Boeing ships GPS IIF satellite for launch
Boeing has shipped the first GPS IIF satellite aboard a Boeing-built C-17
Globemaster III airlifter. The new navigation spacecraft is now set to begin
final preparations for launch. Space Vehicle 1 (SV-1), the first of 12 GPS IIF
satellites for the U.S. Air Force, will lift off on a United Launch Alliance Delta IV
vehicle later this year. The GPS IIF system will bring enhanced performance to the
GPS constellation by providing twice the navigational accuracy of heritage satellites,
more robust signals for commercial aviation and search-and-rescue, and
greater resistance to jamming in hostile environments.
http://govconwire.com
Hi-tech gadgets to track lions at Gir
Gujarat government in India is procuring gadgets like GPS, automated sensor grid
and night vision devices to track lions and keep poachers at bay at the Gir National
Park. The task force that was formed for the purpose has proposed to use GPS-based
system for surveillance tracking, animal tracking and also tracking of vehicles
coming inside the Gir Sanctuary. It is envisaged that all field level subordinates
(foresters), supervisory staff and senior officers would be equipped with hand-held
devices capable of voice, data and geocoordinate transmission. The task force has
also proposed that approximately 10% of the lion population should be fitted with
GPS collars.
http://beta.thehindu.com
Sat-nav devices face big errors as solar activity rises
Researchers say the Sun is awakening after a period of low activity, which
does not bode well for a world ever more dependent on satellite navigation.
The last time the Sun reached a peak in activity, satellite navigation was barely
a consumer product. Solar flares – vast exhalations of magnetic energy from the
Sun’s surface – spray out radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum, from low-energy
radio waves through to high-energy gamma-rays, along with bursts of high-energy
particles toward the Earth. The radiation or waves that come from the
Sun can make sat-nav receivers unable to pick out the weak signal from satellites
from the solar flare’s aftermath. There is little that current technology can do to
mitigate this problem, with the exception of complex directional antennas used in
military applications.
http://news.bbc.co.uk
Russia to track Glonass satellites from Antarctic station
The Academician Fyodorov scientific research vessel has arrived at
the Russian Antarctic outpost of Bellingshausen on a mission to set up
a station for tracking the GLONASS navigation satellites.
RIA Novosti
US, wary of China, mulls satellite substitutes
Gary Payton, deputy under secretary for space programs, voiced concern at
Beijing’s display of technology aimed at destroying missiles in mid-air, an
area in which Washington has invested hundreds of billions of dollars to build
a layered antimissile bulwark. The US demonstrated an anti-satellite capability
of its own, using a specially modified Raytheon Co (RTN.N) Standard Missile-3
to destroy a wayward U.S. spy satellite in February 2008.
www.reuters.com
Warrant mandatory for GPS tracking
Nowadays, police are tracking suspects with GPS technology, but now two
lawmakers say that’s an invasion of privacy unless there’s an immediate danger to lives.
They have introduced bills that would require police to get a warrant. There are
several bills in Annapolis, USA that would require police to justify to a judge why
they should be allowed to track someone with GPS technology. Police are strongly
opposing these bills.
http://wjz.com
GPS Control Software glitch
GPS Wing issued the following notice on 11 January 2010, the GPS Master Control
Station loaded new operational control system software to support future GPS
modernization capabilities and signals. The software has been in operational soak
and the GPS Master Control Station has received a few user concerns related to the
software update. The GPS Master Control Station is preparing to complete soak of the
new software in preparation for final install. In support of the final install decision, the
GPS Master Control Station requests that operational military and civil users provide
any impacts encountered that are believed to be related to the new software or started
after the 11 January 2010 install. Military or civil users please contact the GPSOC
(military) or NAVCEN (civil) at the numbers listed below. Any user impacts
will be presented at the decision brief for final install of the new GPS Master Control
Station software.
www.navcen.uscg.gov
ION 2010 Fellow Membership
The Institute of Navigation (ION) announced the recipients of the 2010
fellow membership. Election to fellow membership recognizes the distinguished
contributions of The Institute of Navigation members to the advancement
of the technology, management, practice and teaching the arts and science of
navigation; and/or lifetime contributions to the Institute.
www.ion.org
IATA submits Geodetic Survey of 4 Airports to NAMA
The report of the first phase of the World Geodetic Survey [WGS-84] of
the country’s Airports carried out for the Nigerian Airspace Management
Agency (NAMA) by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has been
completed and submitted to the agency. The full survey reports for the Murtala
Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport,
Kano, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja and Port Harcourt
International Airport as well as their GNSS Procedure design (Airspace Concept)
have been submitted to the Managing Director of NAMA, Alhaji Ibrahim
Auyo.
http://nigeriamasterweb.com |
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