HydroGNSS data open for new insights into Earth’s wáter

The European Space Agency’s (ESA’s) two-satellite HydroGNSS Scout mission has completed commissioning and is now in full scientific operations.

Following extensive testing and validation of the satellites, instruments and ground segment, HydroGNSS data are now freely available to users worldwide, opening new opportunities to advance our understanding of water availability and the impacts of climate change on Earth’s water cycle.

Launched in November 2025, the HydroGNSS satellites use Global Navigation Satellite System Reflectometry (GNSS-R) to observe key hydrological variables from space.

The mission captures L-band signals transmitted by navigation satellites such as GPS and Galileo after they have reflected off Earth’s surface. By comparing these reflected signals with those received directly from the navigation satellites, HydroGNSS can derive information on soil moisture, inundation and wetlands, freeze–thaw dynamics, and aboveground biomass, helping scientists better understand the processes shaping our changing planet. www.esa.int

H3 launches navigation satellite

The H3’s upper stage deployed Michibiki 7 into its target orbit 29 minutes later, eliciting cheers from the folks in mission control.

The two-stage H3 is the successor to Japan’s workhorse H-2A rocket, which retired last year after a total of 50 flights.

The H3 — which stands 187 feet or 207 feet (57 or 63 meters) tall, depending on what type of payload fairing it employs — debuted in March 2023 and had eight liftoffs under its belt. Michibiki 7 will be part of Japan’s Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS), a homegrown navigation system that operates high above Earth in geosynchronous orbit. www.space.com

System testing against GNSS jamming by NATO

NATO’s Communications and Information Agency (NCIA), together with the Finnish Border Guard and the Finnish Defence Forces, has carried out new operational tests of technology designed to detect GNSS jamming and strengthen navigation capability under electronic interference. The trials took place from 6 to 9 July 2026 aboard the offshore patrol vessel Turva and an H215 Super Puma helicopter.

GANDALF-4 is described by NATO as a prototype sensor developed by experts at the NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA). The system is designed to detect, classify and locate deliberate attempts to jam or manipulate Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals, including jamming and deceptive signal manipulation, known as spoofing.

The latest campaign builds on flight tests conducted together with the Finnish Defence Forces aboard an NH90 helicopter during 2025. Through the trials with the Turva and the H215 Super Puma, the evaluation was extended to additional maritime and airborne platforms.

Alongside GANDALF, NCIA also evaluated its latest Controlled Reception Pattern Antenna (CRPA) technology. The technology is designed to help navigation systems continue functioning when satellite navigation signals are subjected to jamming. https://nordicdefencesector.com

NVS-03 ready for launch in September by ISRO

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is finally ready to fly its next space mission. The space agency is preparing to launch its NVS-03 mission – part of India’s navigational satellite series NavIC – in the first week of September, senior officials from ISRO said. The final date will be announced soon.

Recently, Mr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of Science and Technology and Space, also confirmed that NVS03 was ready for launch. The minister also said that after the third of the NavIC series, ISRO will also be launching its subsequent satellites, NVS-04 and NVS-05, in close succession.

The official also confirmed that ISRO will also be launching GISAT-1A or EOS-05 satellite, which is an advanced geo-imaging technology capable of real time monitoring of the Indian territory, in a few weeks after NVS-03.

NavIC, which was planned to be India’s version of the US’s GPS, Russia’s Glonass, Europe’s Galileo and China’s BeiDou, is currently dysfunctional because of ageing satellites and ISRO’s failure to replace them with new ones. https://theprint.in

Decimeter-level accuracy with 3GPP-based GNSS RTK

Ericsson and MediaTek have successfully completed a world-first end-to-end (e2e) test of high-precision outdoor positioning. Utilizing standardized 3GPP technology for Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Real-Time Kinematic (RTK), the partners demonstrated positioning accuracy down to a ten-of-centimeters directly over a commercial 5G network.

This test marks a breakthrough for industrial and autonomous applications where precise location data is essential for mission-critical applications. By integrating RTK correction data into the 5G infrastructure via the LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP), the solution eliminates the need for proprietary systems or complex external hardware to achieve centimeterlevel precision. www.ericsson.com

Canada’s first Quantum Defence Innovation Secure Hub

The Quantum Defence Innovation Secure Hub (DISH) under the Bureau of Research, Engineering and Advanced Leadership in Innovation and Science (BOREALIS) was launched early this month in Calgary, Alberta. Quantum technologies are expected to transform defence and security through advances in sensing, secure communications, navigation, computing, and decision support. The Quantum DISH will provide a secure environment where government, industry, academia, and innovators can collaborate to rapidly develop, test, validate, and transition these technologies into operational capabilities for the Canadian Armed Forces. The hub will strengthen Canada’s technological advantage, improve operational effectiveness, and reduce vulnerabilities in contested environments, including threats such as GPS spoofing. A University of Calgary-led consortium will receive $20.3 million over two years to establish and operate the Quantum DISH in Calgary. www.canada.ca

5G-powered PNT interoperability by NextNav and Safran

NextNav has entered an agreement with Safran Electronics & Defense to integrate and demonstrate interoperability between NextNav’s terrestrial 5G positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) network in Santa Clara County, California, and Safran’s timing and navigation receiver. The collaboration will evaluate how terrestrial 5G-powered PNT capabilities can complement existing technologies and contribute to more resilient PNT solutions including drones, autonomous systems etc. nextnav.com

Quantum timing trial with UK Royal Navy

Saab UK, Aquark Technologies and the Royal Navy Disruptive Capabilities and Technologies Office (DCTO) have successfully completed a UK trial showing how a military radar network can continue operating without GPS timing. The trial integrated Saab’s Giraffe 1X radar capability with Aquark’s AQlock quantum technology and is believed to be a the first demonstration of a distributed high-performance military radar network maintaining a coherent operational picture using independent quantum timing sources. www.saab.com