China adds two more satellites to home-grown navigation network
Two more Chinese Beidou navigation satellites successfully lifted off aboard a Long March 3B rocket on China’s seventh space launch in five weeks.
The Long March 3B rocket and a restartable Yuanzheng upper stage deployed the two Beidou navigation satellites – the 28th and 29th to join China’s navigation network.
A third stage engine placed the two Beidou satellites and the Yuanzheng upper stage into a preliminary elliptical orbit. The upper stage engine was programmed to place the twin payloads into …

China teams up with U.S. firms to build aviation navigation database
China’s top aviation regulator partnered with U.S. companies to develop the country’s aviation navigation database.
The air traffic management bureau with the Civil Aviation Administration of China inked a cooperation agreement with U.S. aviation solutions provider Jeppesen and industrial giant Honeywell to make a sound database for aviation navigation.
China is home to 235 civil airports, but only 66 of them can have their data coded into the aviation navigation database, posing risks to flight safety, according to Che …

New satellite tracking of inflight aircraft to improve safety
At any given time, there are approximately 59,000 aircraft in flight worldwide. The ability to effectively track, monitor and report these aircraft is paramount to ensuring the safety of passengers and crew, as well as that of communities on the ground. The United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies – the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) – which establishes worldwide standards that foster seamless interconnection of a vast range of communications systems, has now adopted the main technical principals of …

Air Force accepts delivery of GPS Next Generation Operational Control System
The Space and Missile Systems Center announced that the United States Air Force has accepted delivery of the Global Positioning System Next Generation Operational Control System (GPS OCX) Launch and Checkout System (LCS) baseline from Raytheon Intelligence and Information Systems.
Also known as Block 0, LCS demonstrated conformance through test and analysis with all contractual requirements. OCX has had numerous challenges delaying the delivery of this critical capability, and this delivery marks a significant program milestone providing the Air …

First contract between ESSP and KARI
ESSP has recently signed a framework Contract with KARI (Republic of Korea Aerospace Research Institute) to support them on the set-up of the future Korean Service Provider for KASS, the Korea Augmentation Satellite System similar to the European EGNOS. The signature was sealed last October 25th at the Toulouse Cité de l’Espace, between ESSP CEO Thierry Racaud and KARI Executive Director of SBAS, Dr. Gi Wook Nam. KASS system will be based on EGNOS (European Geostationary Navigation Overlay System) system fundamentals. EGNOS has been …

ISRO working on substitute navigation satellite
A team from an industry consortium is being trained to assemble the IRNSS- 1I. Work has begun in Bengaluru to assemble a substitute navigation spacecraft, which became essential after the main backup was lost in a failed launch on August 31, 2017.
IRNSS-1I was earlier approved as a ground spare, to be sent to space in an emergency. The Indian Space Research Organisation has been training a team from an industry consortium to assemble this spacecraft and its lost fellow satellite, IRNSS-1H. Will there …

A Japanese H-2A rocket launched Japan’s third Michibiki satellite to join a constellation of navigation aids to improve positioning services across the country…

DFS launches Precision Navigation
A new precision navigation procedure, RNP-1 (Required Navigation Performance), has been launched at Frankfurt International Airport, according to German air navigation service provider (ANSP) DFS. With RNP-1 and Radius-to-fix, they are increasing their precision navigation in air traffic to a new quality level, which has not been achieved in Germany.
Pilots using this method, in a high degree of precision, are passing through a circular path, which is defined by the air traffic control on the basis of a fixed radius, starting from a fixed point. …

Japan launches Michibiki 2
Japan launched an H-2A rocket which carries the satellite called “Michibiki No.2” from a space center in Tanegashima, southern Japan.
The first Michibiki satellite was launched into space in 2010 on a trial basis and two more satellites will be sent later this year, according to the Cabinet Office. Once the four satellites are in orbit, at least one satellite will be fl ying over Japan for eight hours per day. Combining with the U.S. GPS and the Japanese system will enhance the stability of receiving …

STMicroelectronics and Allystar partnership
STMicroelectronics is working with Allystar to develop and market GNSS solutions for automotive products and other applications. Allystar is a spin-off from CEC Huada Electronic Design Co. Ltd. and a Chinese GNSS chip designer. ST and Allystar are already co-marketing products for the automotive market and cost-competitive products for the consumer market.
Glonass delivered to Armenia
GLONASS has been delivered to Armenia, Armenia’s Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology said. Armenian specialists from the ministry of transport, communications and information technology, the Crisis Management Center …