In 2011 the European GNSS Agency (GSA) awarded GMV the EEGS2 project (EGNOS Extension to Eastern Europe). The main objective of the project is to demonstrate through flight trials the benefits of the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) in areas of Eastern Europe where it is not yet available, such as Poland, Romania, Ukraine, Moldova and Russia, and to prepare the civil aviation authorities and air navigation service providers for future use of the system.

GMV’s magicSBAS solution.

In the context of this project, after the tests conducted in Spain, the maiden flights have been successfully carried out in Moldova, using the equipment and tools developed by GMV. The Moldova demonstrations have given pilots and service providers a clear idea of the potential benefits of EGNOS and the flying procedures of the near future, GMV said.

Four flights had previously been conducted in Spain in November, December and February. The satisfactory results of these flights then paved the way for the demonstrations in Moldova.

The magicLPV system, developed under this project, enables LPV approaches (localizer performance with vertical guidance) to be carried out using the signal generated by the magicSBAS application. This test environment allows any region of the world to analyze the air-navigation benefits to be obtained with deployment of a Space Based Augmentation System (SBAS). This signal is read by Internet and transmitted by radio frequency in the vicinity of the airport, allowing LPV approaches to be made in places where SBAS is either completely unavailable or available only on a very limited basis.

Eight flights in all were carried out in various Moldovan airports, including Chișinău International Airport. Test results were highly satisfactory, demonstrating the simplicity of equipment configuration and operation, and the performance of the magicSBAS signal, GMV said.

“These trials are an important milestone for GMV, for the project and, fundamentally, for the use of EGNOS in the countries of Eastern Europe in the near future,” said Miguel Romay, executive director of GNSS–Aerospace.

GMV will continue with these demonstrations in other countries of Eastern Europe. The next trip in two weeks will be to Romania, where new flights are expected to be just as successful.

ION GNSS+ 2013 is the 26^th International Technical Meeting of the ION Satellite Division and the world’s largest technical meeting and showcase of GNSS technology, products and services.

ION GNSS+ brings together international leaders in GNSS and related positioning, navigation and timing fields to present new research, introduce new technologies, update current policy, demonstrate products and exchange ideas. The addition of “+” to the conference name reflects the growing emphasis on GNSS and the rapidly evolving field of alternative navigation methods.

This year’s conference will feature pre-conference tutorials September 16-17, policy and panel discussions, commercial and applications oriented sessions, and more than 250 technical papers on a diverse array of topics including:

• Advanced Inertial Sensing and Applications
• Advances in Military GNSS Systems and Applications
• Algorithms and Methods
• Alternatives and Backups to GNSS
• Aviation Applications
• Clock/Timing and Scientific Applications
• Emerging GNSS (Galileo, COMPASS, QZSS, IRNSS) (both a Panel Discussion and a technical session)
• Future PNT and Its Applications
• Geodesy, Surveying and RTK for Civil Applications
• GNSS Algorithms and Methods
• GNSS and the Atmosphere
• GNSS Compatibility, Interoperability, and Interchangeability
• GNSS Ground Based Augmentation Systems (GBAS)
• GNSS Simulation and Testing
• GNSS Space Based Augmentation Systems (SBAS)
• GNSS-MEMS Integration
• GNSS Program Updates (Panel Discussion)
• GPS and GLONASS Modernization
• High Integrity Systems (Panel Discussion)
• Indoor Navigation and Timing
• Interference and Spectrum Issues
• IP Policies Related to GNSS (Panel Discussion)
• Land Based Applications
• Marine Navigation and Applications
• Multi-Constellation/Portable Navigation Devices
• Multi-Sensor and Integrated Navigation in GNSS-Challenged Environments
• New Products and Commercial Services (both a Panel Discussion and a commercial applications oriented session)
• Next Generation GNSS Integrity
• Non Traditional PNT Applications
• Portable Navigation Devices
• Precise Point Positioning
• Receiver/Antenna Technology
• Remote Sensing with GNSS and Integrated Systems
• Safety Critical Applications
• Software Receivers
• Space Applications
• Standalone GNSS Services in Challenging Environments
• Timing and Scientific Applications
• Unmanned GNSS (Panel Discussion)
• Urban Navigation Technology

New this year will be two For Official Use Only (FOUO) U.S. only sessions: Multi-Sensor Integrated Navigation and Networked-Related Navigation. These sessions are sponsored by the ION’s Military Division and The MITRE Corporation.

The next GPS satellite launch is scheduled for May 15 with the launch window extending from 21:39 to 21:58 UTC. An Atlas 5 rocket will be used to place the satellite, GPS IIF-4, into orbit from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

This is the first time in almost 28 years that an Atlas rocket will be used to launch a GPS satellite. All of the prototype or Block I satellites were orbited with Atlas rockets. Since then, Delta rockets have been used exclusively for GPS launches. The IIF satellites are being launched with a mixture of Atlas and Delta rockets.

The IIF-4 satellite, also known as SVN66, will operate as PRN27. SVN66/PRN27 will eventually occupy the C-2 slot, replacing SVN33/PRN03, a Block IIA satellite launched in 1996. Reportedly, SVN66/PRN27 will go through an extended period of testing following launch, and is not expected to be set healthy until August. SVN33 will become a reserve or backup satellite.

Ground Stations: ER = Eastern Range; BOSS = Call sign of New Hampshire Station, New Boston Air Force Station, New Hampshire; LION = call sign of Telemetry & Command Station, Royal Air Force Oakhanger, Hampshire, U.K.; Diego Garcia = Diego Garcia Station (call sign REEF), British Indian Ocean Territory; Guam = Guam Tracking Station (call sign GUAM), Dededo, Guam.
TDRS: Tracking and Data Relay Satellite
MES1: Centaur first main engine start
MECO1: Centaur first main engine cutoff
MES2: Centaur second main engine start
MECO2: Centaur second main engine cutoff
At spacecraft separation, the GPS satellite’s orbit will be circular with a height of 11,047 nautical miles or 20,459 kilometers and an inclination of 55 degrees.

(Courtesy of SpaceFlight Now) This is the 45th Launch Support Squadron crew patch for the GPS 2F-4 mission, which is Boeing’s Space Vehicle (SV) #5. Each SV is a named for a navigation star and its constellation. SV-5 is named Vega, with constellation Lyra. On the patch, they are the large star and constellation in the background of space. The United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket is shown lifting the satellite from the Eastern Launch Site at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The Squadron mascot is a gator, and a lyra is a Greek harp. SSgt Thomas Hogan drew a “Toga-Gator” and Lt Ken Stuart did the patch design.

The app, called VRPETERS (Vehicle Rollover Prevention Education Training Emergency Reporting System), uses sensors and GPS capability built into smartphones that can detect rollovers. Once the app detects a rollover, it sends an automatic emergency e-mail and phone message with the coordinates of the accident location to family or emergency responders.

“The tractor is the main power source for field operations, and tractor rollover accidents have been killing people since the beginning of their use in agricultural production,” said Bulent Koc, assistant professor of agricultural systems management at MU and developer of the app. “More and more farmers are using their smartphones to monitor weather or calculate production inputs while operating machinery. Since they already have their phones with them, installing VRPETERS could help save lives.”

Data from the NIOSH show that one out of every 10 tractor operators will roll a tractor at least once. NIOSH also notes that only half of the 4.7 million tractors on U.S. farms have rollover protection. In order to minimize false alarm rollovers on the app, Koc and his research assistant Bo Liu designed a device that must be attached to the tractor. This device helps calculate the stability characteristics of the tractor and will provide a warning to the driver when the tractor approaches its rollover point.

“Many farmers think they can jump out of their tractors in the event of a rollover, but this isn’t the case usually,” Koc said. “Side rollovers can occur in just three-quarters of a second and most people need a second or more to react to an event. So, VRPETERS can benefit farmers when a rollover occurs because they often can’t reach their phones to make an emergency call.”

VRPETERS can benefit more than just farmers, as the app also can be used on construction vehicles, trucks, snowmobiles, military vehicles, riding lawnmowers and all-terrain vehicles.

In addition to the rollover device installed on tractors and other dangerous equipment, Koc and Liu designed another device that can be used with VRPETERS. This device can be installed on vehicles and can be used as a backup to stream data to a smartphone or tablet. “With this additional device, parents or fleet managers can obtain real time data on how machines are being used,” Koc said. “If the device detects improper operation, an intervention can occur before an accident happens.”

Initial testing of VRPETERS was done using a remote-controlled model tractor. Once fully tested on a standard tractor, Koc and Liu will look for an industry partner to market the app.

The new version 2.0 of the European Commission’s EGNOS SDD (Open Service Definition Document) reflects recent improvements implemented for the EGNOS service. The document shows significant improvements in the geographic coverage of the EGNOS Open Service as can be seen from the map on this site.

The update is of particular interest to receiver manufacturers, GNSS applications developers and users.

EGNOS is the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service and is the European Satellite-Based Augmentation System (SBAS) that complements the GPS system by improving the accuracy and providing integrity for the signal.

Both European businesses and citizens are benefiting from EGNOS. It can support new applications in many different sectors such as agriculture (for high-precision spraying of fertilisers) or transport (enabling automatic road-tolling or pay-per-use insurance schemes). EGNOS can also support much more precise personal navigation services, both for general and specific uses.

“A billionth of a second equals a nanosecond, a time interval far beyond our own human capacity of appreciation,” explains Marco Falcone, ESA’s Galileo System Manager.

The prediction error for the offset between Galileo System Time and UTC, expressed in nanoseconds. The UTC value available to the user via Galileo is expected to be accurate within 26 nanoseconds, but in spring 2013 it has been even better, with a prediction error in the last two months of less than five nanoseconds.

“A single lightning flash across the sky during a thunderstorm lasts about ten milliseconds, which is already 10 000 000 nanoseconds. But for high-tech applications, as well as navigation services, nanosecond accuracy is essential.”

The replacement for Greenwich Mean Time, UTC is part of all our daily lives: it is the timing used for Internet, banking and aviation standards as well as precise scientific experiments, maintained by the Paris-based Bureau International de Poids et Mesures (BIPM).

The BIPM computes UTC based on inputs from collections of atomic clocks maintained by institutions around the world, including ESA’s ESTEC technical centre in Noordwijk, the Netherlands.

‘Galileo time’ is derived independently of UTC but is being kept close to it, with a precise ‘offset’ between the two values being calculated continuously and then disseminated through Galileo’s navigation message.

Galileo, like all other satellite navigation systems, is based on the highly precise measurement of time. A receiver on the ground pinpoints its position by calculating how long signals from satellites in orbit take to reach it.

Matching the receiver and satellite clocks then multiplying the time taken by the speed of light gives the range between user and satellite, allowing the receiver to fix its own location relative to four or more satellites.

“Each navigation system has its internal reference system time used to synchronise all system clocks and maintain overall coherence,” adds Marco.

Galileo’s navigation message embedded in its signals include precise timings based on Galileo System Time, kept close to global time standard UTC with a precise offset given, accurate to at least 26 nanoseconds.

INRIM has been supporting ESA’s Galileo development since the early phases of the project. More recently INRIM has overseen the creation of a ‘Time Validation Facility’ for Galileo in collaboration with five other European time-measurement institutions: the Physikalisch Technische Bundesanstalt in Germany, the National Physics Laboratory in the UK, the Systeme de References Temps Espace/Observatoire de Paris in France, the Real Instituto y Observatorio de la Armada in Spain and Observatoire Royale de Belgique.

Galileo’s Ground Control Segment (GCS) in the Fucino Control Centre in Italy oversees Galileo navigation services and satellite payload operations.

Each day, the most precise European clocks and national time scales are compared to GST and the offset compared to UTC is estimated and provided to the Galileo Control Centre. This offset is then uploaded to the Galileo satellites for transmission in the navigation message available to users.

As explained by Patrizia Tavella from INRIM, “The UTC value available to the user via Galileo is expected to be accurate within 26 nanoseconds, but in the last two months it was even better, with a prediction error in the last two months of less than five nanoseconds.”

IN-Fusion Multi-Single-Base Processing is designed for customers who need the highest level of differential GNSS position accuracy and perform long, linear projects such as power-line corridors, long highways or stretches of coastline. During these projects, a GNSS base station network may not be available, or the geometry of the network so weak that an Applanix SmartBase solution — which uses existing reference stations to achieve high accuracy over longer distances — is not viable. In these cases, IN-Fusion Multi-Single-Base Processing allows base stations to be established along the full length of the travel path and makes optimal use of the nearest base station at all times.

Customers can now take advantage of robust tightly coupled in-fusion processing without the need to break the project up into multiple segments for each base station to attain the highest accuracy, Applanix said.

“In addition to IN-Fusion Multi-Single-Base Processing, POSPac MMS V6.2 includes new features designed to increase productivity, efficiency and ease-of-use.  The Coordinate Conversion tool included allows users to choose from a number of local reference frames for inputting base station coordinates,” said Edith Roy, Development Manager of POSPac MMS at Applanix.  “POSPac MMS Version 6.2 demonstrates our commitment to providing customers with not only the most advanced software solutions for mobile mapping applications, but also the easiest to use.”

POSPac MMS V6.2 can be purchased through Applanix’ global sales network. The software is available as an upgrade to all POSPac users currently under a maintenance contract.

Applanix AP50 GNSS-inertial system.

The Applanix AP50 GNSS-inertial system is a GNSS-inertial sensor plus inertial measurement unit (IMU) in a compact form factor. It features a high-performance precision GNSS receiver and the Applanix IN-Fusion GNSS-inertial integration technology running on a powerful, dedicated inertial engine (IE) board.

Riegl’s VQ-820-G airborne laser scanner.

On board an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the system is capable of penetrating areas that may be too dangerous for piloted aircraft or ground patrols. This can provide additional safety and security for its users.

“We really appreciate the professional and amicable cooperation with Applanix, which allows us to offer user-friendly and powerful, fully integrated solutions for dynamic data acquisition to the marketplace,” said Jürgen Nussbaum, Riegl director of international sales.

In addition, Applanix will be a Gold sponsor at Riegl LIDAR 2013, Riegl’s international user conference taking place in Vienna, Austria, June 25-27.