GPS System Integration Design and Test

Col. Dave Madden Joins GPS World Webinar July 30

2009-07-16T04:00:00Z

Colonel Dave Madden, GPS Wing Commander at the Space and Missile Systems Center at Los Angeles Air Force Base, will appear with GPS World contributing editor for military and government, Don Jewell, on the magazine's online webinar, July 30. Interested parties may sign up to participate via this website.

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Euros for Your Thoughts

2009-07-14T04:00:00Z

The European Satellite Navigation Competition seeks commercially viable application ideas for satellite navigation. Have an idea? Register at www.galileo-masters.eu before July 31 to win prizes worth an aggregate 500,000 euros. First overall prize is 20,000 euros for the the Galileo Master.

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Cause Identified for Pseudorange Error from New GPS Satellite SVN49

2009-07-13T04:00:00Z

The GPS Wing and its contractors have traced the cause of pseudorange errors on L1 and L2 broadcast by the newest GPS satellite, SVN49, to the manner in which the L5 signal demonstration payload was added to the satellite. Signal leakage between the two input ports of the antenna coupler network for the satellite's array of 12 helical antenna elements, reflected from the L5 filter and...

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Dirt Four

2009-07-07T04:00:00Z

Further musings on things in the air: NextGen, NowGen, the FAA, WAAS, and airport approaches.

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Pascal Campagne of Galileo Services

2009-07-02T04:00:00Z

The founder and coordinator of the Organization of European GNSS Equipment and Service Industries (OREGIN) talks about why that organization has combined with Galileo Services, and the benefits the newly-merged organization offers to both SMEs and large companies.

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The System: Can GLONASS Alleviate GAO Malaise?

2009-07-01T04:00:00Z

The current GPS constellation of 30+ satellites provides a high level of availability, reliability, and accuracy to users. Centimeter-level accuracy requires the use of carrier-phase measurements and the resolution of associated integer ambiguities; success is a function of the number of satellites and their geometry and duration of observations. Given that the use of additional...

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Expert Advice: All Rise, GPS Entering the Court

2009-07-01T04:00:00Z

In the litigious society that we have become, it is not surprising to see GPS as a regular fixture in many civil and criminal proceedings in our nation?s courts. A new and growing outlet for the legal profession, it has also engaged many of the older GPS pioneers who, instead of just retiring, have found a relatively lucrative way to spend their free time. They now form the cadre of...

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Out in Front: Next Is the New Now

2009-07-01T04:00:00Z

The Atlantic Interoperability Initiative to Reduce Emissions (AIRE), conducted jointly by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the European Commission, and several airlines, plans to demonstrate how GPS technology can cut flight times and reduce fuel use by thousands of pounds per longhaul flight. A green ticket, some call it.

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Letters to the Editor

2009-07-01T04:00:00Z

DAGR and GAO Furors

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Air Force Polls Receiver Makers for Solutions to Satellite Problems

2009-06-30T04:00:00Z

The U.S. Air Force GPS Wing seeks comments from receiver manufacturers regarding the SVN-49 signal anomaly and the Air Force’s proposed solution. The Air Force has been investigating the cause and effects of signal distortions, observed as an elevation-dependent bias in ranging measurements, from the GPS IIR-20(M) spacecraft launched on March 24, 2009 and not yet set...

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NovAtel to Supply Next-Gen WAAS Reference Receiver

2009-06-25T04:00:00Z

GNSS OEM manufacturer NovAtel Inc. received a $9.7 million contract from the FAA to develop the next-generation WAAS reference receiver, the GIII.

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Dirt Three

2009-06-24T04:00:00Z

We should all take a quiet moment to reflect on what we have wrought upon society, and in so doing, upon ourselves.

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Today Russia, Tomorrow the World!

2009-06-24T04:00:00Z

We have something for everyone except Compass devotees in this issue. GLONASS looks stronger by the minute, having reached full operational capability over Russian territory. Correlatively, also growing stronger is the capability for users worldwide to fill current or impending GPS gaps with GLONASS satellites. The European Commission appears to have Galileo matters firmly in hand,...

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ESA Inks for Four Launches, Long-lead Hardware

2009-06-24T04:00:00Z

The European Space Agency signed two contracts for the procurement of so-called long-lead items for Galileo satellites, with Astrium GmbH and OHB Systems.

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Analyses of a Drop in GPS Satellite Numbers

2009-06-22T04:00:00Z

Professor Richard Langley of the University of New Brunswick (also GPS World Innovation editor) has done several analyses to see how the use of GLONASS satellites could help compensate for a potential reduction in the number of available GPS satellites. These studies came in response to a warning from the U.S. Government Accountability Office about the potential drop in the number of...

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The SVN-49 Story: What Went Wrong, How It Got Found, and Fixed

2009-06-19T04:00:00Z

During a very reassuring teleconference today with Colonel David Madden (GPSW/CC) and Colonel David Buckman (AFSPC - GPS Command Lead), we learned the true story of exactly what happened to SVN-49 , aka IIR-20(M), launched March 24, and why it has not been set to a healthy status. This teleconference should put an end to all the speculation concerning SVN-49 and its future status. In...

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Latest GPS Satellite Early Orbit Checkout Extended

2009-06-17T04:00:00Z

The U.S. Air Force is investigating the cause and effects of signal distortions observed from the GPS IIR-20(M) spacecraft launched on March 24, 2009. Routine early orbit checkout procedures determined that GPS IIR-20(M) signals were inconsistent with the performance of other GPS IIR-M satellites. The signal distortion was initially observed as an elevation-dependent bias in ranging...

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Coast Guard Directed to Maintain and Upgrade Loran

2009-06-16T04:00:00Z

The U.S. Senate, in a Coast Guard Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 2010 and 2011 currently before the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, directs the Secretary of Transportation to maintain the current Loran-C navigation system and prepare for modernization to eLoran, and authorizes $37 million per year for 2010 and 2011 towards that purpose. Similar action is also...

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Resource for Comparing Precise Point Positioning (PPP) Solutions

2009-06-11T04:00:00Z

GNSS researchers at the University of New Brunswick, Canada, have created a Precise Point Positioning (PPP) Software Centre website to offer an easy means of comparing solutions from online PPP applications. Users are invited to send a RINEX observation file that will be simultaneously processed by three online PPP applications:

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UN ICG Seeks Presenters for Fourth Meeting

2009-06-05T04:00:00Z

Preparations are underway for the fourth meeting of the United Nations International Committee on GNSS in September, and the workshop is looking for contact with receiver manufacturers, software application companies, scientists, or educators that would be willing to make a presentation to the group.

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In the Dirt Two

2009-06-04T04:00:00Z

The GAO Report returns to burn.

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GAO Report: The Long Form

2009-06-04T04:00:00Z

A much longer version than previously reported by this website of the U.S. Government's General Accounting Office report on GPS health is available online. This 61-page PDF, compared to the 15-page digest that we have previously pointed to, contains the same conclusions and recommendations, stemming from the same analysis, but includes further key supporting figures and more extensive...

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Wide Awake in the Dirt

2009-06-03T04:00:00Z

GNSS thoughts while digging in the garden.

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Clarification of Parkinson Remarks on Block IIF

2009-06-03T04:00:00Z

Dr. Brad Parkinson, speaking from the Joint Navigation Conference, emphasized that he is “a strong supporter of GPS IIF continuing for the first 12 vehicles.”

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Innovation: L5 Signal First Light

2009-06-01T04:00:00Z

Great excitement surrounds the activation of a new transmitter from a satellite — an occasion dubbed first light. Research groups around the globe joined the GPS Wing in monitoring and analyzing the first L5 signals from space. We describe the equipment and procedures used to capture and analyze SVN49's signals and give an assessment of their characteristics.

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Pulling in Wideband

2009-06-01T04:00:00Z

A direct-conversion receiver architecture meets the challenges of wideband GNSS signals, such as Galileo's E5 signal with bandwidth greater than 50 MHz.

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Mikel Miller: ION Attends the ENC

2009-06-01T04:00:00Z

ION President Mikel Miller describes the GNSS view from Naples and talks about ION's Mini-Urban Challenge.

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The System: GPS Health in Question

2009-06-01T04:00:00Z

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued on May 7 an alarming report on GPS, characterizing ongoing modernization efforts as shaky. PLUS: Problems Aboard IIR(M)-20; LORAN Report Sees Daylight

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Out in Front: But Enough about Me

2009-06-01T04:00:00Z

Let us hear from you readers of print or digital editions, website users, e-newsletter subscribers, webinar attendees, linkers-in, RSS feeders, twitterers, Tech Talk bloggers. What do you think of the information conveyed through GPS World?s multiple channels? What new, different, or simply more of the same would you like to see?

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Russia to Launch Two GLONASS Correction Relay Satellites

2009-05-29T04:00:00Z

According to an Interfax news item, the Russians will launch two multipurpose relay satellites in 2010-2011, which will carry payloads for providing GLONASS correction data.

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ESA Offers Third International Summer School on GNSS

2009-05-28T04:00:00Z

Following on the heels of two previous successful summer schools in September 2007 and July 2008, the third International Summer School on Global Navigation Satellite Systems: A Worldwide Utility will be held July 20-30, 2009, in the GATE test area, Berchtesgaden, Germany.

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Block IIF: Follow-on, or Failure?

2009-05-27T04:00:00Z

A few short weeks ago, the U.S. GPS program had its posterior firmly planted in the catbird seat. Government spokespeople in international fora looked on benignly as European, Chinese, and Russian GNSS programs struggled to resolve their issues and meet their heady challenges. All was well with the world. A new GPS satellite launched, a segment of radio-frequency spectrum secured for...

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Parkinson Prescribes Remedy for GAO Report Alarm

2009-05-26T04:00:00Z

Brad Parkinson, the first GPS Program Office director, chief architect and advocate for GPS, submitted written testimony to Congress on mitigation options for possible GPS brownouts. His presentation comes in reference to the recent GAO report highlighting the risk that the GPS constellation may fall below the minimum level of 24 satellites required for full operational capability. In...

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Air Force Space Command Committed to GPS Health

2009-05-21T04:00:00Z

The U.S Air Force and Air Force Space Command (AFSPC) have been the diligent stewards of GPS since its conception in the 1970s and continue its commitment to this critical component of our National Infrastructure, stated the agencies today in a press release from Peterson Air Force Base.

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Lockheed Martin GPS III Team Completes Design Review Phase

2009-05-21T04:00:00Z

The Lockheed Martin team developing the U.S. Air Force's next-generation GPS spacecraft, known as GPS III, has successfully completed the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) phase, a major program milestone that allows the team to begin the Critical Design Review (CDR) stage.

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Galileo Services and OREGIN Join Forces

2009-05-21T04:00:00Z

Galileo Services Association is joining forces with OREGIN, the ORganisation of European GNSS equipment and service INdustry, a European network of GNSS industries.

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Calling the Real Race in GNSS

2009-05-21T04:00:00Z

Andrew Sage, a director of UK-based transport consultancy Helios, delivered a presentation at the European Navigation Conference entitled: The race to be the partner of choice for GPS.

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Air Force GPS Expert to Twitter on GAO Report

2009-05-20T04:00:00Z

The U.S. Air Force Space Command’s subject-matter expert on the GPS program will Twitter on the command’s site, www.twitter.com, from 2 to 3 p.m. MT, in response to the recent Government Accountability Office report on the GPS program.

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Wide Awake in the Air

2009-05-15T04:00:00Z

Post-conference recaps from the ENC, on the wing high above Greenland. Subjects: Loran; the real race in GNSS

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GPS at Risk: Doomsday 2010

2009-05-12T04:00:00Z

The United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued on May 7 an alarming report on the future of GPS, characterizing ongoing modernization efforts as shaky. The agency appears to single out the IIF program as the weak link between current stability and ensured future capability, calling into doubt "whether the Air Force will be able to acquire new satellites in time to...

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Independent Assessment Team (IAT) Summary of Initial Findings on eLoran

2009-05-12T04:00:00Z

Independent Assessment Team (IAT) Summary of Initial Findings on eLoran

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Loran Study Finally Unleashed: Says Keep It, Best Option

2009-05-12T04:00:00Z

Withheld from the public for two years, since its completion in March 2007, the Independent Assessment Team (IAT) report has been let out of detention, just in time to counter recent efforts by the Obama administration, the Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Coast Guard to throttle the program. The IAT “unanimously recommends that the U.S. government complete the...

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Wide Awake in Naples

2009-05-08T04:00:00Z

Blog-reports from the Caravaggio Hotel residents' lounge and internet cafe, evenings late after multiple events at the European Navigation Conference 2009. Subjects: software receivers; jamming; GNSS is hard work; Galileo's chamber of commerce

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NOAA Predicts Mild Solar Storm Season

2009-05-08T04:00:00Z

Although its peak is still four years away, a new active period of Earth-threatening solar storms will be the weakest since 1928, predicts an international panel of experts led by NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center and funded by NASA. Despite the prediction, Earth is still vulnerable to a severe solar storm, which can affect GPS and GNSS.

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Spirent Collaborates with U of Nottingham to Advance Multi-GNSS Technology

2009-05-07T04:00:00Z

Spirent Communications plc, provider of navigation and positioning test solutions, and the GNSS Research and Applications Centre of Excellence (GRACE), part of University of Nottingham's Institute of Engineering Surveying and Space Geodesy (IESSG), have expanded their relationship to advance the facility's satellite navigation signal test and simulation capabilities.

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New GPS Satellite's Problems Indicated

2009-05-04T04:00:00Z

The U.S. Air Force spoke briefly for the first time in public regarding signal anomalies from the IIR(M)-20 satellite launched in March.

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Out in Front: Ready, Aim, Shoot Foot

2009-05-01T04:00:00Z

The GPS community carries around a loaded weapon, seemingly unconcerned with figuring out how to put a safety on it. This is a catastrophe waiting to happen, one that could hobble the industry. Equipment to interfere with the GPS signal is readily available over the Internet.

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Global Positioning System Civil Monitoring Performance Specification document

2009-05-01T04:00:00Z

On April 30, the U.S. Department of Transportation released a Civil Monitoring Performance Specification document for GPS.

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50 GNSS Leaders to Watch

2009-05-01T04:00:00Z

Who will move the frontiers of knowledge, the industry, and user applications forward in 2009 and 2010? What strategies will they employ and what risks will they undertake? In this fourth annual special report, we gain insight from key indivduals shaping the future of GNSS, and pick five technologies to watch.

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Latest Compass Satellite Lost, then Found

2009-05-01T04:00:00Z

Launched on April 14, the second "second generation" Beidou/Compass satellite (designated Compass-G2) was initially tracked by NORAD but then "lost" when the satellite moved from its transfer orbit to a geostationary one.

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L5 Demo Payload

2009-05-01T04:00:00Z

Engineers at the GPS Wing considered the two basic factors of risk management, probability of occurrence and resultant consequences, as they initiated the L5 Demo project. Working with contractor teams, they successfully overcame obstacles to securing GPS's frequency allocation for the L5 signal, brought about by delays to the first planned L5-capable space vehicle launch.

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Department of Transportation Releases Civil Monitoring Performance Document

2009-05-01T04:00:00Z

The WAAS L5 Signal

2009-05-01T04:00:00Z

L5 signals have been continuously transmitted by a pair of satellites for the past several years. The geostationary Earth-orbiting (GEO) satellites used by the Wide Area Augmentation System to provide enhanced integrity and accuracy include not only an L1 payload but an L5 payload as well. Although the WAAS L5 signals are not yet intended for end users, can they be used now for...

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The System: L5 Arrives

2009-04-29T04:00:00Z

A new era in GPS modernization has begun. On March 24, the GPS IIR-20(M) satellite known as SVN49 rose and joined the constellation. The satellite carries a demonstration payload to transmit the new civil GPS L5 signal on 1176.45 MHz. PLUS: Witness to History; Second Compass Satellite; Septentrio Offers Live L5 Tracking

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Asia-Pacific GNSS Roundup: Where Are They Heading?

2009-04-28T04:00:00Z

Let's recap status of GLONASS, Compass, and QZSS as given in March at the Munich Satellite Navigation Summit. Only Compass has announced significant developments since then. India's IRNSS no-showed at Munich, though the director is advertised (again) on the ENC program, so perhaps something new will surface from that region.

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Sat Forum, Exhibition Combined into One Four-Day Event in Moscow

2009-04-27T04:00:00Z

The Expocentre Fairgrounds in Moscow will, for the first time, be the venue for the year’s two major satellite navigation events in Russia, held May 12-15 as part of the 2009 Navigation Systems, Technologies and Services International Congress and Exhibition Project. The 3rd International Satellite Navigation Forum 2009 will host plenary meetings and workshops bringing...

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JAVAD GNSS Customers Now Track GPS L5 Signal

2009-04-27T04:00:00Z

JAVAD GNSS has announced that its customers with JAVAD GNSS "triple-frequency" type OEM boards (TR-G2T, TR-G3T, TRE-G2T, TRE-G3T, TRE-G3TAJ) and receivers (TRIUMPH-1, Alpha TR-G2T/TR-G3T, DeltaS TRE-G2T/TRE-G3T/TRE-G3TAJ, SigmaS TRE-G2T/TRE-G3T/TRE-G3TAJ) can now track the L5 demonstration signal.

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Gunther Heinrichs Describes the Galileo Test Environment

2009-04-27T04:00:00Z

Gunther Heinrichs, head of business development at IFEN GmbH, describes capabilities and simulation projects taking place in the Galileo Test Environment.

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Thorsten Rudolph Explains the Galileo Masters

2009-04-24T04:00:00Z

The managing director of Anwendungszentrum GmbH Oberpfaffenhofen explains the European Satellite Navigation Competition 2009, also known as Galileo Masters.

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Paul Verhoef Overviews Galileo Challenges

2009-04-24T04:00:00Z

Paul Verhoef, head of unit for Galileo and Intelligent Transport; directory general for Energy and Transport, European Commission, overviews Galileo?s challenges: procurement of the seven work packages, and international relations regarding frequency bands.

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Norway Joins Galileo Project

2009-04-21T04:00:00Z

The Norwegian government has decided that Norway shall participate in the Galileo project together with the 27 members of the European Union (EU). Norway is not a member of the EU. The Norwegian participation would cost almost 600 million Norwegian kroner (USD 93 million) over five years.

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Senate Committees Support eLoran

2009-04-21T04:00:00Z

Two leading Senate committees publicly back the eLoran system and question the U.S. President's latest budget proposal. The FY 2010 Concurrent Budget Resolution releases views from the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs backing the continued support for the Loran system, acknowledging the...

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Septentrio Offers Dual-Constellation Live L5 Tracking

2009-04-20T04:00:00Z

Septentrio Satellite Navigation, based in Leuven, Belgium, states that its commercial off-the-shelf GNSS receivers are now successfully tracking the new L5 signal transmitted from GPS satellite SVN49 since turn-on April 10. Researchers and other specialists interested in evaluating and monitoring GPS and Galileo signals on two common frequencies can now perform tests with live signals...

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Septentrio Offers Dual-Constellation Live L5 Tracking

2009-04-20T04:00:00Z

China Launches Second Compass Satellite

2009-04-15T04:00:00Z

The Chinese news agency Xinhua reports the successful launch on April 14 of a second Beidou/Compass global navigation satellite, destined for geostationary orbit along the equator at an altitude of about 22,300 miles.

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Featured Video: Brad Parkinson Discusses Big Three for GPS

2009-04-14T04:00:00Z

Brad Parkinson, the first program director of the U.S. Global Positioning System, delivers his “Big Three” requirements the world deserves of GPS in particular, and all global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) in general, that are not yet adequately addressed, in a video interview viewable at www.gpsworld.com/video.

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Brad Parkinson's Big Three for GPS

2009-04-10T04:00:00Z

Dr. Brad Parkinson of Stanford delivers his "Big Three" requirements that the world deserves of GPS that are not yet adequately addressed.

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L5 GPS Signal Now Being Transmitted from IIR(M)-20 Satellite

2009-04-10T04:00:00Z

The L5 third civil signal from the IIR(M)-20 satellite launched March 24 successfully began transmitting today, as planned. The satellite is equipped with a payload designed to provide an on-orbit demonstration of the L5 signal.

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L5 Demonstration Event: Don Jewell Reports

2009-04-10T04:00:00Z

On Friday, April 10th at 04:58:18 PDT, SRI International personnel utilized the SRI-operated 150-foot diameter radio telescope antenna in the Stanford Hills to monitor a GPS signal on a new civil frequency known as L5.

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United States Air Force Successfully Transmits L5 Signal from GPS IIR-20(M) Satellite

2009-04-10T04:00:00Z

The U.S. Air Force GPS IIR-20(M) satellite successfully transmitted for the first time a GPS signal in the L5 frequency band today. L5, the third civil GPS signal, will eventually support safety-of-life applications for aviation and provide improved availability and accuracy.

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Pedro Pedreira, European GNSS Supervisory Authority

2009-04-09T04:00:00Z

At the 2009 Munich Satellite Navigation Summit, Pedreira comments on alignment of U.S. and European interests over commercialization of Galileo services

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Fotis Karamitsos, European Commission

2009-04-09T04:00:00Z

Fotis Karamitsos, Director of Maritime Transport, Galileo & Intelligent Transport, European Commission, made these comments at the 2009 Munich Satellite Navigation Summit regarding the Galileo contracts and a Galileo Lite proposal.

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White Electronic Awarded $8.6 Million in Military GPS Contracts

2009-04-09T04:00:00Z

Semiconductor maker White Electronic Designs Corporation (Phoenix, Arizona) has been awarded multiple contracts worth approximately $8.6 million for its manufacture of products used in multiple GPS platforms.

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L5 Signal Activation Anticipated for Friday

2009-04-06T04:00:00Z

The GPS Wing is anticipating that the L5 signal from the IIR(M)-20 satellite launched March 24 will begin transmitting on April 10. The satellite is equipped with a payload designed to provide an on-orbit demonstration of the L5 third civil signal.

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Innovation: Precise Point Positioning

2009-04-01T04:00:00Z

Is there a viable alternative to real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning? In this month's column, we take a look at the technique of precise point positioning (PPP). How close is PPP to prime time?

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Out in Front: Talking Heads

2009-04-01T04:00:00Z

An edict has arrived from on high: explore the use of new media to further our mission and increase our numbers, whether they count revenue, pages, or web traffic.

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SBAS Interference

2009-04-01T04:00:00Z

Some applications using data collected by fixed- or low-dynamic WAAS or other SBAS receivers may encounter a tracking error due to C/A code cross-correlation.

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Indoor Message System Evaluated

2009-04-01T04:00:00Z

The IMES indoor messaging system aims to provide seamless positioning at the room level.

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The System: Big Four Race Called from Munich

2009-04-01T04:00:00Z

A debate on the viability of Galileo's Public Regulated Service (PRS) simmered just under the surface, and twice bubbled to the top, at the Munich Satellite Navigation Summit addressing "The Worldwide Race in GNSS," March 3-5. PLUS: DAGR Extended; Jamming Trial Confirms Vulnerabilities; more

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Just-Launched IIR(M)-20 GPS Satellite Now Active

2009-03-30T04:00:00Z

The IIR(M)-20 satellite launched March 24 from Cape Canaveral is now transmitting L1/L2 GPS signals. However, the satellite has not yet been declared healthy and is not yet included in almanacs.

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GPS Wing's Work Continues after Successful Launch

2009-03-27T04:00:00Z

While many were celebrating the successful launch of the Delta II as it streaked across the Atlantic Ocean, others who were gathered in the 45th Launch Support Squadron headquarters held off until successful separation of the spacecraft from the vehicle and the all-important acquisition of signals to and from the satellite, reports the public affairs office of the GPS Wing.

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Lockheed Martin, University of Florida to Launch Tiny Satellites

2009-03-26T04:00:00Z

Lockheed Martin has partnered with the University of Florida to develop and launch five miniature satellites. The project will test new technologies, including miniaturized, space-hardened GPS electronics and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities.

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Pardon Me, Boy, Is That the Galileo Choo Choo?

2009-03-25T04:00:00Z

The Galileo train is coaled up and inching out of the station. Many of the passengers have piled onboard, with their considerable luggage. At least one, however, still stands at the ticket window, quibbling over the fare. And down the track a ways, a busy party of laborers has started throwing a large pile of timbers across the tracks.

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IIR-20(M) Satellite with L5 Civil Signal Successfully Launched

2009-03-24T04:00:00Z

A Lockheed Martin-built modernized Global Positioning System Block IIR (GPS IIR-M) satellite, equipped with an innovative payload that will provide an on-orbit demonstration of the L5 third civil signal, was successfully launched today from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.

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Launch Set Tuesday for GPS Satellite with L5 Civil Signal Demo

2009-03-23T04:00:00Z

A U.S. Air Force/Lockheed Martin team is gearing up to launch a modernized Global Positioning System Block IIR (GPS IIR-M) satellite, which includes a demonstration payload that will transmit a new third civil signal, known as L5. This spacecraft is set for launch aboard a Delta II rocket on March 24, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.

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Analytical Graphics Provides Nav Developer Blog

2009-03-22T04:00:00Z

The AGI Navigation Developer blog provides GPS constellation status and related information along with discussions of orbital analysis and visualization with reference to Analytical Graphics, Inc. products and services.

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Delta II GPS IIR-20 Launch Scheduled for March 24

2009-03-19T04:00:00Z

The launch of a NAVSTAR GPS IIR-20(M) satellite aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket is scheduled for Tuesday.

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Peter Grognard, Septentrio N***** President and CEO

2009-03-19T04:00:00Z

Peter Grognard talks about Septentrio's involvement in the G****** program, including t****ing of *****-A and *****-B s******.

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ITT Awards Symmetricom Timing Contract for GPS III

2009-03-17T04:00:00Z

Symmetricom, Inc. has been awarded a contract from ITT Corporation Space Systems Division valued at a minimum of $4 million, part of the building of GPS IIIA, the next-generation GPS Space System program.

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GLONASS Changes Operating Frequencies on Four Satellites

2009-03-13T04:00:00Z

With no apparent advance notice or explanation, on March 11 GLONASS authorities changed the operating frequency channels of two pairs of antipodal satellites.

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Lockheed Martin GPS III Team on Schedule in Design Review Stage

2009-03-09T04:00:00Z

The Lockheed Martin team developing GPS III is progressing on-schedule, achieving key milestones in the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) phase with the U.S. Air Force.

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The System: U.S. RadioNav Plan Waffles on Back-Up

2009-03-01T05:00:00Z

The U.S. National Executive Committee for Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) posted on its website the 2008 edition of the Federal Radionavigation Plan, official source of radionavigation policy and planning for the federal government, prepared jointly by the departments of Defense (DoD), Homeland Security (DHS) and Transportation (DOT).

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Expert Advice: Keep up the Pace

2009-03-01T05:00:00Z

In recent years, GPS has made a strong impact on the running community. Wrist-top GPS-equipped running computers tell runners not only their current pace, but also provide trajectory, speed, distance traveled, and a host of other scrutable statistics. The combination of position and speed anywhere at anytime brings obvious advantages to the throng of runners.

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Leadership Talks: Growing Galileo by Chips and Apps

2009-03-01T05:00:00Z

The Growing Galileo Conference, sponsored by the European GNSS Supervisory Authority in Brussels on January 27-28, marked the official roll-out of the FP7 Second Call for Galileo exploratory applications — and 40 million euros of available funding. Industry experts gave their views on the GNSS business climate, related success using GPS, and looked ahead to sat nav market...

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Out in Front: It's the PNT, Mr. President

2009-03-01T05:00:00Z

The editor writes a letter to the nation's chief executive, pointing out flaws in the Federal Radionavigation Plan inherited from the previous administration, and suggesting paths to improve GPS policy and stimulate the economy.

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Innovation: Comb Filtering

2009-03-01T05:00:00Z

In the electronic world, we are often faced with noisy signals. We can reduce an undesirable component in a signal, analog or digital, by using a filter. A special type of filter — the comb filter — can be used where the desired signal or the noise has equally spaced frequency components. Could comb filters in GNSS receivers enhance acquisition and tracking of...

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Lucky Number Five

2009-02-24T05:00:00Z

L5 will be a very attractive signal in a few (or maybe several) years, when the number of signals in space ratchets up to a useful number.

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GNSS Interoperability Worksop to be Held by ICG

2009-02-24T05:00:00Z

On March 2-3, the working group on compatibility and interoperability of the International Committee on GNSS (ICG) will convene a workshop involving system providers, equipment manufacturers, and the user community focused on the interoperability of global and regional navigation satellite systems and satellite-based augmentations from the user?s perspective.

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U.S. RadioNav Plan Waffles on Back-Up

2009-02-23T05:00:00Z

The 2008 edition of the Federal Radionavigation Plan betrays an unwillingness reportedly on the part of DHS to provide backup to GPS in the form of enhanced Loran, or eLoran.

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GeoEye-1 Attains Full Operational Capability Certification from NGA

2009-02-23T05:00:00Z

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) has notified GeoEye that imagery from the GeoEye-1 satellite has been certified as meeting the agency's requirements for quality, accuracy, and resolution. GeoEye is now delivering GeoEye-1 sub-half-meter ground resolution satellite imagery to NGA.

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