GAGAN – A visionary approach

In order to provide seamless navigation to the world aviation community by airport service providers, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has adopted a new strategy on the implementation of Future Air Navigation System (FANS) and use of non-visual aids for approach, and landing. The solution for the above requirements is Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). A stand alone GPS fails to provide the required navigation accuracy for all phases of the flight. Therefore, to achieve the required navigation accuracy, the core constellation i.e. GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo (under planning stage) needs augmentations to fulfill the GNSS, particularly in satellite-based augmentations such as WAAS (USA), EGNOS (Europe), MSAS (Japan), GRAS (Australia) and GAGAN (India). It also includes ICAO’s acceptance of an offer to make the Global Orbiting Navigation Satellites System (GLONASS) available for use by civil aviation. The ICAO Council had earlier accepted a similar offer concerning the GPS. These three satellite constellations (GPS / GLONASS / Galileo) are the key components of the GNSS. This article describes briefly, the different systems including GAGAN (India) and the status of GNSS.

The ICAO strategy

The current strategy for application of non-visual aids to approach and landing was recommended at the Special Communications / Operations Divisional Meeting held at ICAO Headquarters, Montreal in spring, 1995. Delegates to that meeting discussed future ICAO policy in allweather operations and concluded that, for a variety of reasons, it had become impracticable to proceed with implementation of the global Instrument Landing System (ILS) / Micro Wave Landing System (MLS) transition plan. The conclusion was reached in part because of developments in the application of satellite-based technology for approach and landing operations, in addition to the ILS and MLS. In future, the GNSS could be used for all weather approach and landing operations. The ICAO policy allows for continued use of ILS “as long as operationally acceptable and economically beneficial,” and also for implementation of MLS “where operationally required and economically beneficial.” The strategy calls for the validation of GNSS capabilities for use in Category- I operations and for the completion of feasibility studies concerning the use of GNSS in Category II and III operations.

As guidance for air navigation planners, the strategy indicates that “an internationally accepted GNSS with augmentation as required may be available for Category I operations within the 2000 to 2020 time frame.” For Categories II and III, it projects that GNSS-based operations are not to be expected before 2005 to 2020 or beyond. This range of dates, which resulted from discussions at the ICAO GNSS panel meeting, effectively shows the differences between optimistic and conservative estimates of the prospects for GNSS introduction and development in the area.

In principle, the concept of augmentation is not completely new and marker beacons or DME in ILS or DME/P in MLS may be considered as existing examples of augmentation. In the case of GNSS, however,navigation satellites augmentations and their combinations, provide a large variety of functions and performance levels which would allow a great deal of flexibility but which may not be required in the real life environment. Five Air Traffic Service (ATS) provider countries have planned to have their own augmentation system and India is one of them.

WAAS-USA

Wide Area Augmentation Systems (WAAS) is designed as an augmentation to GPS, which includes integrity broadcasts, differential corrections and additional ranging signals. It provides the accuracy, integrity, availability and continuity required to support all phases of flight through CAT-I Precision Approach (PA). The WAAS consist of one integrated system providing all navigation functionality. The delivery schedule will be accomplished in three phases be delivering an initial operating system and then upgrading the system through preplanned product improvements. Phase- I WAAS will also provide the initial operating system which consists of two WMS’s, 25 WRS’s leased GEOSs and ground uplinks to achieve a primary enroute through NPA capability, as well as enable GPS /WAAS to be used as a supplemental navigation aid for CATI PA. The WAAS project supports the development of standards, certification, facilities and procedures for operational use in the National Air Space (NAS). This includes requirement such as GPS procedures for use by air traffic, unique approach procedure for each location, obstacle clearance requirements, RNP standards, airport surveys, support for training program for civil pilot, flight inspections and revision of FAA regulations and document to reflect satellite navigation use. This project has been implemented in the year 2004 for civilian use restricted to the smaller airport and performance monitoring is being done for reliability of the system.

EGNOS-Europe

European Geo-Stationary Satellite Navigation System (EGNOS) is the joint venture of European institutions and space industries to show their strong commitment in the development and system operations. Thanks to interoperability of the different SBAS. European’s EGNOS ensures international cooperation as well as European Independence. The European Tripartite Group composed of the European Space Agency (ESA), the European community and EUROCONTROL, the European organization for safety of air navigation, manages EGNOS. In view of the operational implementation to come, the seven major European Air traffic Service Providers are on the way to from a legal entity. The EGNOS operator and infrastructure group (EOIG), France DGCA, German DFS, Italian ENAV, NAVEP of Portugal, Spanish AENA, Swiss control of Switzerland and NAST of United Kingdom. In addition the CNES (Frabce Space Agency) the Norwegian Mapping Authority and major European air traffic management service providers actively contribute to the development and the future operation of EGNOS. All are part of the collaborator framework of the EGNOS program. The EGNOS service augments the GPS and GLONASS signals. The two satellites system sends a positioning signal to the user. The ranging and monitoring station network acquire, firstly the ranging signal generated by two constellations and GEOS, and secondly atmospheric data. This project is under technical demonstration phase.

MSAS-Japan

The MTSAT (Multi functional Transport Satellites) Satellite based Augmentation Systems (MSAS) is the wide area augmentation system being developed by the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) for civil Aviation. This space based augmentation system will provide enroute through PA navigating services for all the aircraft within Japan airspace. The MSAS employs a ranging function to generate GPS like signals and enable aircraft to use MTSAT as a 25th GPS satellite. The MSAS is similar in function to the WAAS (USA). Information on real time conditions ofthe GPS constellations transmitted to each aircraft via the integrity function of MSAS, while the differential corrections function provides ranging error data to each aircraft. MSAS uses advanced technologies such as satellites orbit ranging and ionospheric and troposphere delay estimation assumption to ensure the reliability of these functions. MSAS has planned for two GEOS. They are: MTSAT-1R and MTSAT–2. MTSAT-1R is in the orbit since year 2004 and MTSAT-2 is expected to be launched in the year 2005. After completion of the certification MSAS will be commissioned and be operational using only MTSAT-1R from 2005 and dual operation will be commissioned in the year 2006 using MTSAT-IR and MTSAT-2.

GRAS-Australia

The Ground-based Regional Augmentation System (GRAS) is a system providing GNSS augmentation service by which the user receives information directly from groundbased transmitters allowingcontinuous reception of the service over a large geographical area of approximately 370 Km (200NM). The ground component may be interconnected in a network. GRAS supports GNSS operations in all the phases of flight including en-route, terminal and instrument approach etc. GRAS should be viewed as complementary to Satellite Based Augmentation System (SBAS) (such as EGNOS, WAAS, GAGAN and MSAS) and Ground Based Augmentation System (GBAS). GRAS is made up of multiple ground stations with overlapping coverage. However, the service provider will have to ensure that the topology of the ground infrastructures meet the operational requirements. The GRAS SARPs (Standards and Recommended Practices) have been submitted to ICAO for acceptance and amendment in the ICAO Annexure-10 volume I