GNSS

ANS directorate of AAI conferred ‘Golden Peacock Award

Air Navigation Services (ANS) directorate of Airports Authority of India (AAI), has been awarded the prestigious ‘Golden Peacock Award for Innovative Product/Service for the year 2015’ by the Institute of Directors, the international body of company directors. Mr V Somasundaram, Board Member (ANS), AAI received the Award at the Award ceremony held at Dubai on 20th April 2015 from His Highness Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture, Youth and Social Development, Government of U.A.E. The award was conferred based on an assessment, by an independent jury, of the over-arching goal to continue modernizing the ANS infrastructure to meet the customer needs and manage and operate the Air Navigation Services in a safe, efficient and cost-effective manner.

Japan’s QZSS GNSS to benefit Australia

A team of Australian and Japanese researchers have tested a new satellite positioning system that will improve upon the US’ GPS system by additionally transmitting augmentation signals to improve positioning performance, ultimately boosting the productivity of Australia’s rural industries and benefitting the working and personal lives of many, particularly those living in regional and outback areas.

The system is known as the Japanese Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS). The first QZSS satellite is already in orbit. When fully deployed in 2023, the constellation will consist of seven satellites providing 24 hours coverage to the region.

The orbit configuration of these satellites will give continuous coverage at high elevation angles, providing improved satellite navigation in areas that challenge traditional GNSS satellite positioning capabilities, such as central city districts and other obstructed environments.

While intended primarily for users in Japan, the orbit design offers significant advantages to neighbouring East Asia countries, including Australia.

One of the additional augmentation signals – the L-band experimental (LEX) signal – is designed to allow high accuracy positioning in real-time through transmission of corrections for Precise Point Positioning (PPP). This additional data delivery is a critical factor in ensuring the system can provide a continuous centimetre-level positioning service. http://www.spatialsource.com.au

17th Beidou navigation satellite functions in orbit

A new-generation satellite for China’s global navigation and positioning network has entered its designed work orbit, the satellite’s developer said. Navigation equipment on the satellite was functioning and its navigation signals were being received on Earth, according to a statement by the Shanghai Engineering Center for Microsatellites (SECM). Launched on March 30, the satellite is the 17th added to China’s Beidou navigation satellite system (BDS). According to Xiangli Bin, the SECM director and chief commander for the new-generation BDS satellite program, the latest satellite will have a longer life and be more accurate than its predecessors.

The first BDS satellites was launched by China in 2000. In December 2012, the system began providing positioning, navigation, timing and short message services to users in China and parts of the Asia-Pacific region. http://news.xinhuanet.com

GLONASS stations in China, Cuba, Nicaragua, Vietnam

Russia is negotiating possible placement of land-based infrastructure for its GLONASS system with China, Cuba, Nicaragua and Vietnam, deputy head of the Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) Mikhail Khailov said. “We have already established four landbased GLONASS signal adjustment stations abroad – one in Brazil and three at year-round wintering stations in the Antarctic,” he said.

“We are in talks with four countries, namely China, Cuba, Nicaragua and Vietnam.” In his words, about 20 such facilities abroad are needed to better accuracy. Twenty more such facilities are located in Russia.

Khailov said the technological period for placing and commissioning GLONASS infrastructure facilities outside Russia was two to three years. “However this is the subject for negotiations and the issue of actual terms is open until the negotiations are over,” he said. http://in.rbth.com

Beidou to expand coverage globally by 2020

The Beidou satellite navigation system will be fully operational worldwide by 2020, said Li Jian, deputy director of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).

The system has been successfully tested in the general aviation sector, which includes all civil aviation operations other than scheduled air services, as well as by general aircraft including helicopters and private jets. http://www.wantchinatimes.com

New GLONASS stations to appear in Antarctica

New measuring stations for the GLONASS space-based satellite navigation system will be deployed in Antarctica until 2020. Scientists expect it will enable the control of more than 90 percent of satellite orbits and believe it could bring parity between Glonass and GPS.

Scientists from the Krasnoyarsk Territory and St. Petersburg plan to deploy an additional four to seven stations for the GLONASS in Antarctica by 2020 in addition to the three already operating on the continent. This will greatly improve the accuracy of the country’s navigation system.

This is not being done to enhance the consumer potential of GLONASS, stressed Yury Fateyev, a professor at Siberian Federal University. “These stations are used to set up functional additions to the GLONASS system for special applications – mainly for geodesy,” Fateyev said referring to the science of measuring and monitoring the Earth’s shape and size. “What we are now deploying in Antarctica are measuring stations for the GLONASS system itself. They take measurements to determine the parameters of satellite orbits.”

Navigine signs deal with GLONASS on indoor navigation

Leading Skolkovo IT resident Navigine is to glean its geolocation data for its indoor navigation technology from Russian provider GLONASS in a deal signed this week between the two parties. The agreement commits Navigine and GLONASS to jointly develop the Russian market for indoor navigation services.

Navigine is a platform for high-precision indoor location services using existing sensors inside smartphones and Wi-fior Bluetooth connectivity. The technology can be used anywhere from airports to shopping malls; from warehouses to hospitals, and helps with navigation, marketing, analytics, consumer behavior, and staff and vehicle tracking. https://sk.ru

Navigation cooperation between Pakistan and China

Pakistan and China has agreed to a number of partnership and cooperation initiatives, including effort to strengthen their cooperation on remote sensing and navigation technologies. The cooperation extends to applications for these technologies in communications, hydrology, geology, disaster management, port management, mineral prospection, food security, water prospection and other areas for seeking potential advantage in social and economic development. www.asmmag.com

The Ninth GPS-IIF Satellite Has Been Set to Healthy and Usable

The ninth GPS-IIF satellite, SVN-71/ PRN-26, launched on 25 March 2015, has completed its operational checkout and was set to healthy and usable Monday, 20 April, 2015. See NANU 2015028 below. This brings the number of satellites transmitting the L2C signal to 16 and those transmitting the L5 signal to 09. The next GPS-IIF satellite, IIF-10/SVN-72 is tentatively scheduled for launch 16 June 2015.