in El Segundo, California. Boeing photo (UPDATED May 25) The next launch attempt of the first GPS IIF space vehicle (SV1) has been tentatively set at Cape Canaveral for Thursday, May 27, when the launch window will be 11-11:19 p.m. EDT.
Originally scheduled for May 20, the launch was delayed several times. The fourth launch attempt was scrubbed Sunday night.
By Inside GNSS
GPS IIF-SVN1: Still Waiting. United Launch Alliance photoThe third time wasn’t the charm for an attempted first launch of a GPS follow-on (Block IIF) generation of satellites.
Problems with ground support equipment and then with the telemetry signal between the spacecraft and the ground equipment have delayed initial launch of the new-generation satellite three times in the last four days.
Originally scheduled for May 20, the launch was postponed again on May 21 and May 23. Mission controllers hope to get the IIF off the ground on May 24.
By Inside GNSS
An informal discussion at the 2009 GNSS summer schoolOnline registration is open for the fourth International Summer School on Global Navigation Satellite systems. The 10-day course will take place at the GPS Center at Aalborg University in Slettestrand, Denmark from Wednesday afternoon, September 1 through Saturday morning, September 11.
Held for the first two years at University FAF Munich, it now takes place in Denmark with two new lead sponsors, the European Space Agency and Nokia.
By Inside GNSS
ISRO GSAT-4 satelliteIndia’s first GPS/SBAS payload, the GAGAN (GPS-Aided Geo-Augmented Navigation system) transmitter on the GSAT-4 geostationary satellite, disappeared into the Bay of Bengal on April 15 when its ill-fated GSLV-D3 launch vehicle veered off course.
The Indian Space Research Organization’s GSAT-4 satellite carried a communication payload of multi-beam Ka-band pipe and regenerative transponder and a navigation payload in C, L1 and L5 bands.
A key part of India’s GPS augmentation plan, the failure will further delay civil aviation modernization.
By Inside GNSS
Today’s (April 13) release of an updated “Galileo Open Service Signal-In-Space Interface Control Document” (OS SIS ICD) freed the key specification document in two senses of the word: receiver manufacturers, application developers and service providers may now use the ICD as an official — not draft — guide to their work, and they may do so at no cost
The t’s have been crossed and the i’s dotted to the satisfaction of lawyers and politicians — and the relief of designers and system integrators eager to begin work on Galileo-capable products without fear of having substantive changes in the specifications and legal or financial difficulties for moving ahead.
By Inside GNSS
