Orolia debuted the GSG-8 advanced GNSS/GPS simulator, which is powered by Skydel simulation engine, at ION GNSS+ 2019 in Miami. Watch the video to get an overview of the GSG-8, which the company says was designed to deliver the highest standard of GNSS signal testing and sensor simulation performance in an easy-to-use platform.
GPS World hosted its 2019 Leadership Awards dinner at the Kimpton Epic Hotel in downtown Miami during the ION GNSS+ conference. (Photo: GPS World)
On Sept. 19, in conjunction with the ION GNSS+ conference, GPS World hosted its annual Leadership Awards dinner. Five honorees — chosen by a panel of GNSS experts — were recognized for their outstanding recent contribution or achievement in four categories: Satellites, Signals, Services and Products.
SATELLITES AWARD: Presented by Johnathan Caldwell (left) to Mark Crews, both of Lockheed Martin. Crews accepted on behalf of Tim Hartman. (Photo: GPS World)
TIM HARTMAN: Satellites Award winner
Hartman was recognized for serving as the program manager for GPS IIRM and GPS III Space Segments. Tim’s leadership and program dedication helped support the U.S. Air Force’s decision to declare GPS III ready for launch on Oct. 17, 2017.
Sponsor: Lockheed Martin
On Aug. 22, Lockheed Martin Space celebrated the successful launch of the second of up to 32 next-generation GPS III/IIIF satellites that the U.S. Air Force contracted the company to design and build. Lockheed Martin’s commitment to positioning, navigation and timing can be found in the exemplary performance of the 18 Lockheed Martin-built GPS IIR and IIRM satellites that are a proud part of today’s 31-satellite GPS constellation. The company also is proud to support the Air Force with its continued sustainment of the current GPS Operational Control Segment.
SIGNALS AWARD: Presented by Joe Rolli of L3Harris (left) to Ramsey Faragher. (Photo: GPS World)
Focal Point Positioning’s new supercorrelator approach to indoor and urban GNSS signal processing could revolutionize smartphone-based GNSS. New signal processing methods for the correlation stage of a GNSS receiver enable several seconds of coherent integration while the receiver is undergoing dynamic motions. This improves accuracy and integrity, and provides anti-spoofing and spoofer-localization capabilities — without hardware changes or requiring access to encrypted signals.
Sponsor: L3Harris
L3Harris Technologies is an agile global aerospace and defense technology innovator, delivering end-to-end solutions that meet customers’ mission-critical needs. The company provides advanced defense and commercial technologies across air, land, sea, space and cyber domains. L3Harris has approximately $17 billion in annual revenue and 50,000 employees, with customers in 130 countries.
SERVICES AWARD: Presented by Mike Shepherd of Collins Aerospace (back) to Simon Banville (front left) and Denis Laurichesse. (Photo: GPS World)
Laurichesse and Banville demonstrated instantaneous, centimeter-level, multi-frequency precise point positioning (PPP). Their work shows PPP might become, within a few years, a practical alternative to real-time kinematic (RTK) for a wide range of applications.
Sponsor: Collins Aerospace
Collins Aerospace Systems, a unit of United Technologies Corp., is a leader in technologically advanced and intelligent solutions for the global aerospace and defense industry. Created in 2018 by bringing together UTC Aerospace Systems and Rockwell Collins, Collins Aerospace has the capabilities, comprehensive portfolio and expertise to solve customers’ toughest challenges and meet the demands of a rapidly evolving global market.
PRODUCTS AWARD: Accepted by Paul Alves (left) from presenter Jeff Martin of NovAtel. (Photo: GPS World)
Alves was recognized for his work on localization of interference sources for GNSS users leveraging the Interference Tool Kit. With the ITK, users can detect and mitigate adversarial jamming of GNSS signals, as well as unintentional interference from external sources.
Sponsor: Spirent Federal
Spirent has more than 30 years of experience delivering the world’s best test equipment. Spirent’s test solutions for GPS and GNSS, critical infrastructure SCADA vulnerabilities, Internet L3-L7 common vulnerabilities and exposures, and mobile vulnerabilities allow the world to communicate and collaborate faster. Spirent Federal Systems is a wholly owned subsidiary of Spirent Communications and was established to offer the world’s leading simulation equipment to U.S. government customers, armed services, education institutions, and prime contractors. Spirent Federal’s SimMNSA was the first to be granted Security Approval by the Global Positioning System Directorate.
PNT CHAMPS: The L3Harris team earned the most total points in all six games, and took home a trophy each. (Photo: GPS World)
After dinner, guests broke into teams to test their personal positioning, navigation and timing skills, precisely determined by their ability to toss rings and throw horseshoes under time pressure. Each team rotated through yard games such as ladder toss, ring toss, corn hole and horseshoes to prove who was the most accurate and resilient. The L3Harris team took home the first-place prize.
RAINBOW CONNECTION: Taking on giant pong are members of the rainbow bandana team, (from left) Sanjeev Gunawardena, Thomas Pany, Steffen Thoelert and André Hauschild. (Photo: GPS World)
ORGANIZED CHAOS: Wearing different-colored bandanas, teams cheer on their team members and fight for every point. (Photo: GPS World)
After all the awards were given, everyone got together for a memorable group photo. (Photo: GPS World)
A free GPS World webinar on Nov. 21 tackles a new frontier, if not the final one, for GNSS. “Developments in Space GNSS Navigation,” sponsored by NovAtel, brings together experts from NASA, ESA, NovAtel and Spire (the CubeSat company) to discuss how they’re taking GNSS capabilities beyond Earth’s boundaries.
Navigating through space has long proven to be challenge for aerospace engineers and professionals because of the complex combination of technology and cost required for success.
However, with advancements in GNSS and receiver technology, organizations and nations around the world are increasingly interested in space exploration activities.
Today, the space industry is seeing GNSS technology used in low-Earth orbit (LEO) and highly elliptical orbit scenarios.
In this webinar, speakers from NASA, ESA (the European Space Agency), NovAtel and Spire will examine emerging trends regarding the usage of GNSS technology in the space industry, including an increasing need for situational awareness while navigating through space and the ability to service satellites while in orbit.
These experts will also provide a look into their own experiences with a variety of ambitious space projects and applications.
Speakers include:
Date: Thursday, November 21, 2019
Time: 1 p.m. EST / 10 a.m. PST / 7 p.m. (1900h) Central European Time
Learn details of the webinar, or register for free.
Artist’s Illustration: Spire
Trimble Clarity features cloud integration and support for 3D point cloud, imagery and mesh model formats. (Photo: Trimble)
Trimble’s browser-based viewer Trimble Clarity is now offered as a stand-alone web application, designed to simplify the visualization and navigation of 3D data.
According to the company, Trimble Clarity enables geospatial professionals to view, use and share 3D point cloud data, models and meshes with engineers, architects, city planners and other project stakeholders via a web browser, which can be viewed on desktop and mobile devices.
The Trimble Clarity web application allows users to generate private or public web links to share project information and 3D data. It also supports data from Trimble products, such as the Trimble SX10 scanning total station, Trimble TX Series 3D scanners and Trimble MX9 mobile mapping system, as well as data from non-Trimble sources.
In addition, with the upcoming version of Trimble Business Center office software 5.20, users can publish their 3D data directly into Trimble Clarity, creating a seamless integration and workflow between both platforms. Trimble Clarity provides a visual directory, which allows users to view 3D data as location-based projects.
Trimble Clarity also features cloud integration and support for 3D point cloud, imagery and mesh model formats.
“Trimble Clarity enables users to easily share and view rich 3D point clouds without having to transfer, copy or mail large data sets,” said Tim Lemmon, marketing director of Trimble Geospatial. “By leveraging an intuitive, browser-based experience, stakeholders can easily visualize and understand project data, enabling greater collaboration and informed decision making.”
Pluggable line card enables easy transition to precise ePRTC (enhanced primary reference time clock) and PRTC-B based synchronization
Adva’s new multi-band GNSS receiver improves nanosecond timing accuracy to 5G networks (Photo: Business Wire)
Adva has launched a modular multi-band GNSS receiver for ePRTC and PRTC-B synchronization, bringing increased precision timing to 5G networks.
The new solution is engineered to overcome ionospheric delay variation that causes timing inaccuracy, enabling communication service providers (CSPs) and enterprises to deliver nanosecond precision.
Previously, this was achieved with expensive, rubidium clocks.
Installed synchronization infrastructure can be installed to increase accuracy and reliability. The multi-band, multi-constellation GNSS receiver card plugs into Adva’s OSA 5430 and OSA 5440, advanced core grandmaster clocks able to support PTP, NTP and SyncE over multiple 1Gbit/s and 10Gbit/s Ethernet interfaces.
This enables network operators to meet the requirements of the ITU’s stringent PRTC-B specifications and support advanced 5G applications.
“What we’re offering the market is an entirely new route to high-precision UTC-traceable network timing that doesn’t require significant investment. Our future-proof technology gives businesses and CSPs a way to boost synchronization performance and meet the ITU’s tight PRTC-B specifications without resorting to expensive alternatives.”
Photo: Adva
“Our new multi-band GNSS receiver is a major milestone for network synchronization. For the first time, operators can harness a solution with multi-band GNSS capabilities combined with our core devices, which can deliver line rates up to 10Gbit/s and support ePRTC levels of timing accuracy,” said Gil Biran, general manager, Oscilloquartz.
“Our modular technology offers a way to enhance equipment in the field, achieve PRTC-B levels of timing and improve the timing accuracy of ePRTC. All that’s required is a simple antenna upgrade. Then our multi-band solution can be plugged into the available slot of our OSA 5430 or OSA 5440 for the nanosecond accuracy that will be key to the services of tomorrow. And, as enhanced availability is also essential for emerging applications, the new technology features unrivalled jamming and spoofing detection capabilities combined with our centralized AI-powered GNSS assurance suite.”
Today’s launch answers the urgent demand for improved precision in GNSS-based timing. Currently, most synchronization networks rely on single-band receivers, which can only be accurate to a limited degree as delay between satellites and receivers is affected by space weather. This creates delay variations leading to time information being out of step by up to several tens of nanoseconds.
Adva’s Oscilloquartz multi-band technology receives GNSS signals in several frequency bands, enabling it to use the delay differences between them to calculate delay variation and compensate for it. This method is more cost-effective than other techniques, such as deploying GNSS receivers with a filter implemented by a costly high-stability rubidium oscillator. The OSA 5440 can utilize two multi-band cards, providing ultimate hardware redundancy.
“What we’re offering the market is an entirely new route to high-precision UTC-traceable network timing that doesn’t require significant investment. Our future-proof technology gives businesses and CSPs a way to boost synchronization performance and meet the ITU’s tight PRTC-B specifications without resorting to expensive alternatives,” commented Nir Laufer, senior director, product line management, Oscilloquartz. “Combined with our OSA 5430 and OSA 5440 core grandmasters, the technology creates a scalable, fully hardware-redundant solution. Its built-in security also guarantees the most sophisticated detection of malicious attacks. By supporting GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou and Galileo, our multi-band, multi-constellation line card offers a versatile and resilient solution for migrating from legacy to next-generation timing. Simply put, there’s no other technology available today that can match the accuracy, redundancy, capacity and price point of our core devices combined with our new multi-band GNSS cards.”
The new multi-band GNSS receiver will be officially launched this week at ITSF and can be viewed on Oscilloquartz’s stand Nov. 4-7.
A supporting solution brief is also available.
China sent a new satellite of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) into space from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province at 17:43:04.482 UTC on Nov. 4.
Launched on a Long March-3B carrier rocket, it is the 49th satellite of the BDS satellite family and the 24th satellite of the BDS-3 system.
It also marked that a total of three BDS-3 satellites have been sent into the inclined geosynchronous Earth orbit.
The launch was the 317th mission for the Long March series of carrier rockets.
The new satellites and the carrier rocket were developed by the China Academy of Space Technology and the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.
China will launch another six BDS-3 satellites to complete the BDS global network.
A new BeiDou satellite is launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China’s Sichuan Province on Nov. 5. (Photo: Liu Xu/Xinhua)
Heraclitus (Photo: NPR.org)
A famous quote applies to almost everything in our lives: “There is nothing permanent except change.”
This well-known saying is generally credited to the Greek philosopher Heraclitus (500 B.C.E.), although many historians and philosophy experts tend to agree the quote is a combination of many topics found in writings by Heraclitus.
However the quote came to be, it aptly describes the world we live in; especially now with lightspeed advancements in technology. Change is markedly evident in today’s surveying world, and almost no practitioner is exempt from revolutionary enhancements and necessary upgrades to stay current in our profession.
Photo: Trimble
The upcoming NGS 2022 datum change, triggered by advancements in positional accuracies and measurement techniques, has quietly created a groundswell of questions, concern and curiosity of how and why we are at these crossroads. In my September 2019 Survey Scene article, we discussed the background behind the necessity of the upgrade and moving toward a standardized measurement unit, (the “foot”). (For purposes of this article, let’s put aside any mention of using the meter/metric system; the U.S. went down that road in the late 1970s / early 1980s, yet crashed and burned upon implementation. I agree the meter is a more practical unit of measurement, but we need to leave that talk for another day.)
This article will be concentrating on the actual coordinate systems and how significant changes are coming for almost everyone performing surveying measurements. Yes, this means all those construction-based users of GNSS receivers and total stations performing pre-, in-progress and post- construction tasks. Our coordinate world will be turning upside down but, in this case, it will be changes for the good.
We have another philosopher to credit for the concept of coordinate geometry; he is the French scientist Rene Descartes (1596-1650) who was heavily influenced by Plato.
While he may be more well known for his famous quote “I think, therefore I am,” Descartes created what is believed to be the first graphical depiction of geometrical expressions and assigning coordinate values to the results; hence the background behind “Cartesian coordinates.” It is this coordinate system that was utilized by late 1800s/early 1900s surveyors who began using this system to create small networks within urban settings, including New York City, Cincinnati and Atlanta.
As economic expansion continued through the Great Depression and beyond, the need for larger survey networks became more evident. The first state plane coordinate system (SPCS) began in North Carolina in 1933-34 with more states quickly falling in behind them. The main force behind this effort was the U.S. Coastal & Geodetic Survey (now known as National Geodetic Survey), as they utilized many surveyors and engineers that were unemployed due to the Stock Market Crash of 1929 and Great Depression. Technology for the era was limited to theodolites and steel tapes, with most computations being based upon triangulation.
“Big Red” Geodimeter 4D (Photo: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
Positional and measurement technology remained stagnant until the 1950s and 1960s with the introduction of the electronic distance meter (EDM). Longer measurements could be made with increased accuracy and helped expand our coordinate system capabilities.
These enhancements also led to faster expansion of a nationwide highway system (championed by President Dwight Eisenhower) by simply surveying more efficiently. It is along these highway corridors that state plane coordinate systems were expanded into remote areas and used to verify fractured SPC systems created through solar and/or astronomical means. While positional values at common monuments were found to have significant differences by today’s standards, most error was distributed throughout the network.
Because of the work necessary to complete a survey using a SPCS, it was not practical for any non-governmental project to attempt tying into a known system. Fundamental use of coordinate geometry (CoGo) typically utilized a project base point with a low assumed positional value, (i.e. northing of 1,000, easting of 2,000).
Most surveyors used the same coordinate values for each project and did not have any positional relationship between their projects. While the field portion of the project took a significant amount of time to traverse and collect, the office calculations and manual drafting were also tedious and time-consuming tasks.
Prior to the introduction of the handheld calculator in the early 1970s, traverse computations were completed manually using sine/cosine/tangent tables, traverse adjustment (i.e. compass, transit and Bowditch rule) and double distance meridian (DMD) methods. Even as the programmable calculator became the computation method of choice, regularly producing survey data in SPCS was still years away.
Along with the electronic theodolite and the personal computer with computation software, the introduction of the data collector quietly revolutionized the amount of data that could be stored and efficiently plotted for surveys. But even with the increased efficiencies, there was one big drawback to utilizing this electronic data collection with SPCS; most hardware was limited to values and significant figures not acceptable to using large coordinate values. Some tried truncating SPCS values but often found the trouble not worth the effort, not to mention having projects large enough to be affected by grid-to-ground scale factors (another topic for another day).
Fast forward to the 1980s and the introduction of ultimate surveying black box, the GPS receiver. Positional accuracy through static GPS sessions was now better than ever and allowed surveyors to cover greater distances in shorter time periods. It was the implementation of the GPS receiver (and subsequent reduction in cost of entry for its use) that allowed the surveyor to embrace the state plane coordinate system more than ever. Also addressed with the new technology was the ability for the data collector to handle larger coordinate values with increased significant figures.
As RTK and subsequent RTN systems have allowed for more efficient use of GNSS technology, the surveying profession has now overwhelmed the existing monument network and exposed the deficiencies of NAD83 and our various SPCS zones nationwide. NGS has done an excellent job for many years refining and adjusting the national datums (both horizontal and vertical) by augmenting the systems with new data and “turning the screws” as deemed necessary to provide a reliable network.
The existing SPCS zones and overall NAD83 system works well but we will need to circle back to the quote in the opening paragraph: “There is nothing permanent except change.”
Research, not just completed by NGS but many other respected agencies and laboratories worldwide, has shown that our existing datums have significant flaws due to many factors. These factors include, but are not limited to, tectonic plate shifting, previous survey data that doesn’t meet today’s positional and measurement standards, and limitations in terrestrial measurements.
We are overdue for an upgrade to the national system and design of new policies and procedures has taken time and lots of hard work. NGS has created a new framework that will adapt to the changing needs of a state and/or regional authority.
But what does this mean for the surveyor, the contractor and anyone else in the geospatial world that uses state plane coordinates for the basis of data?
Image: National Geodetic Survey (Michael Dennis)
As discussed in the last article, NGS has been busy creating a new framework with a proposed implementation of 2022-2023. While NGS is creating the specifications, policies and procedures for the new system, it will be up to each state to decide if they want to keep their existing SPCS zones, change to a new scheme, and/or request that additional smaller zones be included for consideration. NGS, in keeping with existing policy, will work with each state to update their SPC definitions, but only if the state engages NGS during the setup period. Otherwise, NGS will apply the new datum specification to the existing zone(s).
For an example on how a state can revise their SPCS, let’s use Illinois and its plan to revise current zones. Illinois currently implements a two-zone system (East and West, lengthwise through the state) based upon a transverse Mercator projection.
For several years, GIS users and other agencies have discussed creating a single-zone system across the entire state for ease of use. Because of the size of the state and availability of RTN coverage to some remote areas, the realization of this new system has been on hold. Also, it is understood the distortion in data accuracy across a system this large would not be suitable for survey-grade applications.
Forward to 2019 and the NGS datum upgrade along with a substantial effort by several equipment manufacturers to install CORS stations across the state for broader RTN coverage (and the not-too-distant future rollout of 5G cellphone service). RTN coverage for mapping grade data collection is now readily available nearly everywhere in Illinois, so the potential of a single-zone system is now not far-fetched.
It should be noted that if Illinois decides to convert to a single-zone system, NGS will only recognize that system for future computations and documentation and the two-zone system will be scrapped. It will fall to each practitioner to convert their existing data and projects to the single-zone system if they choose to use it, but it will have some drawbacks due to the distortion of the larger system.
Image: National Geodetic Survey (Michael Dennis)
Enter the low distortion projection (LDP) system. Like other states, Illinois is discussing a potential LDP system containing 32-34 regions statewide for more accurate coordinate system development. These regions are being studied to concentrate on larger urban centers and areas where growth potential is predicted. Regions such as the Chicago, St. Louis and Peoria metropolitan areas are being highlighted for major LDP system use by not just surveyors but government and GIS analysts.
Having a coordinate system with less distortion and more accuracy can provide more reliable information for the survey but also provide more value for the residents and businesses. By concentrating the coordinate system on smaller areas through an LDP, surveyors will literally be using a communal network like their old calibrated or localized network systems of days past. The coordinates will still be large but the integrity of the data will be higher due to the reduced distortion of the system projection.
This system will also virtually eliminate the need to have a grid-to-ground scale factor because of the lack of distortion. So we will now have a large statewide system for mapping and smaller regional systems for accurate survey data going forward; sounds like a good plan, right?
Not to sound like a broken record, but let’s revisit the quote by Heraclitus one more time: “There is nothing permanent except change.”
Most people don’t like change, even if it is for the better. Surveyors are notoriously famous for not wanting change. Many surveyors I know would not embrace early GPS not simply due to cost, but more of not understanding how it works. They also didn’t understand how to embrace state plane coordinates and having survey data that will be compatible with their competitors. Most of those surveyors now are using it, but only because the data collectors have become more user friendly.
But why will this change be harder for most? Depending on where one is and how their state is going to adapt will affect that change. If your state is not changing any zones, they will have a -2 to +4.5-meter coordinate shift depending on where they are located. For states like Illinois and potentially changing from two zones (East and West) to a single zone and dozens of regional LDP systems, it will be a bit harder to translate all your existing survey data to the new systems if necessary.
There are several potential pitfalls in front of us if we aren’t careful. Here are a couple of scenarios to consider:
Image: National Geodetic Survey (Michael Dennis)
Major milestone dates:
These zone/LDP system changes also will be affected if your state is currently recognizing the U.S. Survey Foot and will be changing to the “foot” per my last article and ongoing NGS discussions. That change will also precipitate additional review and care for compliance of any old data to new systems.
Here’s the bottom line: We need to make this change in order to efficiently address future mapping needs and positional accuracies. Because of technology and evolution of measuring devices, we now know there are other factors that play into our coordinate systems.
As the world becomes more reliant on digital data and information, it will be critical that the right geospatial information is tied to it. There is nothing permanent except change, but change can also be for the better.
Photo: Trimble
Trimble has introduced the the R12 GNSS receiver, a high-performance GNSS surveying solution. Powered by a new real-time kinematic (RTK) and Trimble RTX positioning engine, it features Trimble ProPoint GNSS technology that empowers land surveyors to quickly measure more points in more places than previously.
Surveyors who work in challenging GNSS environments can use the Trimble R12 receiver to help reduce both the time in the field and the need for conventional techniques such as using a total station.
The new Trimble ProPoint GNSS technology allows for flexible signal management, which helps mitigate the effects of signal degradation and provides a GNSS constellation-agnostic operation.
In head-to-head testing with the Trimble R10-2 in challenging GNSS environments such as near and among trees and built environments, the Trimble R12 receiver performed more than 30 percent better across a variety of factors, including time to achieve survey precision levels, position accuracy and measurement reliability.
“As a leader in the field of GNSS technology and innovation, Trimble dedicated many years of intensive research into developing the Trimble R12,” said Ronald Bisio, senior vice president of Trimble Geospatial. “This has culminated in a first-class solution, which enables our users to extend the reach of their systems to places where other RTK GNSS systems experience degraded performance.”
Pierre Delsaux speaks at an EU breakfast on space policy . (Photo: European Union)
Responding to a suggestion about the Galileo outage this past summer to the effect of “these things happen,” a senior European Commission (EC) official pushed back strongly calling the event “unacceptable” and vowing “Never again!”
The comments by Pierre Delsaux came during a question-and-answer session at breakfast hosted by the European Union on “EU Space Policy: Trends for the Future.” The breakfast was held as a parallel event to this year’s International Astronautics Conference in Washington, D.C.
Delsaux is the European Commission Deputy Director General in charge of space and defense industries. In his presentation, Delsaux described the success of a number of European space initiatives, stressing civilian use and applications and how they have benefited the world.
His comments highlighted a principle difference between Galileo and other GNSS systems including its being built and operated by an entirely civilian organization. With an accuracy of 20 centimeters, it exceeds other GNSS, he said. Also, that Galileo signals can be authenticated and trusted.
Delsaux’s remarks were especially pertinent and timely being made this week in the United States. A strategy document recently made public by the U.S. Department of Defense states that civil dependence on GPS has limited its use as a military tool. Because of this, new military PNT technologies will be “increasingly classified,” which is understood to mean “not shared with civil users.”
During the question-and-answer period, Delsaux was asked about criticism in the press this summer related to Galileo’s multi-day outage. European media outlets commented about poor communications and a lack of transparency during the outage, and the absence of a terrestrial backup system for when space is not available.
Rejecting the idea that such outages might be expected in such a difficult undertaking, Delsaux said that the event was unacceptable and “never again!”
While admitting things can always be done better, he thought that, given what was known with certainty at the time, a reasonable amount of information was made available.
Subsequent investigation has shown that the primary cause was an initial human error compounded by that person not taking the right corrective action.
Even with these compounded errors Galileo service would still not had been impacted, but for the mischance that this happened when a backup site was temporarily out of service.
Going forward, the European Commission is committed to being as transparent as possible about the results of the investigation, given security constraints.
Reinforcing the transparency message, other EC officials mentioned separately that Galileo personnel had given presentations about the outage at a recent Institute of Navigation Conference in Miami.
Delsaux did not respond to press criticism over a lack of a backup system (the title of a Der Spiegel article about the Galileo failure translates as “Who relies on a single system is stupid!”).
Later, other EC officials observed that that the European Radionavigation Plan recognizes that for critical applications, it is broadly accepted that GNSS, even multi-constellation and multifrequency, should not be the unique source of PNT information. For those applications, a complementary, alternative or backup solution should be maintained or developed.
The EC is still developing its approach to this issue.
Photo: Nieuwland Photography/Shutterstock
Raytheon has delivered the Wide Area Augmentation System Geosynchronous Earth Orbiting 6 satellite navigation payload to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to broadcast the WAAS message, which corrects errors in GPS satellite signals, provides expanded coverage, improves accuracy and increases reliability.
The WAAS GEO 6 payload is now operational and fully integrated into the WAAS network, working with two other WAAS satellite payloads already in orbit.
The SES-15 satellite hosting Raytheon’s WAAS GEO 6 payload was launched in 2017 and completed extensive system integration in July 2019.
GEO 6 replaces an older WAAS geostationary satellite that had reached its end-of-service life.
About WAAS. Developed and installed by Raytheon for the FAA, WAAS is a North American satellite-based augmentation system that increases GPS satellite signal accuracy for precision approach at 200 feet altitude to meet strict air navigation performance and safety requirements for all classes of aircraft in all phases of flight.
WAAS contains space and ground equipment that works together to identify GPS satellite corrections.
Operational since 2003, the WAAS network consists of three geostationary satellites and 49 terrestrial-based stations dispersed across the continental U.S., as well as Alaska, Canada, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and Mexico.
“Never has a consistent and precise GPS signal been more critical to ensuring safety of flight,” said Matt Gilligan, vice president of Raytheon’s Intelligence, Information and Services business. “As the airspace increases in complexity, there is absolutely no room for error.”
To learn more about Raytheon’s portfolio of air traffic management solutions, visit here.