GNSS

Galileo signal updated for internet-of-things use

The European Space Agency and its industrial partners have developed a solution targeted at mass-market applications that require low power: E5a-QP, a Quasi-Pilot (QP) signal component transmitted in Galileo’s E5 band. The signal component is broadcast free of charge and now available for implementation in both new and upgraded chipsets, enabling all users of the Galileo Open Service to benefit from its capabilities.

‘Quasi-Pilot’ means a pilot signal that retains its intended role but also carries a small amount of data, including the time information necessary for a first fix. This time information is fully predictable at user level. A Quasi-Pilot signal component is also characterised by a tailored signal structure that simplifies the acquisition process, which reduces the power consumption on the receiver’s end. Test campaigns have demonstrated that E5a-QP can reduce signal acquisition time by a factor of three, while substantially lowering the number of operations required for acquisition by a factor of eight.

The introduction of this new Galileo signal component follows an extensive series of design, testing and validation that demonstrated the value of the signal and the feasibility of implementing new signal components on current Galileo satellites. www.esa.int

Qualinx and EUSPA complete Galileo OSNMA support

Qualinx has integrated support for the Galileo OSNMA (Open Service Navigation Message Authentication) on its QLX3Gx Series ultra-low-power GNSS receiver.

Developed with the support of the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), the integration makes the QLX3Gx a GNSS receiver purpose-built for ultra-lowpower markets to deliver hardware-native OSNMA support as a standard feature across the entire product family. www.qualinx.io

Norway boosts GPS jamming detection

For Norway, persistent GNSS jamming and spoofing are disrupting a broad range of civilian operations, including air traffic. Interference is now being detected increasingly farther inside Norwegian airspace. Three dedicated monitoring stations to detect GNSS interference have already been established near the Russian border. This year, the Norwegian Communications Authority (Nkom) plans to add two more stations. www.thebarentsobserver.com

Lockheed Martin secures $514m U.S. Space Force contract

Lockheed Martin has announced that the U.S. Space Force has awarded the company a $514 million contract to build Global Positioning System IIIF Space Vehicles 23 and 24, bringing its total GPS IIIF commitment to 14 spacecraft. The 14 upcoming GPS IIIF satellites will deliver advanced, reliable positioning, navigation and timing capabilities for both military and civilian users. https://news.lockheedmartin.com

Focal Point Positioning launches Precise+

FocalPoint, UK announced Precise+, a new technology that delivers reliable high-precision positioning in the tough environments where conventional carrier phase tracking fails. It extends the benefits of the company’s patented Supercorrelation® platform into the carrier phase domain. It directly targets the cycle slips that cause RTK and PPP systems to lose lock in challenging environments. focalpointpositioning.com

Pole mount controlled reception pattern antennas launched

Calian has introduced two pole mount variants of its controlled reception pattern antenna (CRPA) line. The new models support L1/ E1 + L2/E5b (CR8894PXF+) and L1/E1 + L5/E5a (CR8854PXF. This new architecture increases installation flexibility across critical infrastructure, timing, marine and defence environments while maintaining Calian’s CRPA and extended filtering plus (XF+) interference mitigation performance. With dual band options, the platform aligns with modern multi frequency GNSS architectures, improving accuracy, robustness, interference rejection and compatibility with current and next generation receivers. www.calian.com