GPS has revolutionised positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) over the last twenty-fi ve years. During this period, we have come to rely on GPS to an unprecedented extent and GPS has gone from being an interesting research and development topic, to a professional niche market maker, to becoming the fourth utility and now to today’s mass market phenomenon…

My coordinates EDITORIAL
Your Coordinates PETER H DANA
His Coordinates MALCOLM WALTER AND CHRISTOPHER LIEW
Conference ESRI, SUMMER SCHOOL
News INDUSTRY / LBS /GPS/ GIS /REMOTE SENSING / GALILEO UPDATE
Mark your calendar NOVEMBER 2009 TO OCTOBER 2010

Bentley has introduced the ‘Be Employable’ initiative. Can you explain what it is designed to accomplish?
Malcolm Walter: Worldwide, the infrastructure community is facing the relentless pressures of a diffi cult economy, and the downsizing of design and engineering organizations has become widespread. Bentley’s mission of ‘sustaining infrastructure’ encompasses the need to ‘sustain the professions’ that design, build, and operate our infrastructure, and the Be Employable program is dedicated to doing just that.

Th e ESA International Summer School on GNSS 2009 was held from July 20th to 30th in Berchtesgaden, Bavaria – Germany. Aft er the great successes in 2007 and 2008 the European Space Agency adopted the International Summer School on GNSS which itents to educate Satellite Navigation in an intersdisciplinary way and give a comprehensive overview on the design and development of satellite navigation systems and its applications. Bernd Eissfeller, leading organizer and director of the Institute of Geodesy and Navigation of the University FAF, Munich was plesed about this change. “Not only ESA is now part of this international activity concerning GNSS education”, he pointed out, “but also many high ranking universities which supported the Summer School for the fi rst time.” Th e 2009 organizing committ ee consisted of Eissfeller`s institute, the Stanford University (USA), the Institute Supérieur de l`Aéronautique et de l`Èspace (France), Aalborg University (Denmark) and Graz University of Technology (Austria). 47 participants from all over the world joined Summer School 2009, i.e. Russia, China, Australia, etc.

“Thank you for attending this year,” said President Jack Dangermond, ESRI, as he welcomed attendees at the 2009 ESRI International User Conference (ESRI UC). “Many things have taken place over the last year, and I’m particularly grateful you are here with us today. I know some of you came on your own money and traveled halfway around the world–I can’t say how much I appreciate that.”

What is wrong with quoting Columbus’ strange views on the shape of the earth on the opening page of a chapter entitled, “The World is a Pear”?
Those lines are from Columbus’ “Letter on his Third Voyage.” Even Davis isn’t using that as a description of the size and shape of the earth, just a cute vision from the often mistaken Columbus.

November 2009

International Symposium on GPS/GNSS 2009
4-6 November
Jeju, Korea
gnssws@gnss.or.kr
www.gnsskorea2009.org

NAV09
Maritime : 10 November, Southampton
Positioning & Location:12 Nov., Nottingham
Land : 19 November, Teddington
Timing : 20 November, Teddington
Air:25 Nov., london
www.rin.org.uk/news-events/events

WALIS International Form 2009
11-13 November
perth convention Exhibition Centre, Australia
www.Walis.wa.gov.au

INCA 2009
25-27 November
Kolkata, India
http://www.incaindia.org

ISPRS (Geospatial Data Cyber Infrastructure)
25-27 November
Hyderabad, India
http://www.incois.gov.in/isprs

GPS/IGNSS Symposium 2009
30 Nov – 1 Dec 2009
Tokyo, japan
www.gnss-pnt.org/symposium2009

Citizens demand performance, effi ciency, accountability…
As they expect better service.
And governments do respond.
E-government is one such strategy.
The UN monitors E-Government through regular global E-Government Surveys.

EU’s satellite system to fi ne-tune GPS
The European Union launched a free satellite navigation network that could help pilots, drivers and blind people by fi ne-tuning the accuracy of the US GPS to around 2 meters. The EGNOS system will use three satellites and 34 ground stations to narrow the horizontal accuracy of GPS from around 7 meters previously and improve its vertical accuracy to help pilots during landings. Farmers could also benefi t from improved precision for spraying fertilizers, and new applications could emerge on roads, such as automatic tolling and pay-per-use car insurance. The system was pioneered by the Commission, the European Space Agency and aviation safety authority Eurocontrol. www.reuters.com

JAXA and DLR co-operation
JAXA and the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) signed a letter of intent concerning mutual cooperation for satellite disaster monitoring. Both parties confi rmed a mutual intention to use JAXA’s ALOS and DLR’s TerraSAR-X – both of which carry a SAR instrument – to improve response to disasters. They will exchange data as required on requests for emergency observations. They also agreed that will start collaborative research related to disaster monitoring. www.jaxa.jp