NEWSBRIEFS – UPDATE

Jan 2009 | Comments Off

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INDUSTRY | LBS | GPS | GIS | REMOTE SENSING | GALILEO UPDATE

Update from the International System Providers Meeting (ICG-3)

At the third meeting of the International Committee on GNSS (ICG-3), a voluntary United Nations–backed association that brings together GNSS and augmentation providers, Paul Verhoef, head of the Galileo unit for the European Commission Directorate-General for Transport and Energy, said that the EU expects to have contracts for building the Galileo FOC system in place by next summer. He noted that the target date for completion is 2013 had been given to prospective vendors in the Galileo invitations to tender (ITTs). The European GNSS Supervisory Agency (GSA), which had been charged with overseeing development and operation of Galileo under the abandoned publicprivate partnership, will be given a different name next year to refl ect its altered responsibilities under the public procurement now led by the EC and the European Space Agency. www.geolinks.org/icg3/

European Space Agency names Günter Hein to Galileo post

The European Space Agency (ESA) has appointed Prof. Dr. Günter Hein to serve as Head of Galileo Operations and Evolution with duties in Noordwijk, Netherlands, and Paris, France. With an initial four-year term beginning December 1, Hein will share responsibility for the evolution of the Galileo system, the relation and interoperability of Galileo and EGNOS to other GNSSs, preparation of the future operational phase of the Galileo infrastructure, implementation the related “technology actions,” and associated activities. http://www.esa.int

GALILEO and EGNOS call for proposals published

The European Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Supervisory Authority has issued a call for proposals under the Cooperation programme of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). Successful proposers are expected to provide support to the European Global Navigation Satellite System (GALILEO) and the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS). Topics called include a variety of activities and areas such as ‘Exploiting the full potential’, ‘Providing the tools and creating the appropriate environment’, ‘Adapting receivers to requirements and upgrading core technologies’ etc.
http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/calls/

Track Galileo signals at GIOVE website

The GIOVE website provides up-to-date information on the Galileo satellites GIOVEA and GIOVE-B. The site includes the Signal-In-Space Interface Control Document (SIS-ICD) recently released to the public following successful in-orbit testing of GIOVE-B, to allow users to acquire and track both satellites ranging signals and to demodulate their navigation message. An effort has been made to update day by day the signal transmission page that provides up-todate information on the current status of the GIOVE Satellites. The GIOVE Processing Centre located at ESA ESTEC in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, plans to deliver to users NAGUs (Notice Advisory to GIOVE Users), notifying of outages at the spacecraft level or ground stations/centers. www.giove.esa.int

No to Chinese companies

The government of India will not allow Chinese ﬁ rms to invest in security services, especially in the GPS-based products and operations. While rejecting a foreign direct investment (FDI) proposal of Chinese ﬁ rms Jiansu Tianze and Wuxi Frank GMKP Energy Control Ltd, the ministry of home affairs said Chinese companies could track developments at locations and sensitive consignments and individuals under the garb of the joint venture. Mumbaibased Geld Consultancy Services, a company engaged in manufacture of GPS hardware and software had sought Foreign Investment Promotion Board’s (FIPB) approval for setting up a joint venture in the same line of business with Chinese companies Jiansu Tianze and Wuxi Frank GMKP Energy Control.

The Chinese companies had sought FIPB nod to jointly hold 60% stake in the JV company. Though, the department of industrial policy and promotion (Dipp) and the department of telecom (DoT) had supported the proposal, the board had rejected it after home ministry’s objection on the ground that allowing a Chinese company in manufacturing of GPS systems could be harmful to the country’s internal security.

“Companies from some countries would be barred from investing in GPS-based systems and operations in India. However, investments from benign countries would also be subject to FIPB nod,” said an ofﬁ cial close to development who did not wish to be identiﬁ ed. The FDI policy is silent on allowing FDI in manufacture of GPS-enabled systems, even though there is 100% FDI in manufacture of telecom equipment in India. http:// economictimes.indiatimes.com