Galileo quartet successfully launched from Kourou
Four new Galileo satellites were successfully launched from the European spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana on July 25, bringing the constellation to a total of 26 satellites.
For the second time, the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is responsible for the Early Orbit Phase (EOP) of this mission, overseeing Spaceopal …

Rockwell Collins and Iridium partnership
Iridium Communications Inc. has announced Rockwell Collins as the newest Iridium Certus service provider for the aviation industry. Rockwell Collins will be adding the service to its comprehensive suite of aircraft connectivity applications for commercial, government and ARINCDirectSMbusiness customers.
Iridium Certus will bring broadband functionality, with enterprise-grade quality of service, …

Ordnance Survey to help Guyana reap the benefit of geospatial data
Ordnance Survey (OS) is to provide consultancy services to the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC) to re-establish and further develop the GPS Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) network in Guyana. The project seeks to establish and sustainably maintain a modern, robust and accurate …

Virtual Surveyor streamlines workflow
The Virtual Surveyor drone surveying software now offers a faster, more efficient workflow and better overall user experience in a more stable platform. These new capabilities, along with an improved licensing system and an extended free application, are available now in Virtual Surveyor 6.
The software leverages the expertise and interpretation …

Singapore’s first 5G pilot network
Singtel and Ericsson are strengthening their 5G Centre of Excellence Programme partnership with the announcement of a new initiative that will see Singapore’s first 5G pilot network go live this year.
Using Ericsson’s 3GPP standardscompliant 5G technology with the trial spectrum allocated by Singapore’s Info- Communications Media Development Authority (IMDA), …

Beidou’s third-generation satellite navigation makes a splash
More than 40,000 fishing boats in China have been equipped with receivers tuned to China’s Beidou Navigation Satellite System, to provide better search and rescue for ships in trouble, a Beidou expert said. “Fishers call the Beidou system their patron,” Yang Yuanxi, an academician with the Chinese Academy …

Airbus wins two ESA studies for Mars Sample Return mission
Airbus has won two studies from the European Space Agency (ESA) to design a Sample Fetch Rover and an Earth Return Orbiter. These two elements will be critical parts of a mission to return samples of the planet Mars to Earth before the end of …

Oscilloquartz launches enhanced PRTC solution for 5G network timing
Oscilloquartz, an ADVA company, has launched its enhanced primary reference time clock (ePRTC) system to enable unprecedented timing accuracy and stability even when the GNSS signal is lost. The technology provides the ideal timing source for missioncritical transport systems, such as utility networks; government infrastructure and …

EU-wide rules for safety of drones approved
MEPs approved an agreement reached between Council and Parliament negotiators in November 2017 on EU-wide principles for drones and drone operators to ensure a common level of safety and give operators and manufacturers the predictability to develop products and services. Currently most drones fall under differing national rules, …

Airbus to provide an end-to-end Geo-Information system to Thailand
The Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency of Thailand (GISTDA) has selected Airbus as partner for its next-generation national geo-information system. The end-to-end system will make Thailand one of the few nations able to fully exploit geo-information for societal benefits. Fully in line with Thailand’s 4.0 …