Galileo’s search and rescue system passes fi rst space test
The first switch-on of a Galileo search and rescue package shows it to be working well. Its activation begins a major expansion of the space-based Cospas–Sarsat network, which brings help to air and sea vessels in distress. The second pair of Europe’s

New command successor for GPS Directorate
Col. William T. “Bill” Cooley will take up the role of Senior Materiel Leader at the Department of Defense (DoD) acquisition ofô€‚¿ ce for developing and producing GPS satellites, ground systems, and military user equipment. Cooley currently serves as the director of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Space Vehicles Directorate and as the commander of the Phillips Research Site at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. www.marinelink.com/

Pleiades 1B, captures its first images using e2v sensors
Pleiades 1B, the Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES) Earth observation satellite, has captured its ô€‚¿ rst images using e2v high performance imaging sensors. www.e2v.com/

Car owners ‘frustrated’ by navigation systems, says report
According to the J D Power and Associates 2012 US Navigation Usage and Satisfaction study, the increasing complexity of navigation systems is beginning to impact how happy consumers are with their cars.

NovAtel has announced support for the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System on its OEM6 family and select OEMStar GNSS receivers.The long-anticipated BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) Interface Control Document (ICD) release is a significant milestone that facilitates global acceptance of BeiDou into the growing range of satellite-based positioning applications.NovAtel has a long-standing partnership with several Chinese GNSS system manufacturers. This partnership has allowed NovAtel to verify B1 and B2 signal tracking on its latest generation receivers. The company has been supplying GNSS receivers that include the BeiDou constellation since Q4 2010. www.novatel.com

Sperry Marine business, a unit of Northrop Grumman Corporation (NOC), will supply advanced shipboard navigation systems for 20 fast patrol vessels under a contract with Indian reseller Marine Electricals Ltd. The systems will be supplied to Indian Coast Guard.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has launched its fi rst copy of the UAE’s electronic statistical atlas. It comes within the framework of the strategic initiatives of the NBS to meet requirements of data users. The atlas is the latest sophisticated data device linked to the GIS technologies and their applications. http://gulfnews.com

Europe’s third Galileo satellite has transmitted its first test navigation signals back to earth. The two Galileo satellites launched last October have reached their final orbital position and are in the midst of testing.

A Chinese Long March rocket successfully launched a Turkish remote sensing satellite last month. The 450-kilogram satellite, built by Turkey’s Space Technologies Research Institute and Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc., with a camera system provided by South Korea, is designed to provide imagery of the Earth at resolutions as high as 2.5 meters. http://www.spacetoday.net/

Fan Changlong, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, required researchers to beef up the security measures of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) and increase its capacity to ward off interference. The BDS began providing services to civilian users in China and surrounding areas in the Asia-Pacifi c region recently. He said the system has broken China’s reliance on foreign navigation systems and carries great signifi cance in safeguarding national security and promoting economic development. www.spacedaily.com.