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U.S. Space Force Contracts Lockheed Martin For Three More GPS IIIF Satellites

The U.S. Space Force exercised its second contract option valued at approximately $737 million for the procurement of three additional GPS III Follow On (GPS IIIF) space vehicles (SVs) from Lockheed Martin on October 22, 2021. This contract option is for GPS IIIF space vehicles 15, 16 and 17 (SV15-17).

GPS IIIF satellites build off the innovative design of Lockheed Martin’s next generation GPS III satellites (SV 01-10), which provide three times greater accuracy, up to eight times improved anti-jamming capability and increased resiliency, in addition to modernization, compared to legacy GPS satellites in today’s constellation. GPS III also adds a new L1C civil signal that is compatible with other global navigation satellite systems, such as Galileo.

“GPS IIIF satellites will add new capabilities and advanced technology to the GPS constellation, including Regional Military Protection (RMP); an upgraded Nuclear Detection Detonation System (NDS) payload; a safety-improving Search and Rescue payload; and an accuracy-enhancing Laser Retroreflector Array (LRA),” said Dave Hatch, Lockheed Martin’s GPS IIIF program management director. “The RMP capability further reinforces GPS III/IIIF as a warfighting system, providing up to 60x greater anti-jamming for our warfighters operating in contested environments.”

GPS III/IIIF support a Space Force effort to modernize the current GPS satellite constellation.

The GPS IIIF SV11-12 satellites were included in the original September 2018 GPS IIIF contract award to Lockheed Martin to build up to 22 GPS IIIF satellites. Under that contract, the government exercised the first GPS IIIF production option for SV13-14 in October 2020.

GPS IIIF SV13 and beyond will incorporate the company’s LM2100 Combat Bus, an enhanced space vehicle that provides even greater resiliency and cyber-hardening against growing threats, as well as improved spacecraft power, propulsion and electronics. This evolved bus incorporates many common components and procedures to streamline manufacturing. LM2100 Combat Bus vehicles are also capable of hosting Lockheed Martin’s Augmentation System Port Interface (ASPIN), which would allow for future on-orbit servicing and upgrade opportunities.

Today Lockheed Martin is close to finishing production on the original GPS III SV1-10 contract. GPS III SV01-05 have been launched and handed over to the Space Force for on-orbit operations. GPS III SV06-08 have been completed and placed in storage at the company’s facility waiting for the Space Force to call them up for launch. SV09 is a fully integrated space vehicle now going through final testing.

On October 26, 2021, the final GPS III satellite of the original GPS III contract – GPS III SV10 – completed an operation known as “core mate” to assemble it into a full space vehicle at Lockheed Martin’s GPS III Processing Facility. It will proceed into the vehicle testing campaign before year-end.

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Analog Devices Honored with Electronics Industry 2021 Awards

Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI) recently received four Electronics Industry 2021 Awards presented by Datateam Business Media. The awards honor the best professionals, products, projects, and companies across the electronics sector. ADI received awards in the following categories: environmental leadership, excellence in innovation  (for the ADAR3000 beam forming integrated circuit), aerospace/military/defense product of the year, and embedded solution product of the year (for the MAX78000 artificial intelligence microcontroller). It also received the “Highly Commended” distinction in the Internet of Things product of the year category.

Established in 2018, the Electronics Industry Awards annually recognize the best people, products, and business practices at the forefront of innovation. The awards winners are determined by a 50/50 weighted decision from an industry vote and a panel of expert judges to ensure the winners are selected for technical expertise and outstanding reputations.

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QGIS LTR 3.16.13 reverted to 3.16.11

Dear community,

Due to some rather severe issues in the 3.16.13 and .12 Windows MSI installers, we decided to temporarily revert back the available download to the latest release without those issues, 3.16.11. The website rebuild has been performed and you’ll see everywhere that 3.16.11 is the latest LTR. This is true for Windows only as other OS will keep delivering the latest 3.16.13.

Next Friday 19th November is the planned release date for 3.16.14 which should bring fixes to both the above mentioned issues and restore the normal release flow.

Quoting our release manager Jürgen Fischer:”Only the 3.16.13 MSI is broken (not sure if 3.16.12-2 is affected). OSGeo4W
v2 was meanwhile fixed. All other platforms are not affected at all. The next release is on Friday and will also produce a fresh MSI.”

We apologize for the inconvenience and would like to take the opportunity to remind you how much work goes into producing and maintaining the high quality product that you’ve grown to love and that this is only possible thanks to our sustaining members and volunteers. If you or your organisation is relying on QGIS, it might be a good time to consider joining QGIS’ funding effort at https://qgis.org/funding or https://github.com/sponsors/qgis/

Have a great week, cheers

Marco

Original post: https://lists.osgeo.org/pipermail/qgis-user/2021-November/050193.html


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Nyhet från QGIS, orginal inlägg

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Handheld launches new version of its ultra-rugged PDA, the NAUTIZ X9

Handheld Group, a manufacturer of rugged mobile computers, has announced a new version of its NAUTIZ X9 PDA: an ultra-rugged enterprise handheld built for fieldwork in the most challenging outdoor and industrial environments.

With an upgraded platform, the Nautiz X9 Android rugged handheld runs Android 11 and is Android Enterprise Recommended (AER). The device, which has a sturdy magnesium casing, is targeted for mobile computing and data collection in industrial and field applications.

The Nautiz X9 ultra-rugged PDA offers:

  • MIL-STD 810G ruggedness for drops, vibrations, humidity, and broad operating temperature
  • IP67 rating for waterproof, dust-tight performance
  • a sunlight-readable 5-inch multi-touch display with glove and rain mode
  • a high speed 8-core MediaTek processor with 3 GB RAM and 32 GB storage
  • the Android 11 operating system with GMS
  • 4G/LTE, dual band 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac wireless LAN, low-energy 5.0 BT and NFC
  • built-in GPS/GLONASS/Galileo capabilities as standard
  • dual cameras including 13-megapixel rear-facing, and 5-megapixel front-facing
  • optional high-quality, high-speed 2D imager
  • multiple enterprise-focused accessories
  • maxGo software to quickly apply custom settings to larger deployments

The new version of the Nautiz X9 is expected to start shipping this month.

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Honeywell Launches New Resilient Navigation Systems

Honeywell has launched two new resilient navigation systems: the Honeywell Compact Inertial Navigation System and Honeywell Radar Velocity System. These systems, jointly with GPSdome, an anti-jamming system developed by Honeywell’s partner InfiniDome, are designed for commercial and military customers needing reliable navigation solutions that are small and light and have a low power consumption. The systems will provide multiple layers of protection that allow continued operations even in GNSS-challenged or denied environments.

Honeywell’s philosophy of resilient navigation revolves around multiple layers of resiliency achieved by a combination of GNSS anti-jamming, inertial navigation and alternative navigation systems.

The GPSdome is a small add-on device that provides the first layer of protection against GNSS jamming attempts, ensuring continuity of operation during low-power jamming conditions and the ability to achieve the crucial first GPS lock even in GPS-challenged environments. The device is compatible with any off-the-shelf GNSS receiver and antenna. Honeywell signed a collaboration agreement with infiniDome in August to jointly develop and deliver GPS signal protection systems.

The new Honeywell Compact Inertial Navigation System is about the size of a deck of cards and uses tactical-grade inertial sensors to provide accurate position information to commercial and military customers. This second layer of resiliency provides the ability to navigate during shorter GNSS outages. This is especially useful in urban canyons where GNSS availability is intermittent or in strong jamming environments where anti-jamming systems are not enough.

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Australian professor Peter Teunissen recognized as first in two research fields

Peter Teunissen, senior professor at Curtin University, was named as Australia’s top researcher in two fields — geophysics and radar, positioning and navigation — by The Australian’s 2021 Research Magazine.” Teunissen, who has seen the field of satellite technology expand at a phenomenal rate over the past few decades, said that dependence on GNSS has penetrated all levels of society. “The timing systems we are using for computers, the synchronization of timing – that’s all linked to GNSS,” he says. “All those satellites are equipped with the most accurate atomic clocks. We are all now dependent on those GNSS systems.”

Teunissen moved to Australia more than a decade ago from The Netherlands and was awarded an Australian Research Council Federation Fellowship. He specializes in interferometric GNSS, the use of satellite signals for the high precision measurement of the parameters of water and land masses; has been associated with Curtin University since 2009; and is now an award-winning and internationally-recognized expert in the field of satellite technology.

“Cubesat” mini-satellites increasingly deployed by universities and corporations have also caught Teunissen’s attention, who calls them “the future for increasing the number of satellites and constellations.”

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PNT Advisory Board to Meet Dec. 9-10

After several delays, the first GPS III satellite has successfully deployed from the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, which launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 8:51 a.m. EST on Dec. 23. (Photo: Lockheed Martin)

(Photo: Lockheed Martin)

The U.S. President’s National Space-based Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) Advisory Board will meet on December 9 and 10 at the Sheraton Pentagon City Hotel in Arlington, VA, according to a post on the group’s website.

The meeting is open to the public. Interested parties are encouraged to attend.

The agenda, while still not finalized, is expected to include a full day public meeting on Thursday,  December 9, and a half day on Friday, December 10.

Previous in-person meetings have included program updates from government departments and briefings on cutting edge government and industry projects on the first day. The second day normally sees updates from international representatives and open discussion of current issues among the board members.

The Advisory Board’s size is expected to increase at this meeting with three previous members leaving and nine newly appointed members being added.

A formal announcement of the meeting is expected in the Federal Register on Monday, November 15. Confirmation of the new membership roster is expected at about the same time.

The PNT Advisory Board was established in 2004 by National Presidential Security Directive 39, “U.S. Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Policy.” It operates under the rules of the Federal Advisory Committee Act and is tasked with providing advice “… on U.S. PNT policy, planning, program management, and funding profiles in relation to the current state of national and international space-based PNT services.”

The Advisory Board has regularly advised the government on all aspects of space-based PNT, including the need for a holistic “PTA” approach – “Protect” signals, “Toughen” user equipment, and “Augment” services with alternative PNT sources.

This will be the first in-person meeting of the board since November 2019. A virtual meeting was held in July 2020.

After the conclusion of the government Advisory Board meeting on Friday, December 10, the non-profit Resilient Navigation and Timing Foundation will hold its annual membership meeting and lunch at the same venue.

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Collins Aerospace’s multi-mode receiver now on Airbus planes

The Airbus A350 can now be equipped with the Collins Aerospace GLU-2100 multi-mode receiver. (Photo: pablorebo1984/iStock/Getty Images Plus/Getty Images)

The Airbus A350 can now be equipped with the Collins Aerospace GLU-2100 multi-mode receiver. (Photo: pablorebo1984/iStock/Getty Images Plus/Getty Images)

The Collins Aerospace GLU-2100 multi-mode receiver (MMR) has received approval by Airbus, making it available as line-fit and retrofit on Airbus A320, A330 and A350 aircraft. This a major step toward Collins offering next-generation GNSS to the commercial aviation marketplace.

An MMR assists pilots in positioning, navigating and landing an aircraft. Building on the GNSS capabilities of previous MMRs, the GLU-2100 provides a satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS) and ground-based augmentation system (GBAS). This supports the integrity of the aircraft position, as well as the accuracy and availability of demanding aircraft operations such as landing in low visibility conditions.

The GLU-2100 MMR ensures that commercial aircraft can meet flight zone global mandates, while also proofing the technology by providing a solid foundation for future growth. It includes the flexible hardware baseline necessary to implement future GNSS capabilities, such as multi-frequency and multi-constellation (MFMC), and GBAS Category II/III via software-only update.

Acquisition of FlightAware tracking platform

In August, Collins Aerospace signed a definitive agreement to acquire privately held FlightAware, a digital aviation company providing global flight-tracking solutions, predictive technology, analytics and decision-making tools.

Closure of the acquisition is subject to the completion of customary conditions and regulatory approvals. Following closing, FlightAware will join Collins’ Information Management Services portfolio within the company’s Avionics strategic business unit. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Based in Houston, Texas, with approximately 130 employees, FlightAware was founded in 2005 and is a provider of real-time and historical flight information and insights to the global aviation community. FlightAware serves all segments of the aviation marketplace through applications and data services that provide comprehensive information about the current and predicted movement of aircraft.

Through the collection, interpretation and enrichment of hundreds of sources of data, FlightAware transforms millions of raw flight data elements and delivers them as coherent, easy-to-consume flight stories. The company has a proprietary terrestrial ADS-B network with tens of thousands of receivers spanning seven continents in 200 countries and territories.

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Fugro launches uncrewed surface vessels in the Netherlands

The Blue Essence USV Orca. (Photo: Fugro)

The Blue Essence USV Orca. (Photo: Fugro)

Fugro’s Blue Essence, an offshore certified uncrewed surface vessel (USV) with an electric remotely operated vehicle (eROV), will begin its first project in the Netherlands.

The vessel is controlled from an onshore remote operations center (ROC) via a satellite connection. It will be used for the inspection of offshore assets, construction support services, and hydrographic and geophysical surveys.

USVs play an important role in the future of the maritime sector by improving safety, reducing carbon emissions, and delivering data more efficiently. USV operations remove personnel from high-risk offshore environments to an onshore ROC and reduce carbon footprint by 95 % when compared to traditional survey methods. Cloud-based data processing allows near real-time data delivery, leading to faster and more informed decision making.

“We welcome this special vessel in our port. It’s the first time a remotely controlled uncrewed vessel will go to the North Sea from the port of Rotterdam to carry out a project without any personnel on board,” said René de Vries, Harbour Master of the Rotterdam Port Authority. “We are proud that this project will be executed safely due to the careful preparation of all parties involved. We expect the development of digitalization in the shipping sector will improve the safety and accessibility of the Rotterdam port.”

Since 2020, Fugro has been deploying its Blue Shadow USV fleet for medium- to large-scale hydrographic survey applications. Fugro’s first Blue Essence has completed its first remote inspection, in Asia Pacific.

“I am excited that we now also have this newest generation of USVs available for European clients,” said Erik-Jan Bijvank, group director Europe and Africa at Fugro. “Over the coming years, Fugro will further expand its fleet of USVs for safer, more sustainable solutions for marine operations.”

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Trimble scholarship honors ‘hidden figure’ Gladys West

Trimble has established a scholarship program to honor Gladys West, a pioneer in mathematics, minority advancement and the advent of the Global Positioning System  — one of the most widely used innovations throughout the world.

Gladys West. (Photo: Trimble)

Gladys West. (Photo: Trimble)

Supported by the Trimble Foundation, a donor-advised fund, the Dr. West scholarship program will enable Virginia State University, North Carolina A&T State University and Florida International University to award a four-year scholarship to one student each year. These universities were carefully chosen to reflect Dr. West as a woman of color and science, and to align with two of the Trimble Foundation’s key support pillars:  female education and empowerment and diversity, equity and inclusion.

Known today as the hidden figure who helped invent GPS, West knew from a young age that education would be the key to moving forward from her family farm in rural Virginia. A scholarship recipient herself, she earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in mathematics.

She was offered a position in 1956 with Virginia’s Naval Proving Ground — now called the Naval Surface Warfare Center. Hired as a mathematician, she was one of only four African American employees at the time and only the second woman of color.

With her intelligence and computational skills recognized, she quickly climbed the ranks and became project manager for the Seasat radar altimetry project in the 1960s. Knowledge gained through that work enabled her to program an IBM computer to calculate an accurate geodetic Earth model — the detailed mathematical model of the shape of the Earth that is the essential building block for GPS.

That tenacity, talent and enterprising fortitude encapsulates the spirit of Trimble’s scholarship program designed to honor West’s contributions to science and the geospatial industry.

“It’s fitting to announce this special scholarship program following West’s 91st birthday,” said Rob Painter, Trimble CEO, “a woman who helped pave the path to GPS — the technology that was not only core for Trimble’s early business but provided the catalyst to create the geospatial industry. This path to innovation has given us the tools to not only navigate and model our world, but to transform work in our lives every day. Just as West viewed education as the pathway for the future, we are excited by the opportunity to support a new generation of stars to help them pursue their educational journey.”

“We must appreciate our past, learn in the present and prepare those behind us for the future,” West said. “We must encourage our youth to pursue a higher level education so that they will be equipped to change the world. We must be willing to use our talents and strengths to work for the betterment of the world.”

Virginia State University — West’s alma mater and a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) — will award the Dr. Gladys West “Constellation” Scholarship from Trimble to a student in the College of Engineering and Technology. The VSU scholarship is also being matched by an anonymous donor.

North Carolina A&T State University — a top-ranked public HBCU — will award the Dr. Gladys West HBCU Scholarship from Trimble to a student in the College of Engineering.

Florida International University — a minority-serving institution — will award the Dr. Gladys West Trimble Technology Lab Scholarship to a first-generation student in the College of Engineering & Computing. The scholarship is also being matched. FIU is the home to the recently established Trimble Technology Lab, which provides students hands-on access to Trimble technologies within the Moss Department of Construction Management.