European GNSS Agency

The European GNSS Agency (GSA) participated in the third International Conference on Connected Vehicles & Exhibition (ICCVE), held in Vienna from November 3-7. The conference gathered industry leaders, policy-makers, scientific associations and experts to present the latest innovations and advances in connected vehicles and provide a platform for sharing best practices.

The third International Conference on Connected Vehicles, held in Vienna from November 3-7, brought together a wide range of industries and operators working in the connected and automated vehicles market segment, including the European GNSS Agency (GSA), who participated in several sessions where they presented the innovation created by European GNSS and supported by the European R&D projects of the 7th Framework Programme.

“Connected Vehicles represent a fast-emerging market segment that can profitably and efficiently be served by EGNOS now and, very soon, Galileo,” says GSA Deputy Head of Market Development Fiammetta Diani. “The robustness and accuracy provided by Galileo signals will support and stimulate a range of services and features available both at the vehicle and infrastructure level.”

         Also Read: Joint Galileo Optimization and Vehicular Ad-Hoc Networks (VANET) Enhancement

The Future of GNSS – Galileo

One of the key questions participants tackled concerned which technologies will pave the way for automated vehicles, and which industry sector is expected to take a leading role.

Based on the successful track-record of GNSS in other market segments, the consensus is that it is the best candidate for this role.

The future of connected cars and intelligent transport systems depends on a multi-constellation GNSS that provides more accurate positioning, more robustness against jamming and integrated navigation complemented by sensor fusion. GNSS is already assisting several road transportation applications, with navigation being the most widespread. For example, satellite road traffic monitoring, fleet management, insurance telematics and connected vehicles all rely on GNSS.

EGNOS and Galileo both play a key role in this environment. Galileo, for instance, will benefit the connected vehicles industry to offer and develop new value-added services. Galileo also will provide protection against spoofing attempts, facilitating the process for a legal use of GNSS positioning in several regulated road applications.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

How connected are satellite navigation and connected vehicles?
Seeking the candidate technology to drive the Automated Vehicles market
The European GNSS Agency
EGNOS Road
EGNOS LBS

The European GNSS Agency (GSA) participated in the third International Conference on Connected Vehicles & Exhibition (ICCVE), held in Vienna from November 3-7. The conference gathered industry leaders, policy-makers, scientific associations and experts to present the latest innovations and advances in connected vehicles and provide a platform for sharing best practices.

The third International Conference on Connected Vehicles, held in Vienna from November 3-7, brought together a wide range of industries and operators working in the connected and automated vehicles market segment, including the European GNSS Agency (GSA), who participated in several sessions where they presented the innovation created by European GNSS and supported by the European R&D projects of the 7th Framework Programme.

“Connected Vehicles represent a fast-emerging market segment that can profitably and efficiently be served by EGNOS now and, very soon, Galileo,” says GSA Deputy Head of Market Development Fiammetta Diani. “The robustness and accuracy provided by Galileo signals will support and stimulate a range of services and features available both at the vehicle and infrastructure level.”

         Also Read: Joint Galileo Optimization and Vehicular Ad-Hoc Networks (VANET) Enhancement

The Future of GNSS – Galileo

One of the key questions participants tackled concerned which technologies will pave the way for automated vehicles, and which industry sector is expected to take a leading role.

Based on the successful track-record of GNSS in other market segments, the consensus is that it is the best candidate for this role.

The future of connected cars and intelligent transport systems depends on a multi-constellation GNSS that provides more accurate positioning, more robustness against jamming and integrated navigation complemented by sensor fusion. GNSS is already assisting several road transportation applications, with navigation being the most widespread. For example, satellite road traffic monitoring, fleet management, insurance telematics and connected vehicles all rely on GNSS.

EGNOS and Galileo both play a key role in this environment. Galileo, for instance, will benefit the connected vehicles industry to offer and develop new value-added services. Galileo also will provide protection against spoofing attempts, facilitating the process for a legal use of GNSS positioning in several regulated road applications.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
EGNOS Road
EGNOS LBS

The second Horizon 2020 (H2020) call for Applications in Satellite Navigation, managed by the European GNSS Agency, is officially open. With a budget of EUR 25 million for the 2015 call, the deadline for submitting proposals is 8 April 2015.

To accelerate EU space policy, the second Horizon 2020 call focuses on growth and impact across all market segments, including transport (road, rail, maritime, aviation), high precision surveying, location based services (LBS), agriculture and emergency services.  Priority is also placed on raising productivity and competitiveness while reducing adverse environmental impact.

Space research is fundamental to ensuring that EU space policy continues to provide cutting-edge solutions to everyday societal problems. It also benefits EU citizens and ensures that Europe remains competitive in space activities.     

                   Also read: Horizon 2020 First Call for Applications Comes to a Close

Horizon 2020, as the biggest EU Framework Program for Research and Innovation, targets the development of new space enabled applications in different focus areas such as health, citizen safety, mobility, smart cities, sustainable resources monitoring and management, regional growth, low-carbon energy infrastructure planning and protection, and disaster management and climate control, including natural catastrophes.

Last year’s first call of H2020-Galileo received 109 proposals from 775 applicants. Applications were evaluated at the GSA’s headquarters in Prague on the basis of excellence, impact, quality, and efficiency of implementation. After the evaluation, 25 proposals were invited for the grant agreement preparation phase and two were placed on the reserve list.

What is H2020?

Horizon 2020 is the European Union’s next programme for research and innovation, with a focus on securing Europe’s global competitiveness. The projects coming from the second call in Applications in Satellite Navigation will be managed by the European GNSS Agency (GSA) under the Delegation Agreement with the Commission.

How to apply

Applications should promote innovation, demonstrate a clear advantage of using Galileo and EGNOS, and include synergies with other GNSSs. Proposals should aim at the definition and implementation of pilot projects and development of those EGNSS-enabled applications that are close to the market and driven by user requirements with a high societal benefit and a potential to eventually set common standards in the field of GNSS applications. The proposal should have a clear intention and rationale to commercialise the products and services developed, including a business plan.

H2020-Galileo-2015-1 Call opened on 4th of November 2014 and the final and complete form of proposals must be submitted by 8th of April 2015, 17:00:00 (Brussels local time). For information related to eligibility and admissibility conditions, submission and evaluation process, rules for funding, guide manuals, templates, etc., please visit the official European Commission’s Participant Portal.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
European Commission Participant Portal
Horizon 2020 Portal

The second Horizon 2020 (H2020) call for Applications in Satellite Navigation, managed by the European GNSS Agency, is officially open. With a budget of EUR 25 million for the 2015 call, the deadline for submitting proposals is 8 April 2015.

To accelerate EU space policy, the second Horizon 2020 call focuses on growth and impact across all market segments, including transport (road, rail, maritime, aviation), high precision surveying, location based services (LBS), agriculture and emergency services.  Priority is also placed on raising productivity and competitiveness while reducing adverse environmental impact.

Space research is fundamental to ensuring that EU space policy continues to provide cutting-edge solutions to everyday societal problems. It also benefits EU citizens and ensures that Europe remains competitive in space activities.     

                   Also read: Horizon 2020 First Call for Applications Comes to a Close

Horizon 2020, as the biggest EU Framework Program for Research and Innovation, targets the development of new space enabled applications in different focus areas such as health, citizen safety, mobility, smart cities, sustainable resources monitoring and management, regional growth, low-carbon energy infrastructure planning and protection, and disaster management and climate control, including natural catastrophes.

Last year’s first call of H2020-Galileo received 109 proposals from 775 applicants. Applications were evaluated at the GSA’s headquarters in Prague on the basis of excellence, impact, quality, and efficiency of implementation. After the evaluation, 25 proposals were invited for the grant agreement preparation phase and two were placed on the reserve list.

What is H2020?

Horizon 2020 is the European Union’s next programme for research and innovation, with a focus on securing Europe’s global competitiveness. The projects coming from the second call in Applications in Satellite Navigation will be managed by the European GNSS Agency (GSA) under the Delegation Agreement with the Commission.

How to apply

Applications should promote innovation, demonstrate a clear advantage of using Galileo and EGNOS, and include synergies with other GNSSs. Proposals should aim at the definition and implementation of pilot projects and development of those EGNSS-enabled applications that are close to the market and driven by user requirements with a high societal benefit and a potential to eventually set common standards in the field of GNSS applications. The proposal should have a clear intention and rationale to commercialise the products and services developed, including a business plan.

H2020-Galileo-2015-1 Call opened on 4th of November 2014 and the final and complete form of proposals must be submitted by 8th of April 2015, 17:00:00 (Brussels local time). For information related to eligibility and admissibility conditions, submission and evaluation process, rules for funding, guide manuals, templates, etc., please visit the official European Commission’s Participant Portal.

For more information, you are welcome to attend the workshop on European GNSS Applications in Horizon 2020 for the 2nd call in Prague on 14/01.

Further information for registration to the workshop will follow.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
European Commission Participant Portal
Horizon 2020 Portal

The second Horizon 2020 (H2020) call for Applications in Satellite Navigation, managed by the European GNSS Agency, is officially open. With a budget of EUR 25 million for the 2015 call, the deadline for submitting proposals is 8 April 2015.

To accelerate EU space policy, the second Horizon 2020 call focuses on growth and impact across all market segments, including transport (road, rail, maritime, aviation), high precision surveying, location based services (LBS), agriculture and emergency services.  Priority is also placed on raising productivity and competitiveness while reducing adverse environmental impact.

Space research is fundamental to ensuring that EU space policy continues to provide cutting-edge solutions to everyday societal problems. It also benefits EU citizens and ensures that Europe remains competitive in space activities.     

                   Also read: Horizon 2020 First Call for Applications Comes to a Close

Horizon 2020, as the biggest EU Framework Program for Research and Innovation, targets the development of new space enabled applications in different focus areas such as health, citizen safety, mobility, smart cities, sustainable resources monitoring and management, regional growth, low-carbon energy infrastructure planning and protection, and disaster management and climate control, including natural catastrophes.

Last year’s first call of H2020-Galileo received 109 proposals from 775 applicants. Applications were evaluated at the GSA’s headquarters in Prague on the basis of excellence, impact, quality, and efficiency of implementation. After the evaluation, 25 proposals were invited for the grant agreement preparation phase and two were placed on the reserve list.

What is H2020?

Horizon 2020 is the European Union’s next programme for research and innovation, with a focus on securing Europe’s global competitiveness. The projects coming from the second call in Applications in Satellite Navigation will be managed by the European GNSS Agency (GSA) under the Delegation Agreement with the Commission.

How to apply

Applications should promote innovation, demonstrate a clear advantage of using Galileo and EGNOS, and include synergies with other GNSSs. Proposals should aim at the definition and implementation of pilot projects and development of those EGNSS-enabled applications that are close to the market and driven by user requirements with a high societal benefit and a potential to eventually set common standards in the field of GNSS applications. The proposal should have a clear intention and rationale to commercialise the products and services developed, including a business plan.

H2020-Galileo-2015-1 Call opened on 4th of November 2014 and the final and complete form of proposals must be submitted by 8th of April 2015, 17:00:00 (Brussels local time). For information related to eligibility and admissibility conditions, submission and evaluation process, rules for funding, guide manuals, templates, etc., please visit the official European Commission’s Participant Portal.

For more information, you are welcome to attend the workshop on European GNSS Applications in Horizon 2020 for the 2nd call in Prague on 14/01.

Register here!

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
European Commission Participant Portal
Horizon 2020 Portal

The second Horizon 2020 (H2020) call for Applications in Satellite Navigation, managed by the European GNSS Agency, is officially open. With a budget of EUR 25 million for the 2015 call, the deadline for submitting proposals is 8 April 2015.

To accelerate EU space policy, the second Horizon 2020 call focuses on growth and impact across all market segments, including transport (road, rail, maritime, aviation), high precision surveying, location based services (LBS), agriculture and emergency services.  Priority is also placed on raising productivity and competitiveness while reducing adverse environmental impact.

Space research is fundamental to ensuring that EU space policy continues to provide cutting-edge solutions to everyday societal problems. It also benefits EU citizens and ensures that Europe remains competitive in space activities.     

                   Also read: Horizon 2020 First Call for Applications Comes to a Close

Horizon 2020, as the biggest EU Framework Program for Research and Innovation, targets the development of new space enabled applications in different focus areas such as health, citizen safety, mobility, smart cities, sustainable resources monitoring and management, regional growth, low-carbon energy infrastructure planning and protection, and disaster management and climate control, including natural catastrophes.

Last year’s first call of H2020-Galileo received 109 proposals from 775 applicants. Applications were evaluated at the GSA’s headquarters in Prague on the basis of excellence, impact, quality, and efficiency of implementation. After the evaluation, 25 proposals were invited for the grant agreement preparation phase and two were placed on the reserve list.

What is H2020?

Horizon 2020 is the European Union’s next programme for research and innovation, with a focus on securing Europe’s global competitiveness. The projects coming from the second call in Applications in Satellite Navigation will be managed by the European GNSS Agency (GSA) under the Delegation Agreement with the Commission.

How to apply

Applications should promote innovation, demonstrate a clear advantage of using Galileo and EGNOS, and include synergies with other GNSSs. Proposals should aim at the definition and implementation of pilot projects and development of those EGNSS-enabled applications that are close to the market and driven by user requirements with a high societal benefit and a potential to eventually set common standards in the field of GNSS applications. The proposal should have a clear intention and rationale to commercialise the products and services developed, including a business plan.

H2020-Galileo-2015-1 Call opened on 4th of November 2014 and the final and complete form of proposals must be submitted by 8th of April 2015, 17:00:00 (Brussels local time). For information related to eligibility and admissibility conditions, submission and evaluation process, rules for funding, guide manuals, templates, etc., please visit the official European Commission’s Participant Portal.

Register here!

For more information, you are welcome to attend the workshop on European GNSS Applications in Horizon 2020 for the 2nd call in Prague on 14/01.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
European Commission Participant Portal
Horizon 2020 Portal

For the first time, the European GNSS Agency (GSA) played host to the ninth meeting of the International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (ICG) in Prague. The event was held 10 – 14 November.

The ICG meeting is a unique opportunity for GNSS providers to present a status update and future plans for their systems, and an opportunity for ICG members, associate members and observers to provide updates on recent developments pertaining to services and applications. Among providers present were representatives from GPS (USA), GLONASS (Russia), BeiDou (China), IRNSS/GAGAN (India), QZSS (Japan) and the European Union’s Galileo.

“Significant progress continues to be made through the ICG to support sustainable development throughout the world,” said United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) Director Simonetta Di Pippo. “The efforts to build capacity in space science and technology are considered a major focus of UNOOSA and provide a major springboard for the transfer and enhancement of skills and knowledge to nations that wish to engage in GNSS science, technology and education.”

“The GSA is honoured to be able to host this important global event,” said GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides. “Bringing together the world’s GNSS community, with representatives from all the leading global and regional programs, is crucial to improving the compatibility and interoperability needed to build a multi-constellation program capable of benefiting the end users.”

The UN-established ICG is charged with promoting voluntary cooperation on matters of mutual interest related to civil satellite-based positioning, navigation, timing and value-added services. The organization falls under the auspices of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA).

A Secure Foundation for Galileo

The ICG provides a unique opportunity for representatives from the world’s leading global and regional GNSS programs to give an update on their systems and services. Presenting in Prague was US GPS Coordination Office Director, Harold Martin; Russian Federation Centre for PNT Head of Information and Analysis, Sergey Karutin (GLONASS); China Satellite Navigation Office Director, Chengqi Ran (BeiDou); Indian Space Research Organization Centre, Alak Bankik (IRNSS/GAGAN); Japanese Office of National Space Policy Senior Coordinator, Akihiro Matsumoto (QZSS); and European Commission DG Enterprise and Industry Head of Unit of Galileo and EGNOS Applications, Security and International Cooperation, Christian Siebert.

According to Siebert, with a stable seven year perspective, substantial budget and exploitation-focused governance scheme, the Galileo program has a secure foundation for the future. “The Galileo program has achieved numerous important milestones this year,” he said. “For instance, the ground infrastructure deployment was finalized for initial operations, the new satellite design qualified and the Galileo in Orbit phase successfully concluded.” He also noted that the deployment plan for the Galileo constellation has been secured, with 26 satellites ordered and launcher service contracts signed.

          Also Read: Galileo Service Provision Delegated to the European GNSS Agency

Looking towards 2015, Siebert said next steps include a gradual introduction of the early phase of service delivery, which will rely heavily on interaction with users: “The long-term service plan will be aligned with the trend of most user communities moving towards service levels based on a multi-constellation approach,” he concluded.

Market Opportunities

Of course any talk of interoperability and international cooperation becomes null if it isn’t backed by user-focused GNSS applications.

Speaking on the GNSS application market and opportunities, GSA Head of Market Development Gian Gherardo Calini noted that by 2022 the GNSS device market will be worth over EUR 7 billion, and that this growth is expected to occur across all regions. “This forecast for growth offers substantial business opportunities for the global GNSS industry,” he said.

According to Calini, there are several important drivers behind this growth, including:

• Increasing penetration of GNSS devices in different platforms and devices
• More devices per person and penetration within emerging markets
• More intensive use of GNSS devices
• Disruptive new applications coming on to the market
• Integration of GNSS with other technology and sensors

“In the mass market, we see a growing diversity and volume of mobile applications,” said Calini. “This is particularly true in the integration of GNSS into devices that have traditionally been unrelated to location, such as cameras and watches.”

He also noted drivers within the regulated market, including in rail, maritime and aviation. “In rail, GNSS is becoming a standard feature in non-safety applications such as passenger information,” he said. “While in aviation there is an increasing usage of GNSS navigation, particularly for PBN.”

          Also Read: European Rail, Supported by European GNSS

In the high precision market, a noted increase in the use of precision agriculture is also being seen. This is happening most prominently in developed countries and on large farms – mostly related to crop production.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
ICG
UNOOSA

For the first time, the European GNSS Agency (GSA) played host to the ninth meeting of the International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (ICG) in Prague. The event was held 10 – 14 November.

The ICG meeting is a unique opportunity for GNSS providers to present a status update and future plans for their systems, and an opportunity for ICG members, associate members and observers to provide updates on recent developments pertaining to services and applications. Among providers present were representatives from GPS (USA), GLONASS (Russia), BeiDou (China), IRNSS/GAGAN (India), QZSS (Japan) and the European Union’s Galileo.

“Significant progress continues to be made through the ICG to support sustainable development throughout the world,” said United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) Director Simonetta Di Pippo. “The efforts to build capacity in space science and technology are considered a major focus of UNOOSA and provide a major springboard for the transfer and enhancement of skills and knowledge to nations that wish to engage in GNSS science, technology and education.”

“The GSA is honoured to be able to host this important global event,” said GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides. “Bringing together the world’s GNSS community, with representatives from all the leading global and regional programs, is crucial to improving the compatibility and interoperability needed to build a multi-constellation program capable of benefiting the end users.”

The UN-established ICG is charged with promoting voluntary cooperation on matters of mutual interest related to civil satellite-based positioning, navigation, timing and value-added services. The organization falls under the auspices of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA).

A Secure Foundation for Galileo

The ICG provides a unique opportunity for representatives from the world’s leading global and regional GNSS programs to give an update on their systems and services. Presenting in Prague was US GPS Coordination Office Director, Harold Martin; Russian Federation Centre for PNT Head of Information and Analysis, Sergey Karutin (GLONASS); China Satellite Navigation Office Director, Chengqi Ran (BeiDou); Indian Space Research Organization Centre, Alak Bankik (IRNSS/GAGAN); Japanese Office of National Space Policy Senior Coordinator, Akihiro Matsumoto (QZSS); and European Commission DG Enterprise and Industry Head of Unit of Galileo and EGNOS Applications, Security and International Cooperation, Christian Siebert.

According to Siebert, with a stable seven year perspective, substantial budget and exploitation-focused governance scheme, the Galileo program has a secure foundation for the future. “The Galileo program has achieved numerous important milestones this year,” he said. “For instance, the ground infrastructure deployment was finalized for initial operations, the new satellite design qualified and the Galileo in Orbit phase successfully concluded.” He also noted that the deployment plan for the Galileo constellation has been secured, with 26 satellites ordered and launcher service contracts signed.

          Also Read: Galileo Service Provision Delegated to the European GNSS Agency

Looking towards 2015, Siebert said next steps include a gradual introduction of the early phase of service delivery, which will rely heavily on interaction with users: “The long-term service plan will be aligned with the trend of most user communities moving towards service levels based on a multi-constellation approach,” he concluded.

Market Opportunities

Of course any talk of interoperability and international cooperation becomes null if it isn’t backed by user-focused GNSS applications.

Speaking on the GNSS application market and opportunities, GSA Head of Market Development Gian Gherardo Calini noted that by 2022 the GNSS device market will be worth over EUR 7 billion, and that this growth is expected to occur across all regions. “This forecast for growth offers substantial business opportunities for the global GNSS industry,” he said.

According to Calini, there are several important drivers behind this growth, including:

• Increasing penetration of GNSS devices in different platforms and devices
• More devices per person and penetration within emerging markets
• More intensive use of GNSS devices
• Disruptive new applications coming on to the market
• Integration of GNSS with other technology and sensors

“In the mass market, we see a growing diversity and volume of mobile applications,” said Calini. “This is particularly true in the integration of GNSS into devices that have traditionally been unrelated to location, such as cameras and watches.”

He also noted drivers within the regulated market, including in rail, maritime and aviation. “In rail, GNSS is becoming a standard feature in non-safety applications such as passenger information,” he said. “While in aviation there is an increasing usage of GNSS navigation, particularly for PBN.”

          Also Read: European Rail, Supported by European GNSS

In the high precision market, a noted increase in the use of precision agriculture is also being seen. This is happening most prominently in developed countries and on large farms – mostly related to crop production.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
ICG
UNOOSA

For the first time, the European GNSS Agency (GSA) played host to the ninth meeting of the International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (ICG) in Prague. The event was held 10 – 14 November.

The ICG meeting is a unique opportunity for GNSS providers to present a status update and future plans for their systems, and an opportunity for ICG members, associate members and observers to provide updates on recent developments pertaining to services and applications. Among providers present were representatives from GPS (USA), GLONASS (Russia), BeiDou (China), IRNSS/GAGAN (India), QZSS (Japan) and the European Union’s Galileo.

“Significant progress continues to be made through the ICG to support sustainable development throughout the world,” said United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) Director Simonetta Di Pippo. “The efforts to build capacity in space science and technology are considered a major focus of UNOOSA and provide a major springboard for the transfer and enhancement of skills and knowledge to nations that wish to engage in GNSS science, technology and education.”

“The GSA is honoured to be able to host this important global event,” said GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides. “Bringing together the world’s GNSS community, with representatives from all the leading global and regional programs, is crucial to improving the compatibility and interoperability needed to build a multi-constellation program capable of benefiting the end users.”

The UN-established ICG is charged with promoting voluntary cooperation on matters of mutual interest related to civil satellite-based positioning, navigation, timing and value-added services. The organization falls under the auspices of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA).

A Secure Foundation for Galileo

The ICG provides a unique opportunity for representatives from the world’s leading global and regional GNSS programs to give an update on their systems and services. Presenting in Prague was US GPS Coordination Office Director, Harold Martin; Russian Federation Centre for PNT Head of Information and Analysis, Sergey Karutin (GLONASS); China Satellite Navigation Office Director, Chengqi Ran (BeiDou); Indian Space Research Organization Centre, Alak Bankik (IRNSS/GAGAN); Japanese Office of National Space Policy Senior Coordinator, Akihiro Matsumoto (QZSS); and European Commission DG Enterprise and Industry Head of Unit of Galileo and EGNOS Applications, Security and International Cooperation, Christian Siebert.

According to Siebert, with a stable seven year perspective, substantial budget and exploitation-focused governance scheme, the Galileo program has a secure foundation for the future. “The Galileo program has achieved numerous important milestones this year,” he said. “For instance, the ground infrastructure deployment was finalized for initial operations, the new satellite design qualified and the Galileo in Orbit phase successfully concluded.” He also noted that the deployment plan for the Galileo constellation has been secured, with 26 satellites ordered and launcher service contracts signed.

          Also Read: Galileo Service Provision Delegated to the European GNSS Agency

Looking towards 2015, Siebert said next steps include a gradual introduction of the early phase of service delivery, which will rely heavily on interaction with users: “The long-term service plan will be aligned with the trend of most user communities moving towards service levels based on a multi-constellation approach,” he concluded.

Market Opportunities

Of course any talk of interoperability and international cooperation becomes null if it isn’t backed by user-focused GNSS applications.

Speaking on the GNSS application market and opportunities, GSA Head of Market Development Gian Gherardo Calini noted that by 2022 the GNSS device market will be worth over EUR 7 billion, and that this growth is expected to occur across all regions. “This forecast for growth offers substantial business opportunities for the global GNSS industry,” he said.

According to Calini, there are several important drivers behind this growth, including:

• Increasing penetration of GNSS devices in different platforms and devices
• More devices per person and penetration within emerging markets
• More intensive use of GNSS devices
• Disruptive new applications coming on to the market
• Integration of GNSS with other technology and sensors

“In the mass market, we see a growing diversity and volume of mobile applications,” said Calini. “This is particularly true in the integration of GNSS into devices that have traditionally been unrelated to location, such as cameras and watches.”

He also noted drivers within the regulated market, including in rail, maritime and aviation. “In rail, GNSS is becoming a standard feature in non-safety applications such as passenger information,” he said. “While in aviation there is an increasing usage of GNSS navigation, particularly for PBN.”

          Also Read: European Rail, Supported by European GNSS

In the high precision market, a noted increase in the use of precision agriculture is also being seen. This is happening most prominently in developed countries and on large farms – mostly related to crop production.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
ICG
UNOOSA

The European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) is Europe's first venture into satellite navigation. To support its uptake across all market segments, the European Satellite Services Provider (ESSP), in collaboration with  the European GNSS Agency (GSA), organized an annual EGNOS Service Provision Workshop.

Since its launch, the workshop has evolved into an annual event for EGNOS Stakeholders, Users and App Developers. The event is now held over two days and involves debates, showcases, presentations and success stories. The 2014 edition of this Workshop was held from October 7 – 8 in Lisbon, Portugal. Around 170 participants, representing more than 26 countries, were in attendance.

GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides provided the opening address to the delegates. “This workshop is an excellent opportunity to come together, exchange experiences and look ahead,” he said.

ESSP Chief Thierry Racaud agreed, adding: “it is encouraging to see so many EGNOS users within this fora, sharing their experiences and projects with all of us,” he said. “The growing number of GNSS stakeholders makes our job even more challenging, requiring us to put all our effort in promoting the use of EGNOS in the different domains of applications, while continuing to deliver the service in an efficient and safe manner.”

“The future of EGNOS is very positive,” added Des Dorides. ”In the medium term we will have a fully deployed version three, which will bring an extension to the system’s geographic coverage, along with dual frequency and increased accuracy.”

He noted that these expansions will result in a wider adoption of EGNOS, moving beyond aviation and more heavily into, for example, maritime and rail.

“Today we are still facing difficult economic times and the key word we keep hearing is ‘innovation, innovation, innovation’,” he said. “This is what EGNOS is and what it enables – innovation.”

EGNOS Service Update

The first day of the event was devoted to providing the latest updates on EGNOS services and status, along with a ‘state-of-play’ of the EGNOS market. Jean-Marc Pieplu, GNSS Exploitation Program Manager (GSA), and Gian-Gherardo Calini, Head of Market Development (GSA), provided the introductory session and EGNOS Program Update.

According to Pieplu, the key exploitation objectives include:

•    The delivery of continuous and safe signals and services
•    Maintaining and renewing space and ground infrastructure
•    Improving services
•    Enabling the use of EGNOS
•    Developing EGNOS market adoption

“With EGNOS Version Three we will add to this list several new opportunities,” he said. “Specifically, we will focus on designing new services and standards in the maritime and rail sectors, along with extending coverage to neighbouring countries, including the Mediterranean region and the Ukraine.”

Adding to this, Calini noted that each market sector has a unique value chain, “so we must adapt our exploitation strategy for each sector, and the key to doing this is to ensure people are convinced of the importance of EGNOS to their specific sector,” he said. 

Calini noted that the GSA was dedicated to its user driven market approach: “The implementation of market oriented actions enables EU industry and citizens to benefit and helps achieve EU strategic objectives,” he said. “Users do not discriminate as to services or systems, thus we must continue to focus on vertical market segments.”

So where do we want to be by 2020?

According to Calini, on the aviation side he expects to see more than 440 EGNOS-based LPV approaches implemented. In maritime, EGNOS will be adopted as a complementary system to DGNSS infrastructure, and the rail sector will benefit from E-GNSS based positioning. E-GNSS technology will provide multipurpose receivers in every vehicle, and the agricultural sector will see ENGOS as the preferred technology for accomplishing precision agriculture.

Success in the sky

To highlight how these 2020 goals can be achieved across the various market sectors, the Workshop focused on the aviation sector as a case study in success. The afternoon of the first day consisted of various presentations regarding successful EGNOS implementation stories in aviation, debriefed by skyguide, DSNA, Aviation Southwest and VLM. The participants particularly appreciated a presentation from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

According to the presentations, there are presently more than 440 EGNOS-based LPV procedures planned by 2018. For their part, GNSS devices reach 90% penetration in the installed bases as an enabler of Performance Based Navigation. 

However, if everything that is planned is to be achieved by 2020, several things must happen.  First and foremost is fostering EGNOS adoption through enablers/tools/methodologies to facilitate LPV implementation. This includes increasing the availability of efficient avionics solutions and supporting operators in getting both equipped and certified with EGNOS avionics by, for example, including EGNOS in training syllabus,  following ongoing European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)  work and increasing helicopter adoption.

Second is getting ready for LPV-200 capability, followed by exploring E-GNSS potential for communication, navigation and surveillance for all flight phases. The third point made is to exploit advanced operations using GNSS as an enabler (e.g. 4D) and, lastly, to get ready for multi-constellation/multi-frequency solutions. 

Looking towards maritime

Other EGNOS applications outside of the aviation world were the main subject of the Workshop’s second day. Primarily the discussions focused on EGNOS land and maritime applications. Accordingly there were presentations from UNIFE, Telespazio, RSOE, TOPCON and the General Lighthouse Authority of the UK & Ireland. 

The EDAS service for added value applications was also a main theme of the day. The GSA and ESSP also explained the actual status of EGNOS markets, and the actions that are being taken for further EGNOS adoption in multimodal domains.

Specifically as to maritime, GSA, European Commission and European Space Agency efforts are focused on getting EGNOS adopted as a complementary system to DGNSS infrastructure, thus ensuring its role in the future e-Navigation concept. Galileo is in the process of being recognized by International Maritime Organization (IMO) as part of World Wide Radio Navigation System.

The goal to be achieved by 2020 is to have Galileo for navigation in ocean, coastal and restricted waters using double frequency receivers and RAIM (penetration in Rx similar to GLONASS). Differential Galileo (incl. RTK) should be available for high precision operations in ports along with Galileo-SAR return link capability adopted in beacons and EGNOS complementing IALA beacon infrastructure providing integrity information.

To achieve this, Galileo has to be recognized by IMO as part of the WWRNS.  The new IMO performance standards for multi-system ship borne navigation receivers, currently in preparation, will enable the inclusion of EGNOS once the maritime SBAS standards are ready.  Differential Galileo needs to be included in Maritime standards. This requires a promotion campaign of Galileo/SAR return link capability to beacon manufacturers and users, as well as launching an EGNOS/EDAS demonstration project and awareness campaign with the support of EMRF/IALA.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
EGNOS Portal
EGNOS Aviation
EGNOS Maritime

This year’s 20th Ka Conference, held in Vietri, Italy from 1-3 October, drew more than 170 participants from over 20 countries to discuss a range of satellite-related topics, including satellite navigation. The European GNSS Agency (GSA) joined with several presentations.

Many areas of the world are still without affordable communications. The Ka Band Utilization Conference was founded in 1995 with the intention of promoting the use of Ka Band in commercial satellite communications, broadening the available spectrum for users everywhere.

It has largely succeeded. With the Ka Band now firmly established and enabling the deployment of satellites with greater than 100 gigabyte capacity, the Conference is now exploring higher frequencies to permit larger capacity satellites to serve more customers.

In addition to its specific focus on satellite-based communications, the Conference continues to highlight advances being made in other satellite-related fields, including earth observation, deep space exploration, and satellite-based navigation.

Concerning Navigation

The conference featured two full sessions devoted to Galileo applications, both chaired by GSA Head of Market Development Gian Gherardo Calini.
       
Highlights included Calini’s own presentation on a ‘European EGNSS Value Proposition for Users and Industry’, as well as a talk by Marta Krywanis-Brzostowska, also of the GSA, on ‘How GNSS Can Make Our Mobility Safer and More Efficient: Study Cases of Road and Rail’.

          Also Read: European Rail, Supported by European GNSS

Indeed, the transport sectors are making great strides with the help of new GNSS technologies and applications, especially with the introduction of EGNOS, the EU’s satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS).

In his talk on the future of Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT), Marco Lisi of the European Space Agency (ESA) called attention to the important need to consolidate both GNSS- and non-GNSS-based PNT infrastructures: “The answer to this need should come from a consolidation of the GNSS system of systems, pursuing the objectives of compatibility and interoperability among the systems,” he said.

In this respect, Galileo could play a vital role, being the most compatible and interoperable with GPS, and because of its strong service orientation.

Satellite navigation technologies are increasingly common and affordable components in a wide range of innovative applications. By building its own satellite navigation system, Europe is accelerating this trend and inspiring the emergence of innovative applications in various domains.

GSA Market Development Team discussed the rising impact of GNSS on the market, as well as key research gaps. Europe has invested in specific R&D programmes, leading to large portfolio of technologies in order precisely to fill those research gaps.

GNSS is for Real

Finally, in a third session devoted to satellite-based navigation, presenters examined a number of real-word applications, from a safety system for yachts to road vehicle tracking devices and new applications for civil aviation.

          Also Read: EGNOS in Aviation

Altogether more than 100 papers were presented at the Ka Band Conference and associated workshops. The special opening session gathered many of the most important Ka-band personalities from the past 20 years.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
Why Galileo
KA Band Conference

Exhibiting for the first time at a rotorcraft trade show, the European GNSS Agency (GSA), took the Helitech International stage to promote the many benefits that EGNOS brings to the helicopter sector.

The message coming from the GSA booth was clear: EGNOS provides helicopter operators a clear advantage. Specifically, EGNOS enhances vertical precision and integrity to improve safety, accessibility and efficiency for operators, pilots and helipads across Europe. It leads to a substantial reduction in the decision height, making helipads accessible in poor weather conditions – of particular importance to medical and emergency operations.

To ensure the sector fully benefits from EGNOS, since its certification for civil aviation in 2011, the GSA has been pushing for increased adoption in the rotorcraft sector – including Emergency Medical Services.

State-of-Play

As part of the event, the European Helicopter Association (EHA) ran a series of informative seminars, including one highlighting the impact of the SESAR Joint Undertaking on the rotorcraft industry. In particular, the seminar highlighted how EGNOS serves as a technology enabler to SESAR and plays a key role towards the implementation of Performance Based Navigation (PBN) in Europe. GNSS technologies offer operational and safety benefits for rotorcraft and opportunities for the wide development of IFR procedures tailored to the specific needs of rotorcraft. 

“EGNOS enables new helicopter IFR (Instrumental Flight Rules) procedures, called Point in Space down to LPV (PinS LPV), which allow for access to heliports in adverse weather conditions without the need of costly ground infrastructure,” says GSA Market Development Officer Carmen Aguilera. “This provides vertical guidance to lead the flight to a specific point in space, from which the crew performs visual manoeuvring to the landing site.”

Successful implementation has been developed within the EU FP7 funded HEDGE-NEXT project, which implemented the first PinS LPV procedure in Europe, published at Bern’s Insel Hospital in 2014.

Ongoing Trials

A series of flight trials were recently completed at Barcelona Airport to check the suitability of EGNOS for helicopters. New procedures, known as Simultaneous Non-Interfering (SNI) operations, will now be created, expanding airspace capacity at the airport and allowing helicopters to take passengers to and from the airport to city and business destinations.

Interestingly, helicopter approach and departures from civil airports will be at low levels and at 90° to the runway(s) in use – as long as the Runway Visual Range is within stipulated limits – thus precluding conflict with fixed-wing aircraft. 

Good News for Operators

EGNOS is good news for helicopter operators, adds Carmen. “As a key enabler of helicopter instrumental operations, it enhances vertical precision and integrity, thus improving safety and efficiency for operators and pilots at helipads across Europe,” she says. “It also facilitates vertical guided approaches and serves as a high-precision solution.”

The key to taking advantage of these benefits is for the owner/operator to have an EGNOS-equipped helicopter. “New helicopter models already include EGNOS capabilities, such as AgustaWestland’s AW139, AW 109 SP, AW169 and AW189, along with all in-development Airbus Helicopters models,” says Carmen. “Manufacturers displaying here at Helitech International, including Universal Avionics and CMC Electronics, among others, have EGNOS-enabled products, with many also offering retrofit options.”

As EGNOS does not depend on any local ground navigation infrastructure at the heliport, it provides an affordable solution to small heliports or hospital helipads, along with sea-based helipads used by oil rigs where ground infrastructure is impossible.

“With EGNOS, helicopters have access to heliports/helipads in adverse weather conditions and at night, with obvious operational and safety benefits,” concludes Carmen.

She also notes that EGNOS can play a crucial role in saving lives as it improves continuity and regularity in helicopter emergency and medical services and search and rescue operations.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
Helitech International
EGNOS for Aviation

On the last day of its Genova stop, the European Space Expo welcomed its 500,000th visitor. 

The popular European Space Expo (ESE) and its now iconic dome landed on Genova’s Piazzale Mandraccio from the 24 October to 2 November. As the birthplace of Christopher Columbus, the city has a special relationship to navigation – and the perfect host for not only the 22nd edition of the expo, but to the ESE’s 500,000th visitor.

To recognize this achievement, the visitor received a commemorative certificate, presented by the famous Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano, who also paid the expo a visit.

The European Space Expo is an initiative of the European Commission aimed at illustrating the services and applications derived from such European space programs as Galileo and EGNOS in a fun, interactive and accessible way. As part of Genova’s annual Science Festival (festival della scienza), many school children of all ages visited the ESE to gain a hands-on understanding of how space technology benefits them on a day-to-day basis. In addition to its interactive displays, the expo also featured a kid’s corner where students and children could take part in a fun space-themed quiz. 

The exhibition, whose futuristic dome has been traveling around Europe for several years, is open and free to the public. The show continues in 2015, where it is scheduled to visit nine more cities, giving even more European citizens the opportunity to learn how EU investment in space benefits their lives.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
ESE Genova

On the last day of its Genova stop, the European Space Expo welcomed its 500,000th visitor. 

The popular European Space Expo (ESE) and its now iconic dome landed on Genova’s Piazzale Mandraccio from the 24 October to 2 November. As the birthplace of Christopher Columbus, the city has a special relationship to navigation – and the perfect host for not only the 22nd edition of the expo, but to the ESE’s 500,000th visitor.

To recognize this achievement, the visitor received a commemorative certificate, presented by the famous Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano, who also paid the expo a visit.

The European Space Expo is an initiative of the European Commission aimed at illustrating the services and applications derived from such European space programs as Galileo and EGNOS in a fun, interactive and accessible way. As part of Genova’s annual Science Festival (festival della scienza), many school children of all ages visited the ESE to gain a hands-on understanding of how space technology benefits them on a day-to-day basis. In addition to its interactive displays, the expo also featured a kid’s corner where students and children could take part in a fun space-themed quiz. 

The exhibition, whose futuristic dome has been traveling around Europe for several years, is open and free to the public. The show continues in 2015, where it is scheduled to visit nine more cities, giving even more European citizens the opportunity to learn how EU investment in space benefits their lives.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
ESE Genova

On the last day of its Genova stop, the European Space Expo welcomed its 500,000th visitor. 

The popular European Space Expo (ESE) and its now iconic dome landed on Genova’s Piazzale Mandraccio from the 24 October to 2 November. As the birthplace of Christopher Columbus, the city has a special relationship to navigation – and the perfect host for not only the 22nd edition of the expo, but to the ESE’s 500,000th visitor.

To recognize this achievement, the visitor received a commemorative certificate, presented by the famous Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano, who also paid the expo a visit.

The European Space Expo is an initiative of the European Commission aimed at illustrating the services and applications derived from such European space programs as Galileo and EGNOS in a fun, interactive and accessible way. As part of Genova’s annual Science Festival (festival della scienza), many school children of all ages visited the ESE to gain a hands-on understanding of how space technology benefits them on a day-to-day basis. In addition to its interactive displays, the expo also featured a kid’s corner where students and children could take part in a fun space-themed quiz. 

The exhibition, whose futuristic dome has been traveling around Europe for several years, is open and free to the public. The show continues in 2015, where it is scheduled to visit nine more cities, giving even more European citizens the opportunity to learn how EU investment in space benefits their lives.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
ESE Genova

On the last day of its Genova stop, the European Space Expo welcomed its 500,000th visitor. 

The popular European Space Expo (ESE) and its now iconic dome landed on Genova’s Piazzale Mandraccio from the 24 October to 2 November. As the birthplace of Christopher Columbus, the city has a special relationship to navigation – and the perfect host for not only the 22nd edition of the expo, but to the ESE’s 500,000th visitor.

To recognize this achievement, the visitor received a commemorative certificate, presented by the famous Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano, who also paid the expo a visit.

The European Space Expo is an initiative of the European Commission aimed at illustrating the services and applications derived from such European space programs as Galileo and EGNOS in a fun, interactive and accessible way. As part of Genova’s annual Science Festival (festival della scienza), many school children of all ages visited the ESE to gain a hands-on understanding of how space technology benefits them on a day-to-day basis. In addition to its interactive displays, the expo also featured a kid’s corner where students and children could take part in a fun space-themed quiz. 

The exhibition, whose futuristic dome has been traveling around Europe for several years, is open and free to the public. The show continues in 2015, where it is scheduled to visit nine more cities, giving even more European citizens the opportunity to learn how EU investment in space benefits their lives.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
ESE Genova

The first ever Satellite Masters Conference took place in Berlin on 23 and 24 October complementing the 2014 edition of the European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC). The conference focused on the emerging satellite applications market and attracted delegates from start-ups, SMEs, researchers investors, institutional stakeholders and industry from across Europe and beyond. The European GNSS Agency (GSA) contributed to a variety of conference sessions.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
ESNC
Satellite Masters Conference
EGNOS and Precision Agriculture

The first ever Satellite Masters Conference took place in Berlin on 23 and 24 October complementing the 2014 edition of the European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC). The conference focused on the emerging satellite applications market and attracted delegates from start-ups, SMEs, researchers investors, institutional stakeholders and industry from across Europe and beyond. The European GNSS Agency (GSA) contributed to a variety of conference sessions.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
ESNC
Satellite Masters Conference
EGNOS and Precision Agriculture

The EGNOS Service Provider ESSP, on behalf of the European GNSS Agency, has signed new Working Agreements with Slovak and Romanian air navigation service providers (ANSPs), paving the way for the two countries to begin introducing EGNOS-based LPV approach procedures.

The EU’s satellite-based augmentation system, EGNOS, provides a cost-effective alternative to Category Instrument Landing System(ILS CAT 1) approaches, offering similar performance reducing the cost of infrastructure installation and maintenance. In addition, the use of EGNOS itself is free of charge.

Also Read: Gothenburg City Airport pioneers LPV approach in Sweden

The establishment of an EGNOS Working Agreement lays operational and legal foundations, formalising the working procedures and required interfaces between ESSP and the airport or other navigation entity willing to use the EGNOS Safety-of-Life Service as a navigation aid. The Agreement is the necessary step before the publication of APV-1 SBAS approaches.

EGNOS in the Slovak Republic

Thierry Racaud, ESSP CEO, and Miroslav Bartos, President of the Slovak ANSP Letové Prevádzkové Služby Slovenskej Republiky (LPS), signed an EGNOS Working Agreement last September, opening the way for the implementation of EGNOS-based approach procedures in the Slovak Republic.

Also Read: GSA and Eurocontrol Announce Cooperation Agreement

Four procedures are now anticipated in the Slovak Republic, within the framework of the EU FP7 funded ACCEPTA project, managed by GSA, which is aimed at accelerating the adoption of EGNOS in the aviation sector. The procedures will cover specified approaches at Kosice and Bratislava Airports, all expected around the end of November 2014.

EGNOS in Romania

Also last September, a new EGNOS Working Agreement was sealed between Racaud and Ion Aurel Stanciu, General Director of Romania’s ANSP, ROMATSA. As with the Slovak Republic, this agreement paves the way for publication of EGNOS-based approach procedures in Romania.

Planned for 2015, Cluj Airport will be the first airport in Romania to have an EGNOS-based procedure. The procedure design and implementation is financed by the European GNSS Agency (GSA), as a part of its support plan to foster EGNOS adoption in aviation.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
EGNOS Portal
EGNOS and Aviation

The EGNOS Service Provider ESSP, on behalf of the European GNSS Agency, has signed new Working Agreements with Slovak and Romanian air navigation service providers (ANSPs), paving the way for the two countries to begin introducing EGNOS-based LPV approach procedures.

The EU’s satellite-based augmentation system, EGNOS, provides a cost-effective alternative to Category Instrument Landing System(ILS CAT 1) approaches, offering similar performance without the need for infrastructure installation and maintenance. In addition, the use of EGNOS itself is free of charge.

Also Read: Gothenburg City Airport pioneers LPV approach in Sweden

The establishment of an EGNOS Working Agreement lays operational and legal foundations, formalising the working procedures and required interfaces between ESSP and the airport or other navigation entity willing to use the EGNOS Safety-of-Life Service as a navigation aid. The Agreement is the necessary step before the publication of APV-1 SBAS approaches.

EGNOS in the Slovak Republic

Thierry Racaud, ESSP CEO, and Miroslav Bartos, President of the Slovak ANSP Letové Prevádzkové Služby Slovenskej Republiky (LPS), signed an EGNOS Working Agreement last September, opening the way for the implementation of EGNOS-based approach procedures in the Slovak Republic.

Also Read: GSA and Eurocontrol Announce Cooperation Agreement

Four procedures are now anticipated in the Slovak Republic, within the framework of the EU FP7 funded ACCEPTA project, managed by GSA, which is aimed at accelerating the adoption of EGNOS in the aviation sector. The procedures will cover specified approaches at Kosice and Bratislava Airports, all expected around the end of November 2014.

EGNOS in Romania

Also last September, a new EGNOS Working Agreement was sealed between Racaud and Ion Aurel Stanciu, General Director of Romania’s ANSP, ROMATSA. As with the Slovak Republic, this agreement paves the way for publication of EGNOS-based approach procedures in Romania.

Planned for 2015, Cluj Airport will be the first airport in Romania to have an EGNOS-based procedure. The procedure design and implementation is financed by the European GNSS Agency (GSA), as a part of its support plan to foster EGNOS adoption in aviation.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
EGNOS Portal
EGNOS and Aviation

The EGNOS Service Provider ESSP, on behalf of the European GNSS Agency, has signed new Working Agreements with Slovak and Romanian air navigation service providers (ANSPs), paving the way for the two countries to begin introducing EGNOS-based LPV approach procedures.

The EU’s satellite-based augmentation system, EGNOS, provides a cost-effective alternative to Category Instrument Landing System(ILS CAT 1) approaches, offering similar performance without the need for navigation infrastructure installation and maintenance. In addition, the use of EGNOS itself is free of charge.

Also Read: Gothenburg City Airport pioneers LPV approach in Sweden

The establishment of an EGNOS Working Agreement lays operational and legal foundations, formalising the working procedures and required interfaces between ESSP and the airport or other navigation entity willing to use the EGNOS Safety-of-Life Service as a navigation aid. The Agreement is the necessary step before the publication of APV-1 SBAS approaches.

EGNOS in the Slovak Republic

Thierry Racaud, ESSP CEO, and Miroslav Bartos, President of the Slovak ANSP Letové Prevádzkové Služby Slovenskej Republiky (LPS), signed an EGNOS Working Agreement last September, opening the way for the implementation of EGNOS-based approach procedures in the Slovak Republic.

Also Read: GSA and Eurocontrol Announce Cooperation Agreement

Four procedures are now anticipated in the Slovak Republic, within the framework of the EU FP7 funded ACCEPTA project, managed by GSA, which is aimed at accelerating the adoption of EGNOS in the aviation sector. The procedures will cover specified approaches at Kosice and Bratislava Airports, all expected around the end of November 2014.

EGNOS in Romania

Also last September, a new EGNOS Working Agreement was sealed between Racaud and Ion Aurel Stanciu, General Director of Romania’s ANSP, ROMATSA. As with the Slovak Republic, this agreement paves the way for publication of EGNOS-based approach procedures in Romania.

Planned for 2015, Cluj Airport will be the first airport in Romania to have an EGNOS-based procedure. The procedure design and implementation is financed by the European GNSS Agency (GSA), as a part of its support plan to foster EGNOS adoption in aviation.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
EGNOS Portal
EGNOS and Aviation

The EGNOS Service Provider ESSP, in-line with the service expansion plans set-out by the GSA, has signed new Working Agreements with Slovak and Romanian air navigation service providers (ANSPs), paving the way for the two countries to begin introducing EGNOS-based LPV approach procedures.

The EU’s satellite-based augmentation system, EGNOS, provides a cost-effective alternative to Category Instrument Landing System(ILS CAT 1) approaches, offering similar performance reducing the cost of infrastructure installation and maintenance. In addition, the use of EGNOS itself is free of charge.

Also Read: Gothenburg City Airport pioneers LPV approach in Sweden

The establishment of an EGNOS Working Agreement lays operational and legal foundations, formalising the working procedures and required interfaces between ESSP and the airport or other navigation entity willing to use the EGNOS Safety-of-Life Service as a navigation aid. The Agreement is the necessary step before the publication of APV-1 SBAS approaches.

EGNOS in the Slovak Republic

Thierry Racaud, ESSP CEO, and Miroslav Bartos, President of the Slovak ANSP Letové Prevádzkové Služby Slovenskej Republiky (LPS), signed an EGNOS Working Agreement last September, opening the way for the implementation of EGNOS-based approach procedures in the Slovak Republic.

Also Read: GSA and Eurocontrol Announce Cooperation Agreement

Four procedures are now anticipated in the Slovak Republic, within the framework of the EU FP7 funded ACCEPTA project, managed by GSA, which is aimed at accelerating the adoption of EGNOS in the aviation sector. The procedures will cover specified approaches at Kosice and Bratislava Airports, all expected around the end of November 2014.

EGNOS in Romania

Also last September, a new EGNOS Working Agreement was sealed between Racaud and Ion Aurel Stanciu, General Director of Romania’s ANSP, ROMATSA. As with the Slovak Republic, this agreement paves the way for publication of EGNOS-based approach procedures in Romania.

Planned for 2015, Cluj Airport will be the first airport in Romania to have an EGNOS-based procedure. The procedure design and implementation is financed by the European GNSS Agency (GSA), as a part of its support plan to foster EGNOS adoption in aviation.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
EGNOS Portal
EGNOS and Aviation

The EGNOS Service Provider ESSP, on behalf of the European GNSS Agency, has signed new Working Agreements with Slovak and Romanian air navigation service providers (ANSPs), paving the way for the two countries to begin introducing EGNOS-based LPV approach procedures.

The EU’s satellite-based augmentation system, EGNOS, provides a cost-effective alternative to Category Instrument Landing System(ILS CAT 1) approaches, offering similar performance reducing the cost of infrastructure installation and maintenance. In addition, the use of EGNOS itself is free of charge.

Also Read: Gothenburg City Airport pioneers LPV approach in Sweden

The establishment of an EGNOS Working Agreement lays operational and legal foundations, formalising the working procedures and required interfaces between ESSP and the airport or other navigation entity willing to use the EGNOS Safety-of-Life Service as a navigation aid. The Agreement is the necessary step before the publication of APV-1 SBAS approaches.

EGNOS in the Slovak Republic

Thierry Racaud, ESSP CEO, and Miroslav Bartos, President of the Slovak ANSP Letové Prevádzkové Služby Slovenskej Republiky (LPS), signed an EGNOS Working Agreement last September, opening the way for the implementation of EGNOS-based approach procedures in the Slovak Republic.

Also Read: GSA and Eurocontrol Announce Cooperation Agreement

Four procedures are now anticipated in the Slovak Republic, within the framework of the EU FP7 funded ACCEPTA project, managed by GSA, which is aimed at accelerating the adoption of EGNOS in the aviation sector. The procedures will cover specified approaches at Kosice and Bratislava Airports, all expected around the end of November 2014.

EGNOS in Romania

Also last September, a new EGNOS Working Agreement was sealed between Racaud and Ion Aurel Stanciu, General Director of Romania’s ANSP, ROMATSA. As with the Slovak Republic, this agreement paves the way for publication of EGNOS-based approach procedures in Romania.

Planned for 2015, Cluj Airport will be the first airport in Romania to have an EGNOS-based procedure. The procedure design and implementation is financed by the European GNSS Agency (GSA), as a part of its support plan to foster EGNOS adoption in aviation.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
EGNOS Portal
EGNOS and Aviation

The Galileo Public Regulated Service (PRS) will be a unique feature of the EU’s new Galileo Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). This robust and secure signal will be made available to authorised users, such as emergency services, via authorised national authorities. To highlight the capabilities of PRS, this year’s European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC) and the Satellite Masters conference featured it as a special topic.

The Galileo Public Regulated Service (PRS) is an encrypted navigation service designed to be more resistant to jamming, involuntary interference and spoofing. It combines the robust characteristics of a military GNSS signal with the huge potential of a civilian-controlled GNSS.

To further explore the full potential of future PRS applications, the German Federal Government launched the ​PRS Special Prize at this year’s European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC) in Berlin. In parallel, the PRS session of the ​Satellite Masters conference (also in Berlin) provided an overview of the many innovative ideas submitted as part of the competition. Put together, the session demonstrated the state of play and the way forward for Galileo PRS, with contributions from the public and private sector who evaluated market opportunities and discussed risks and challenges for future development.

Opening the session, Ulrich Reinfried of the German Competent PRS authority (CPA) - part of the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) – described some of the reasons that PRS should be of great interest to all European civil authorities: “PRS improves the security of critical infrastructure, enhances robustness against jamming and spoofing for the next generation of governmental systems,” he said.

He specifically noted that as many vital government services rely on accurate positioning information, ensuring that this information is both secure and reliable is incredibly important. “Galileo PRS will provide a new standard for reliability and trust for positioning data,” he said.

Highly trustable

Describing the main features of PRS and the opportunities it presents, the GSA’s Claudio Palestini said “the PRS uses a dual band signal (using both Galileo’s E1 and E6 signals) that makes it much more resistant to interference. The result is a highly trustable position velocity and timing service.”

The management of security is at the heart of the PRS system. At the EU level, two Galileo Security Monitoring Centres (GMSC) have been established and several Member States have established CPAs tasked with managing and controlling the use of PRS services and manufacturing of PRS equipment, including the production and control of PRS receivers. “In addition to EU Member States, some third countries have also manifested their interest in accessing PRS,” said Claudio Palestini.

Low-cost receivers

The potential market for PRS is huge. There are an estimated some three million civilian security personnel (police, emergency services, etc.) in Europe, and the majority may require access to PRS. In addition, other markets for PRS receivers may include secure timing and synchronisation services for such critical infrastructures as banking and smart power grids.

However, the key to rapid uptake will be the availability of low-cost secure PRS mobile receivers.

Luckily, just such a receiver system was the recipient of the overall Galileo Masters award, as well as the Bavarian regional prize and the PRS Special Prize winner, at ESNC 2014.

Drs Jan Wendel and Wolfgang Kogler of Airbus Defence and Space, who accepted the prize, said their innovation aims to reduce the complexity of the receiver while maintaining its highly secure operating environment. To do this, they developed a solution that removes the need for a security module on the receiver handset, instead confining the security element on central ‘assistance servers’ that generate the navigation message in a secure environment. This message is then broadcast to conventional professional mobile radio (PMR) units, including the based TETRA and TETRAPOL radio communication models..

“This means the computational load is independent from the number of users, but implements and ensures PRS access control by including all security features while delivering low operating costs for the user receivers,” said Kogler.

The Airbus team got their idea after attending a GSA organised PRS workshop last summer. “We saw the potential benefit from PRS and also saw the issues,” recalls Kogler. “On the plane back from the workshop we got the idea.”

Running the lights

Rainier Horn of SpaceTec Partners presented an example of a potential area for PRS operation from Finland. The concept had been developed and implemented by the city council of the northern Finnish city of Oulu, but can be extended to other cities across Europe.

Oulu experiences an extended winter with icy roads and high snowfall. This makes driving conditions tricky and emergency vehicles responding to incidents are involved in a relatively high number of accidents. To alleviate this, the town developed the HALI project to link a monitoring system that includes CCTV and GNSS tracking with the central traffic light control system. This enables emergency vehicles to be ‘green lighted’ through the main urban intersections to an incident anywhere in the municipal area.

Now emergency vehicles are getting to incidents faster and accidents involving them have been practically eliminated, with benefits for safety all round. The addition of PRS to this system could add a further layer of security and allow a wider secure deployment.

UAV + PRS

The final presentation of the session looked at the possible implementation of PRS into customised high performance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

Oier Penagaricano of Alerion Technologies showed how UAVs can operate in extreme environments and act as substitutes for manned operations when conditions are too hazardous. The key is the incorporation of PRS into such vehicles to extend secure operations for missions such as search and rescue, along with complementing existing manned missions. The result is increased effectiveness and flexibility in challenging environments and at a low cost.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
ESNC
Satellite Masters Conference
Galileo PRS

The Galileo Public Regulated Service (PRS) will be a unique feature of the EU’s new Galileo Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). This robust and secure signal will be made available to authorised users, such as emergency services, via authorised national authorities. To highlight the capabilities of PRS, this year’s European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC) and the Satellite Masters conference featured it as a special topic.

The Galileo Public Regulated Service (PRS) is an encrypted navigation service designed to be more resistant to jamming, involuntary interference and spoofing. It combines the robust characteristics of a military GNSS signal with the huge potential of a civilian-controlled GNSS.

To further explore the full potential of future PRS applications, the German Federal Government launched the ​PRS Special Prize at this year’s European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC) in Berlin. In parallel, the PRS session of the ​Satellite Masters conference (also in Berlin) provided an overview of the many innovative ideas submitted as part of the competition. Put together, the session demonstrated the state of play and the way forward for Galileo PRS, with contributions from the public and private sector who evaluated market opportunities and discussed risks and challenges for future development.

Opening the session, Ulrich Reinfried of the German Competent PRS authority (CPA) - part of the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) – described some of the reasons that PRS should be of great interest to all European civil authorities: “PRS improves the security of critical infrastructure, enhances robustness against jamming and spoofing for the next generation of governmental systems,” he said.

He specifically noted that as many vital government services rely on accurate positioning information, ensuring that this information is both secure and reliable is incredibly important. “Galileo PRS will provide a new standard for reliability and trust for positioning data,” he said.

Highly trustable

Describing the main features of PRS and the opportunities it presents, the GSA’s Claudio Palestini said “the PRS uses a dual band signal (using both Galileo’s E1 and E6 signals) that makes it much more resistant to interference. The result is a highly trustable position velocity and timing service.”

The management of security is at the heart of the PRS system. At the EU level, two Galileo Security Monitoring Centres (GMSC) have been established and several Member States have established CPAs tasked with managing and controlling the use of PRS services and manufacturing of PRS equipment, including the production and control of PRS receivers. “In addition to EU Member States, some third countries have also manifested their interest in accessing PRS,” said Claudio Palestini.

Low-cost receivers

The potential market for PRS is huge. There are an estimated some three million civilian security personnel (police, emergency services, etc.) in Europe, and the majority may require access to PRS. In addition, other markets for PRS receivers may include secure timing and synchronisation services for such critical infrastructures as banking and smart power grids.

However, the key to rapid uptake will be the availability of low-cost secure PRS mobile receivers.

Luckily, just such a receiver system was the recipient of the overall Galileo Masters award, as well as the Bavarian regional prize and the PRS Special Prize winner, at ESNC 2014.

Drs Jan Wendel and Wolfgang Kogler of Airbus Defence and Space, who accepted the prize, said their innovation aims to reduce the complexity of the receiver while maintaining its highly secure operating environment. To do this, they developed a solution that removes the need for a security module on the receiver handset, instead confining the security element on central ‘assistance servers’ that generate the navigation message in a secure environment. This message is then broadcast to conventional professional mobile radio (PMR) units, including the based TETRA and TETRAPOL radio communication models..

“This means the computational load is independent from the number of users, but implements and ensures PRS access control by including all security features while delivering low operating costs for the user receivers,” said Kogler.

The Airbus team got their idea after attending a GSA organised PRS workshop last summer. “We saw the potential benefit from PRS and also saw the issues,” recalls Kogler. “On the plane back from the workshop we got the idea.”

Running the lights

Rainier Horn of SpaceTec Partners presented an example of a potential area for PRS operation from Finland. The concept had been developed and implemented by the city council of the northern Finnish city of Oulu, but can be extended to other cities across Europe.

Oulu experiences an extended winter with icy roads and high snowfall. This makes driving conditions tricky and emergency vehicles responding to incidents are involved in a relatively high number of accidents. To alleviate this, the town developed the HALI project to link a monitoring system that includes CCTV and GNSS tracking with the central traffic light control system. This enables emergency vehicles to be ‘green lighted’ through the main urban intersections to an incident anywhere in the municipal area.

Now emergency vehicles are getting to incidents faster and accidents involving them have been practically eliminated, with benefits for safety all round. The addition of PRS to this system could add a further layer of security and allow a wider secure deployment.

UAV + PRS

The final presentation of the session looked at the possible implementation of PRS into customised high performance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

Oier Penagaricano of Alerion Technologies showed how UAVs can operate in extreme environments and act as substitutes for manned operations when conditions are too hazardous. The key is the incorporation of PRS into such vehicles to extend secure operations for missions such as search and rescue, along with complementing existing manned missions. The result is increased effectiveness and flexibility in challenging environments and at a low cost.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
ESNC
Satellite Masters Conference
Galileo PRS

The Galileo Public Regulated Service (PRS) will be a unique feature of the EU’s new Galileo Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). This robust and secure signal will be made available to authorised users, such as emergency services, via authorised national authorities. To highlight the capabilities of PRS, this year’s European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC) and the Satellite Masters conference featured it as a special topic.

The Galileo Public Regulated Service (PRS) is an encrypted navigation service designed to be more resistant to jamming, involuntary interference and spoofing. It combines the robust characteristics of a military GNSS signal with the huge potential of a civilian-controlled GNSS.

To further explore the full potential of future PRS applications, the German Federal Government launched the ​PRS Special Prize at this year’s European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC) in Berlin. In parallel, the PRS session of the ​Satellite Masters conference (also in Berlin) provided an overview of the many innovative ideas submitted as part of the competition. Put together, the session demonstrated the state of play and the way forward for Galileo PRS, with contributions from the public and private sector who evaluated market opportunities and discussed risks and challenges for future development.

Opening the session, Ulrich Reinfried of the German Competent PRS authority (CPA) - part of the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) – described some of the reasons that PRS should be of great interest to all European civil authorities: “PRS improves the security of critical infrastructure, ​enhances privacy protection and enables the next generation of traffic management systems,” he said.

He specifically noted that as many vital government services rely on accurate positioning information, ensuring that this information is both secure and reliable is incredibly important. “Galileo PRS will provide a new standard for reliability and trust for positioning data,” he said.

Highly trustable

Describing the infrastructure behindmain features of PRS and the opportunities it presents, the GSA’s Claudio Palestini said “the PRS uses a dual band signal (using both Galileo’s E1 and E5 E6 signals) that makes it much more resistant to interference. The result is a highly trustable position velocity and timing service.”

The secure management of encryption keyssecurity is at the heart of the PRS system. At the EU level, two Galileo Security Monitoring Centres (GMSC) have been established and several Member States have established CPAs tasked with managing and controlling production andthe use of PRS services and manufacturing of PRS equipment, including the production and control of PRS receivers. “In addition to EU Member States, some third countries the United States, Norway and Switzerland have also manifested their interest in requested accessing to PRS,” said Claudio Palestini.

Low-cost receivers

The potential market for PRS is huge. There are an estimated some three million civilian security personnel (police, emergency services, etc.) in Europe, and the majority will may require access to PRS. In addition, other markets for PRS receivers may include secure timing and synchronisation services for such critical infrastructures as banking and smart power grids.

However, the key to rapid uptake will be the availability of low-cost secure PRS mobile receivers.

Luckily, just such a receiver system was the recipient of the overall Galileo Masters award, as well as the Bavarian regional prize and the PRS Special Prize winner, at ESNC 2014.

Drs Jan Wendel and Wolfgang Kogler of Airbus Defence and Space, who accepted the prize, said their innovation aims to reduce the complexity of the receiver while maintaining its highly secure operating environment. To do this, they developed a solution that removes the need for a security module on the receiver handset, instead confining the security element on central ‘assistance servers’ that generate the navigation message in a secure environment. This message is then broadcast to conventional professional mobile radio (PMR) units, including the TETRA and TETRAPOL models (this are radio communication standards the word "based" should be inserted behind the word "TETRAPOL").

“This means the computational load is independent from the number of users, but implements and ensures PRS access control by including all security features while delivering low operating costs for the user receivers,” said Kogler.

The Airbus team got their idea after attending a GSA organised PRS workshop last summer. “We saw the potential benefit from PRS and also saw the issues,” recalls Kogler. “On the plane back from the workshop we got the idea.”

Running the lights

Rainier Horn of SpaceTec Partners presented an example of a potential area for PRS operation from Finland. The concept had been developed and implemented by the city council of the northern Finnish city of Oulu, but can be extended to other cities across Europe.
 
Oulu experiences an extended winter with icy roads and high snowfall. This makes driving conditions tricky and emergency vehicles responding to incidents are involved in a relatively high number of accidents. To alleviate this, the town developed the HALI project to link a monitoring system that includes CCTV and GNSS tracking with the central traffic light control system. This enables emergency vehicles to be ‘green lighted’ through the main urban intersections to an incident anywhere in the municipal area.
Now emergency vehicles are getting to incidents faster and accidents involving them have been practically eliminated, with benefits for safety all round. The addition of PRS to this system will could add a further layer of security and allow a wider secure deployment.

UAV + PRS

The final presentation of the session looked at the possible implementation of PRS into customised high performance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

Oier Penagaricano of Alerion Technologies showed how UAVs can operate in extreme environments and act as substitutes for manned operations when conditions are too hazardous. The key is the incorporation of PRS into such vehicles to extend secure operations for missions such as search and rescue, along with complementing existing manned missions. The result is increased effectiveness and flexibility in challenging environments and at a low cost.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information

The European GNSS Agency
ESNC
Satellite Masters Conference
Galileo PRS

This year’s International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA) Global Summit featured a lively debate on ‘Innovations & Technologies for Sustainable Mobility, Environment and Road Safety’. Also on the agenda was the future of GNSS-based road-pricing applications.

Satellite-based technologies such as EGNOS, and in the future Galileo, enable quick implementation of tolling schemes for large road networks without the need for costly roadside infrastructure, together with a broad range of new applications. More and more, toll-road operators around Europe are experiencing for themselves the EGNOS advantage.

Speaking at a special session on ‘The Age of Mobility’, European GNSS Agency (GSA) Head of Market Development Gian Gherardo Calini, said: “With EGNOS already in 70% of the receivers on the market today, clearly GNSS receiver manufacturers believe in European satellite navigation services and applications. This is because, to put it simply, it delivers extra accuracy when you need it, at no cost.”

“In addition, it is important to note that receiver manufacturers have already enabled multiple constellation capability  in their receivers, as more than 35% of models on the market already have Galileo,” he adds. “This is a remarkable achievement in light of future operational services.”

Calini emphasised the fact that EGNOS is free, saying “the European Union is targeting measurable macroeconomic benefits at the European level and these benefits extend to the road industry, as well as to other related mass market segments, like location based services, and thus to all citizens.”

A Real Difference

The accuracy and reliability of the signal provided by multiple GNSS – whether GPS, Glonass or Galileo – in combination with EGNOS in Europe, allow for greater efficiency in the use of resources. This increase in efficiency brings both economic and environmental benefits, including reductions in traffic congestion and road-side infrastructures.

“EGNOS increases your level of confidence in the GPS signal. In addition, Galileo will provide signal authentication,” said Calini “This means protection against spoofing attempts, a facilitated process for the legal use of GNSS positioning in regulated road applications and other payment-critical and liability-related applications.”

GNSS can be used to charge based on different criteria – time, distance, place, vehicle type, level of emissions – and can be adapted to evolving needs. Extensibility, high revenue potential, low transaction costs, improved traffic management and environmental performance are all on the table with GNSS and EGNOS.

GNSS has demonstrated that it can cohabitate with existing tolling technologies, such as DSRC, in order to enable applications and solutions for road users and service providers.

Interoperability High on the Agenda

Calini discussed both GNSS and DSRC technologies in the context of road tolling: “The main OBU [onboard unit] manufacturers are ready to meet the needs of the next generation of fully interoperable hybrid tolling systems. Solutions are already on the market to allow you to drive with the same OBU in different countries, using the two different technologies.”

These new hybrid OBUs are compliant with all currently defined standards under the planned European Electronic Toll Service (EETS). To move things forward, the EU-funded project “Regional EETS” is testing this concept in ‘regional’ tolling clusters that could grow, merge and eventually lead to a unified continent-wide system.

Nowhere have the strengths of GNSS and EGNOS technologies been more clearly demonstrated than in Slovakia, where operators used GNSS technologies to scale up their existing road-charging network by over 15,000 km within just three months, with full interoperability.

“Slovakia is just one of a number of very good examples where investment in GNSS provides a cost and time efficient approach to tolling, particularly on complex road networks in which thousands of road segments can be charged accurately and where extensions to the tolled network can be easily realized,” said Calini. “GNSS and EGNOS technologies will continue being a fundamental part of Europe’s future intelligent transport system, providing reliability, cost- and time efficiency, accuracy and new and fairer methods of road pricing.”

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information

The European GNSS Agency

EGNOS for Road

IBTTA 2014

Space service providers, developers and end users discuss innovation at Space Days 2014.

Some 320 participants from industry, universities, government institutions and agencies, as well as end users, gathered at the Euro Space Centre in Transinne, Belgium, from 13-17 October for the 2014 Space Days conference. Aimed at keeping space technology specialists up-to-date with progress on Galileo and Copernicus, this year’s event expanded the conference’s scope to include an opportunity for end users to gather together with developers and service providers to explore the new business and scientific opportunities these systems offer.

Organised by Wallonie Espace, Space Days has been held every two years since 2006.

State-of-Play

In an introductory presentation, GSA Executive Director Carlo Des Dorides set the stage by highlighting the need to develop innovative real-world applications.  “The GSA is in charge of a very important shift towards the user,” he said. “And Space Days is an important platform for supporting this move.”

At a round table discussion on the current state-of-play regarding Galileo and Copernicus, Head of EU Satellite Navigation Programme Unit and Galileo Programme Manager Paul Flament emphasised the economic stakes of Europe’s satellite navigation systems: “Six percent of European Gross National Product relies on satellite navigation,” he said, adding that Galileo will offer more services and signals than GPS does today. However, he said the real breakthrough will come by combining the systems, “which will offer much better coverage and accuracy than we have today.”

Meanwhile, European Commission Head of Copernicus Service Unit Mauro Facchini outlined the potential benefits for end users of the Copernicus earth monitoring system. “Copernicus will enable a whole new range of innovative and unique services for policy makers, as well as citizens,” he said.

Expanding on this topic, GSA Head of Market Development Gian Gherardo Calini illustrated some of the various activities happening at GSA and aimed at supporting key user segments in the adoption of GNSS.

What We Need

A key feature of the conference was a series of workshops where end users could let developers know exactly what they needed. According to Wallonie Espace Executive Officer and Skywin Aerospace Cluster Deputy Director Michel Stassart, without this input “it can be a nightmare for space application developers, as they don’t touch the right people and the business models are not well focused.”

Currently, he explains, some of the applications for earth observation data may be innovative, but they have a limited market, such as tracking the spread of Lyme disease, or monitoring vineyards. Some new opportunities, such as monitoring water leaks in real time, could save millions of euros a year he says.

About 35% of the event’s participants were end users. “This isn’t perfect,” says Stassart, “but in my view it was a success.” 

Coming from a wide range of sectors, including air, road, rail, river and maritime transport, energy grid management, wind farms, agriculture, crisis management and the biomedical sector, end users were not only able to see successful applications from around 20 developers, but also able to think about how Copernicus and Galileo could help solve their own needs.

“By the end of the meeting we had 11 expressions of needs,” adds Stassart. “Now it’s important to follow this up.” He plans to invite these end users to other exploratory meetings before the end of the year.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
Space Days 2014

Space service providers, developers and end users discuss innovation at Space Days 2014.

Some 320 participants from industry, universities, government institutions and agencies, as well as end users, gathered at the Euro Space Centre in Transinne, Belgium, from 13-17 October for the 2014 Space Days conference. Aimed at keeping space technology specialists up-to-date with progress on Galileo and Copernicus, this year’s event expanded the conference’s scope to include an opportunity for end users to gather together with developers and service providers to explore the new business and scientific opportunities these systems offer.

Organised by Wallonie Espace, Space Days has been held every two years since 2006.

State-of-Play

In an introductory presentation, GSA Executive Director Carlo Des Dorides set the stage by highlighting the need to develop innovative real-world applications.  “The GSA is in charge of a very important shift towards the user,” he said. “And Space Days is an important platform for supporting this move.”

At a round table discussion on the current state-of-play regarding Galileo and Copernicus, Head of EU Satellite Navigation Programme Unit and Galileo Programme Manager Paul Flament emphasised the economic stakes of Europe’s satellite navigation systems: “Six percent of European Gross National Product relies on satellite navigation,” he said, adding that Galileo will offer more services and signals than GPS does today. However, he said the real breakthrough will come by combining the systems, “which will offer much better coverage and accuracy than we have today.”

Meanwhile, European Commission Head of Copernicus Service Unit Mauro Facchini outlined the potential benefits for end users of the Copernicus earth monitoring system. “Copernicus will enable a whole new range of innovative and unique services for policy makers, as well as citizens,” he said.

Expanding on this topic, GSA Head of Market Development Gian Gherardo Calini illustrated some of the various activities happening at GSA and aimed at supporting key user segments in the adoption of GNSS.

What We Need

A key feature of the conference was a series of workshops where end users could let developers know exactly what they needed. According to Wallonie Espace Executive Officer and Skywin Aerospace Cluster Deputy Director Michel Stassart, without this input “it can be a nightmare for space application developers, as they don’t touch the right people and the business models are not well focused.”

Currently, he explains, some of the applications for earth observation data may be innovative, but they have a limited market, such as tracking the spread of Lyme disease, or monitoring vineyards. Some new opportunities, such as monitoring water leaks in real time, could save millions of euros a year he says.

About 35% of the event’s participants were end users. “This isn’t perfect,” says Stassart, “but in my view it was a success.” 

Coming from a wide range of sectors, including air, road, rail, river and maritime transport, energy grid management, wind farms, agriculture, crisis management and the biomedical sector, end users were not only able to see successful applications from around 20 developers, but also able to think about how Copernicus and Galileo could help solve their own needs.

“By the end of the meeting we had 11 expressions of needs,” adds Stassart. “Now it’s important to follow this up.” He plans to invite these end users to other exploratory meetings before the end of the year.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
Space Days 2014

On 23 October, the international satellite navigation industry gathered in Berlin to award prizes to this year's best innovations in the commercial use of satellite navigation technology. The big winner of the European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC) 2014 was Airbus Defence & Space, which won over the jury of global experts with its ground-breaking and cost-effective receiver for the Galileo Public Regulated Service (PRS).

On 23 October, the international satellite navigation industry gathered in Berlin to award prizes to this year's best innovations in the commercial use of satellite navigation technology. The big winner of the European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC) 2014 was Airbus Defence & Space, which won over the jury of global experts with its ground-breaking and cost-effective receiver for the Galileo Public Regulated Service (PRS).

The 2014 Galileo Masters award-winners Dr Wolfgang Kogler and Dr Jan Wendel from Airbus Defence & Space have taken a cutting-edge approach to designing a low-cost receiver that will enable police departments, fire brigades, emergency medical services, and other public entities to make use of the Galileo PRS system.

Its core innovation involves the development of a special network architecture that combines the receiver with an assistance server. The concept accounts for all the necessary security aspects required for accessing the encrypted PRS service and significantly reduces the costs and complexity of user receivers. This will facilitate the much broader use of PRS in the realm of public security.
In addition to the € 20 000 grand prize, this inventive design also took home Bavaria's regional prize and the ESNC's special PRS prize, which was awarded by Germany's Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) and Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi).

"This special prize reflects our effort to further examine possibilities for the use of PRS applications," said BMVI Head of Digital Society Dr Tobias Miethaner. "I am delighted to see that the ESNC is already providing an important impetus to the promotion and development of innovative applications of the future Galileo PRS in its first year."

PRS – unique to Galileo

The Galileo Public Regulated Service (PRS) is an encrypted navigation service designed to be more resistant to jamming, involuntary interference, and spoofing. It combines the characteristics of a military GNSS signal with the potential of a civilian-controlled Global Navigation Satellite System. While access to PRS will be restricted to government-authorised users in accordance with EU and national government decisions, the service ensures continuity even when access to other navigation services may be denied. In cases of malicious interference, PRS increases the likelihood of continuous availability of the signal from space and, furthermore, it provides an authenticated position-velocity-timing service.

“The encrypted PRS signal is a unique feature of Galileo,” said GSA Executive Director, Carlos des Dorides. “This secure signal will prove invaluable to civil authorities across Europe and innovations like that proposed by the winners of the 2014 Galileo Masters will help ensure its widespread uptake and use.”

“The GSA is convinced that the ESNC is an excellent platform for promoting European GNSS,” concluded des Dorides. “It has helped establish a thriving European Galileo user community in anticipation of full deployment of the satellite constellation and provides the gateway to a wide range of unique business applications for the GNSS programmes.”

ESNC apps

Over the past decade, the ESNC has brought forth numerous new applications in the field of satellite navigation. The 2014 edition was shaped in particular by the imminent launch of the first Galileo services, with more than 40% of the 434 submissions received from more than 40 countries seeking to employ Galileo/EGNOS in their own products and services.

"Thanks to our international network, we're in an excellent position to take advantage of Galileo's operational launch," affirmed ESNC organiser Anwendungszentrum GmbH Oberpfaffenhofen Managing Director Thorsten Rudolph. "We believe the ESNC's function as a leading innovation framework in its field will grant it an equally important role in Europe's new satellite navigation system."

Along with the overall winner, the some 240 experts in the ESNC's renowned network selected more than 30 other winners in the competition's regional and special-prize challenges. Under the patronage of Germany's Federal Minister of Transport, prizes worth a total of around EUR 1 million were presented during the awards ceremony. The winners illustrated the fundamental importance of robust, reliable, and secure time and positioning signals for Europe's digital society through innovations in areas such as transport, health, and the environment.

For the first time, this year's awards ceremony was held in parallel with the Satellite Masters Conference, which gave the winners a chance to present their ideas to a global audience and discuss innovations in space-based technologies and services.

ESNC 2014 partners

This year's competition was supported by the European Commission and the European Patent Office. Along with the ESNC's 25 regions around the world, special sponsored prizes for 2014 were provided by the European GNSS Agency (GSA); the European Space Agency (ESA); the German Aerospace Center (DLR); and the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) in cooperation with the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi). Prototype submissions were accepted as entrants for the GNSS Living Lab Prize and the University Challenge, which are geared toward students and research assistants.

Now in its 11th year, the ESNC rewards innovative services, products and business innovations that use European satellite navigation technology in everyday life. Since 2011, the European Earth Monitoring competition, the Copernicus Masters, has also awarded ideas and innovative solutions at the ceremony.

For the seventh year, the GSA offered a special topic prize for the most innovative application.

For an overview of all the winners by category, please visit the ESNC website.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
ESNC
Satellite Masters Conference

On 23 October, the international satellite navigation industry gathered in Berlin to award prizes to this year's best innovations in the commercial use of satellite navigation technology. The big winner of the European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC) 2014 was Airbus Defence & Space, which won over the jury of global experts with its ground-breaking and cost-effective receiver for the Galileo Public Regulated Service (PRS).

On 23 October, the international satellite navigation industry gathered in Berlin to award prizes to this year's best innovations in the commercial use of satellite navigation technology. The big winner of the European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC) 2014 was Airbus Defence & Space, which won over the jury of global experts with its ground-breaking and cost-effective receiver for the Galileo Public Regulated Service (PRS).

The 2014 Galileo Masters award-winners Dr Wolfgang Kogler and Dr Jan Wendel from Airbus Defence & Space have taken a cutting-edge approach to designing a low-cost receiver that will enable police departments, fire brigades, emergency medical services, and other public entities to make use of the Galileo PRS system.

Its core innovation involves the development of a special network architecture that combines the receiver with an assistance server. The concept accounts for all the necessary security aspects required for accessing the encrypted PRS service and significantly reduces the costs and complexity of user receivers. This will facilitate the much broader use of PRS in the realm of public security.
In addition to the € 20 000 grand prize, this inventive design also took home Bavaria's regional prize and the ESNC's special PRS prize, which was awarded by Germany's Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) and Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi).

"This special prize reflects our effort to further examine possibilities for the use of PRS applications," said BMVI Head of Digital Society Dr Tobias Miethaner. "I am delighted to see that the ESNC is already providing an important impetus to the promotion and development of innovative applications of the future Galileo PRS in its first year."

PRS – unique to Galileo

The Galileo Public Regulated Service (PRS) is an encrypted navigation service designed to be more resistant to jamming, involuntary interference, and spoofing. It combines the characteristics of a military GNSS signal with the potential of a civilian-controlled Global Navigation Satellite System. While access to PRS will be restricted to government-authorised users in accordance with EU and national government decisions, the service ensures continuity even when access to other navigation services may be denied. In cases of malicious interference, PRS increases the likelihood of continuous availability of the signal from space and, furthermore, it provides an authenticated position-velocity-timing service.

“The encrypted PRS signal is a unique feature of Galileo,” said GSA Executive Director, Carlos des Dorides. “This secure signal will prove invaluable to civil authorities across Europe and innovations like that proposed by the winners of the 2014 Galileo Masters will help ensure its widespread uptake and use.”

“The GSA is convinced that the ESNC is an excellent platform for promoting European GNSS,” concluded des Dorides. “It has helped establish a thriving European Galileo user community in anticipation of full deployment of the satellite constellation and provides the gateway to a wide range of unique business applications for the GNSS programmes.”

ESNC apps

Over the past decade, the ESNC has brought forth numerous new applications in the field of satellite navigation. The 2014 edition was shaped in particular by the imminent launch of the first Galileo services, with more than 40% of the 434 submissions received from more than 40 countries seeking to employ Galileo/EGNOS in their own products and services.

"Thanks to our international network, we're in an excellent position to take advantage of Galileo's operational launch," affirmed ESNC organiser Anwendungszentrum GmbH Oberpfaffenhofen Managing Director Thorsten Rudolph. "We believe the ESNC's function as a leading innovation framework in its field will grant it an equally important role in Europe's new satellite navigation system."

Along with the overall winner, the some 240 experts in the ESNC's renowned network selected more than 30 other winners in the competition's regional and special-prize challenges. Under the patronage of Germany's Federal Minister of Transport, prizes worth a total of around EUR 1 million were presented during the awards ceremony. The winners illustrated the fundamental importance of robust, reliable, and secure time and positioning signals for Europe's digital society through innovations in areas such as transport, health, and the environment.

For the first time, this year's awards ceremony was held in parallel with the Satellite Masters Conference, which gave the winners a chance to present their ideas to a global audience and discuss innovations in space-based technologies and services.

ESNC 2014 partners

This year's competition was supported by the European Commission and the European Patent Office. Along with the ESNC's 25 regions around the world, special sponsored prizes for 2014 were provided by the European GNSS Agency (GSA); the European Space Agency (ESA); the German Aerospace Center (DLR); and the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) in cooperation with the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi). Prototype submissions were accepted as entrants for the GNSS Living Lab Prize and the University Challenge, which are geared toward students and research assistants.

Now in its 11th year, the ESNC rewards innovative services, products and business innovations that use European satellite navigation technology in everyday life. Since 2011, the European Earth Monitoring competition, the Copernicus Masters, has also awarded ideas and innovative solutions at the ceremony.

For the seventh year, the GSA offered a special topic prize for the most innovative application.

For an overview of all the winners by category, please visit the ESNC website.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
ESNC
Satellite Masters Conference

On 23 October, the international satellite navigation industry gathered in Berlin to award prizes to this year's best innovations in the commercial use of satellite navigation technology. The big winner of the European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC) 2014 was Airbus Defence & Space, which won over the jury of global experts with its ground-breaking and cost-effective receiver for the Galileo Public Regulated Service (PRS).

On 23 October, the international satellite navigation industry gathered in Berlin to award prizes to this year's best innovations in the commercial use of satellite navigation technology. The big winner of the European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC) 2014 was Airbus Defence & Space, which won over the jury of global experts with its ground-breaking and cost-effective receiver for the Galileo Public Regulated Service (PRS).

The 2014 Galileo Masters award-winners Dr Wolfgang Kogler and Dr Jan Wendel from Airbus Defence & Space have taken a cutting-edge approach to designing a low-cost receiver that will enable police departments, fire brigades, emergency medical services, and other public entities to make use of the Galileo PRS system.

Its core innovation involves the development of a special network architecture that combines the receiver with an assistance server. The concept accounts for all the necessary security aspects required for accessing the encrypted PRS service and significantly reduces the costs and complexity of user receivers. This will facilitate the much broader use of PRS in the realm of public security.
In addition to the € 20 000 grand prize, this inventive design also took home Bavaria's regional prize and the ESNC's special PRS prize, which was awarded by Germany's Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) and Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi).

"This special prize reflects our effort to further examine possibilities for the use of PRS applications," said BMVI Head of Digital Society Dr Tobias Miethaner. "I am delighted to see that the ESNC is already providing an important impetus to the promotion and development of innovative applications of the future Galileo PRS in its first year."

PRS – unique to Galileo

The Galileo Public Regulated Service (PRS) is an encrypted navigation service designed to be more resistant to jamming, involuntary interference, and spoofing. It combines the characteristics of a military GNSS signal with the potential of a civilian-controlled Global Navigation Satellite System. While access to PRS will be restricted to government-authorised users in accordance with EU and national government decisions, the service ensures continuity even when access to other navigation services may be denied. In cases of malicious interference, PRS increases the likelihood of continuous availability of the signal from space and, furthermore, it provides an authenticated position-velocity-timing service.

“The encrypted PRS signal is a unique feature of Galileo,” said GSA Executive Director, Carlos des Dorides. “This secure signal will prove invaluable to civil authorities across Europe and innovations like that proposed by the winners of the 2014 Galileo Masters will help ensure its widespread uptake and use.”

“The GSA is convinced that the ESNC is an excellent platform for promoting European GNSS,” concluded des Dorides. “It has helped establish a thriving European Galileo user community in anticipation of full deployment of the satellite constellation and provides the gateway to a wide range of unique business applications for the GNSS programmes.”

ESNC apps

Over the past decade, the ESNC has brought forth numerous new applications in the field of satellite navigation. The 2014 edition was shaped in particular by the imminent launch of the first Galileo services, with more than 40% of the 434 submissions received from more than 40 countries seeking to employ Galileo/EGNOS in their own products and services.

"Thanks to our international network, we're in an excellent position to take advantage of Galileo's operational launch," affirmed ESNC organiser Anwendungszentrum GmbH Oberpfaffenhofen Managing Director Thorsten Rudolph. "We believe the ESNC's function as a leading innovation framework in its field will grant it an equally important role in Europe's new satellite navigation system."

Along with the overall winner, the some 240 experts in the ESNC's renowned network selected more than 30 other winners in the competition's regional and special-prize challenges. Under the patronage of Germany's Federal Minister of Transport, prizes worth a total of around EUR 1 million were presented during the awards ceremony. The winners illustrated the fundamental importance of robust, reliable, and secure time and positioning signals for Europe's digital society through innovations in areas such as transport, health, and the environment.

For the first time, this year's awards ceremony was held in parallel with the Satellite Masters Conference, which gave the winners a chance to present their ideas to a global audience and discuss innovations in space-based technologies and services.

ESNC 2014 partners

This year's competition was supported by the European Commission and the European Patent Office. Along with the ESNC's 25 regions around the world, special sponsored prizes for 2014 were provided by the European GNSS Agency (GSA); the European Space Agency (ESA); the German Aerospace Center (DLR); and the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) in cooperation with the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi). Prototype submissions were accepted as entrants for the GNSS Living Lab Prize and the University Challenge, which are geared toward students and research assistants.

Now in its 11th year, the ESNC rewards innovative services, products and business innovations that use European satellite navigation technology in everyday life. Since 2011, the European Earth Monitoring competition, the Copernicus Masters, has also awarded ideas and innovative solutions at the ceremony.

For the seventh year, the GSA offered a special topic prize for the most innovative application.

For an overview of all the winners by category, please visit the ESNC website.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
ESNC
Satellite Masters Conference

The 2014 edition of the European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC) received a record number of entries, with the European GNSS Agency (GSA) Special Prize going to Elecnor Deimos for their Galileo for ARA - Design of a new Galileo Module for ARA platform project. This innovative concept aims to develop Galileo modules for the Google ARA modular smartphone concept – a potential game changer for positioning in the mobile phone market.

Since 2004, the European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC) has been rewarding the best services, products, and business cases that utilize satellite navigation in everyday life. Over this time, ESNC has evolved into an international innovation competition – one that recognizes the best ideas in the field of satellite navigation. Entries come from a wide range of companies, research institutes, students and individuals.

The 2014 edition of the ESNC received a record number of entries and the European GNSS Agency (GSA) Special Prize was the most popular category – receiving a total of 152 submissions! Although all the proposals were very interesting, there can be only one winner. And this year the GSA special prize went to Elecnor Deimos for their Galileo for ARA project.

Giovanni Vecchione and Antonio Fernandez of Deimos Space received their prize, worth up to € 40 000, from GSA Head of Communications Donna Reay during the official Awards Ceremony for ESNC 2014, held on the evening of October 23 in Berlin, Germany.

“The Galileo for ARA project is looking to deploy one of Galileo’s unique and most powerful features – the E5 signal - in an innovative mass market initiative,” said GSA Executive Director Carlos des Dorides. “It showcases the positive effect that investment in European GNSS is having across Europe in driving world-class innovation.”

ARA – a modular smartphone

Led by Google with the aim of developing a smartphone comprised of individual modules, the ARA project intends to open the smartphone market to billions of new users across the globe.

“With a traditional chip structure, all of a smartphone’s functions are currently combined into a single component, which makes it difficult to add or change a function,” explains Deimos Space’s Giovanni A. Vecchione. “With a modular structure, you have the option to simply switch out a component, meaning a smartphone’s capabilities can be easily enhanced without creating unneeded electronic waste.”

Specifically, the winning project aims to develop a Galileo modular component with enhanced capabilities to be used within the framework of this module-based smartphone. To accomplish this, the team is working to shrink the receiver size to fit the modular concept.

“On the one hand, accomplishing this will extend the smartphone market to many new people,” adds Giovanni. “On the other, it will meet the increasing demand for special model smartphones where, for example, a user wants high precision GNSS capabilities.”

Giovanni explains that currently such special models are only available to the professional market: “Producing and using these types of phones today is too complex and expensive to be commercially viable to the consumer market,” he says. “But with a simpler and smaller, modular-based option, we will be able to open this market to the masses.”

E5 on your phone

Elecnor Deimos is the technology company of the Elecnor Group providing technological solutions for the Aeronautics, Aerospace, Defence, Transport, Energy and Environment, Telecommunications and Security markets.

GALILEO for ARA is the solution for demanding smartphone users looking to use one of Galileo’s most important features: the unique E5 broadband signal. The idea is to design an E5 GALILEO receiver module for the ARA platform. While mass market smartphones will use the E1 signal, the availability of high end phones offering enhanced accuracy through the use of the E5 signal will be appealing to many users.

A second module is foreseen that will implement an external antenna module interface that could be used with existing phones’ GNSS components and provide better performance to a specialised GNSS unit. The ARA phone will offer these components to those who need better precision (centimetre-level accuracy) in positioning, and multipath-resistant solutions designed for pedestrians and urban environments. Much has already been achieved using smartphones, and now is the time to enable new possibilities for the development of applications with high accuracy requirements.

The design of the modules will be done by Deimos-Space using the algorithms and expertise developed during their involvement with GSA managed FP7 research projects GRIP and ENCORE.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
ESNC
Satellite Masters Conference
Google ARA project

The 2014 edition of the European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC) received a record number of entries, with the European GNSS Agency (GSA) Special Prize going to elecnor deimos/Deimos Space for their Galileo for ARA - Design of a new Galileo Module for ARA platform project. This innovative concept aims to develop Galileo modules for the Google ARA modular smartphone concept – a potential game changer for positioning in the mobile phone market.

Since 2004, the European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC) has been rewarding the best services, products, and business cases that utilize satellite navigation in everyday life. Over this time, ESNC has evolved into an international innovation competition – one that recognizes the best ideas in the field of satellite navigation. Entries come from a wide range of companies, research institutes, students and individuals.

The 2014 edition of the ESNC received a record number of entries and the European GNSS Agency (GSA) Special Prize was the most popular category – receiving a total of 152 submissions! Although all the proposals were very interesting, there can be only one winner. And this year the GSA special prize went to elecnor deimos/Deimos Space for their Galileo for ARA project.

Giovanni Vecchione and Antonio Fernandez of Deimos Space received their prize, worth up to € 40 000, from GSA Head of Communications Donna Reay during the official Awards Ceremony for ESNC 2014, held on the evening of October 23 in Berlin, Germany.

“The Galileo for ARA project is looking to deploy one of Galileo’s unique and most powerful features – the E5 signal - in an innovative mass market initiative,” said GSA Executive Director Carlos des Dorides. “It showcases the positive effect that investment in European GNSS is having across Europe in driving world-class innovation.”

ARA – a modular smartphone

Led by Google with the aim of developing a smartphone comprised of individual modules, the ARA project intends to open the smartphone market to billions of new users across the globe.

“With a traditional chip structure, all of a smartphone’s functions are currently combined into a single component, which makes it difficult to add or change a function,” explains Deimos Space’s Giovanni A. Vecchione. “With a modular structure, you have the option to simply switch out a component, meaning a smartphone’s capabilities can be easily enhanced without creating unneeded electronic waste.”

Specifically, the winning project aims to develop a Galileo modular component with enhanced capabilities to be used within the framework of this module-based smartphone. To accomplish this, the team is working to shrink the receiver size to fit the modular concept.

“On the one hand, accomplishing this will extend the smartphone market to many new people,” adds Giovanni. “On the other, it will meet the increasing demand for special model smartphones where, for example, a user wants high precision GNSS capabilities.”

Giovanni explains that currently such special models are only available to the professional market: “Producing and using these types of phones today is too complex and expensive to be commercially viable to the consumer market,” he says. “But with a simpler and smaller, modular-based option, we will be able to open this market to the masses.”

E5 on your phone

Elecnor deimos is the technology company of the Elecnor Group providing technological solutions for the Aeronautics, Aerospace, Defence, Transport, Energy and Environment, Telecommunications and Security markets.

GALILEO for ARA is the solution for demanding smartphone users looking to use one of Galileo’s most important features: the unique E5 broadband signal. The idea is to design an E5 GALILEO receiver module for the ARA platform. While mass market smartphones will use the E1 signal, the availability of high end phones offering enhanced accuracy through the use of the E5 signal will be appealing to many users.

A second module is foreseen that will implement an external antenna module interface that could be used with existing phones’ GNSS components and provide better performance to a specialised GNSS unit. The ARA phone will offer these components to those who need better precision (centimetre-level accuracy) in positioning, and multipath-resistant solutions designed for pedestrians and urban environments. Much has already been achieved using smartphones, and now is the time to enable new possibilities for the development of applications with high accuracy requirements.

The design of the modules will be done by Deimos-Space using the algorithms and expertise developed during their involvement with GSA managed FP7 research projects GRIP and ENCORE.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
ESNC
Satellite Masters Conference
Google ARA project

The 2014 edition of the European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC) received a record number of entries, with the European GNSS Agency (GSA) Special Prize going to Elecnor Deimos for their Galileo for ARA - Design of a new Galileo Module for ARA platform project. This innovative concept aims to develop Galileo modules for the Google ARA modular smartphone concept – a potential game changer for positioning in the mobile phone market.

Since 2004, the European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC) has been rewarding the best services, products, and business cases that utilize satellite navigation in everyday life. Over this time, ESNC has evolved into an international innovation competition – one that recognizes the best ideas in the field of satellite navigation. Entries come from a wide range of companies, research institutes, students and individuals.

The 2014 edition of the ESNC received a record number of entries and the European GNSS Agency (GSA) Special Prize was the most popular category – receiving a total of 152 submissions! Although all the proposals were very interesting, there can be only one winner. And this year the GSA special prize went to Elecnor Deimos for their Galileo for ARA project.

Giovanni Vecchione and Antonio Fernandez of Deimos Space received their prize, worth up to € 40 000, from GSA Head of Communications Donna Reay during the official Awards Ceremony for ESNC 2014, held on the evening of October 23 in Berlin, Germany.

“The Galileo for ARA project is looking to deploy one of Galileo’s unique and most powerful features – the E5 signal - in an innovative mass market initiative,” said GSA Executive Director Carlos des Dorides. “It showcases the positive effect that investment in European GNSS is having across Europe in driving world-class innovation.”

ARA – a modular smartphone

Led by Google with the aim of developing a smartphone comprised of individual modules, the ARA project intends to open the smartphone market to billions of new users across the globe.

“With a traditional chip structure, all of a smartphone’s functions are currently combined into a single component, which makes it difficult to add or change a function,” explains Deimos Space’s Giovanni A. Vecchione. “With a modular structure, you have the option to simply switch out a component, meaning a smartphone’s capabilities can be easily enhanced without creating unneeded electronic waste.”

Specifically, the winning project aims to develop a Galileo modular component with enhanced capabilities to be used within the framework of this module-based smartphone. To accomplish this, the team is working to shrink the receiver size to fit the modular concept.

“On the one hand, accomplishing this will extend the smartphone market to many new people,” adds Giovanni. “On the other, it will meet the increasing demand for special model smartphones where, for example, a user wants high precision GNSS capabilities.”

Giovanni explains that currently such special models are only available to the professional market: “Producing and using these types of phones today is too complex and expensive to be commercially viable to the consumer market,” he says. “But with a simpler and smaller, modular-based option, we will be able to open this market to the masses.”

E5 on your phone

Elecnor Deimos is the technology company of the Elecnor Group providing technological solutions for the Aeronautics, Aerospace, Defence, Transport, Energy and Environment, Telecommunications and Security markets.

GALILEO for ARA is the solution for demanding smartphone users looking to use one of Galileo’s most important features: the unique E5 broadband signal. The idea is to design an E5 GALILEO receiver module for the ARA platform. While mass market smartphones will use the E1 signal, the availability of high end phones offering enhanced accuracy through the use of the E5 signal will be appealing to many users.

A second module is foreseen that will implement an external antenna module interface that could be used with existing phones’ GNSS components and provide better performance to a specialised GNSS unit. The ARA phone will offer these components to those who need better precision (centimetre-level accuracy) in positioning, and multipath-resistant solutions designed for pedestrians and urban environments. Much has already been achieved using smartphones, and now is the time to enable new possibilities for the development of applications with high accuracy requirements.

The design of the modules will be done by Deimos-Space using the algorithms and expertise developed during their involvement with GSA managed FP7 research projects GRIP and ENCORE.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
ESNC
Satellite Masters Conference
Google ARA project

The 2014 edition of the European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC) received a record number of entries, with the European GNSS Agency (GSA) Special Prize going to Elecnor Deimos for their Galileo for ARA - Design of a new Galileo Module for ARA platform project. This innovative concept aims to develop Galileo modules for the Google ARA modular smartphone concept – a potential game changer for positioning in the mobile phone market.

Since 2004, the European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC) has been rewarding the best services, products, and business cases that utilize satellite navigation in everyday life. Over this time, ESNC has evolved into an international innovation competition – one that recognizes the best ideas in the field of satellite navigation. Entries come from a wide range of companies, research institutes, students and individuals.

The 2014 edition of the ESNC received a record number of entries and the European GNSS Agency (GSA) Special Prize was the most popular category – receiving a total of 152 submissions! Although all the proposals were very interesting, there can be only one winner. And this year the GSA special prize went to Elecnor Deimos for their Galileo for ARA project.

Giovanni Vecchione and Antonio Fernandez of Deimos Space received their prize, worth up to € 40 000, from GSA Head of Communications Donna Reay during the official Awards Ceremony for ESNC 2014, held on the evening of October 23 in Berlin, Germany.

“The Galileo for ARA project is looking to deploy one of Galileo’s unique and most powerful features – the E5 signal - in an innovative mass market initiative,” said GSA Executive Director Carlos des Dorides. “It showcases the positive effect that investment in European GNSS is having across Europe in driving world-class innovation.”

ARA – a modular smartphone

Led by Google with the aim of developing a smartphone comprised of individual modules, the ARA project intends to open the smartphone market to billions of new users across the globe.

“With a traditional chip structure, all of a smartphone’s functions are currently combined into a single component, which makes it difficult to add or change a function,” explains Deimos Space’s Giovanni A. Vecchione. “With a modular structure, you have the option to simply switch out a component, meaning a smartphone’s capabilities can be easily enhanced without creating unneeded electronic waste.”

Specifically, the winning project aims to develop a Galileo modular component with enhanced capabilities to be used within the framework of this module-based smartphone. To accomplish this, the team is working to shrink the receiver size to fit the modular concept.

“On the one hand, accomplishing this will extend the smartphone market to many new people,” adds Giovanni. “On the other, it will meet the increasing demand for special model smartphones where, for example, a user wants high precision GNSS capabilities.”

Giovanni explains that currently such special models are only available to the professional market: “Producing and using these types of phones today is too complex and expensive to be commercially viable to the consumer market,” he says. “But with a simpler and smaller, modular-based option, we will be able to open this market to the masses.”

E5 on your phone

Elecnor Deimos is the technology company of the Elecnor Group providing technological solutions for the Aeronautics, Aerospace, Defence, Transport, Energy and Environment, Telecommunications and Security markets.

GALILEO for ARA is the solution for demanding smartphone users looking to use one of Galileo’s most important features: the unique E5 broadband signal. The idea is to design an E5 GALILEO receiver module for the ARA platform. While mass market smartphones will use the E1 signal, the availability of high end phones offering enhanced accuracy through the use of the E5 signal will be appealing to many users.

A second module is foreseen that will implement an external antenna module interface that could be used with existing phones’ GNSS components and provide better performance to a specialised GNSS unit. The ARA phone will offer these components to those who need better precision (centimetre-level accuracy) in positioning, and multipath-resistant solutions designed for pedestrians and urban environments. Much has already been achieved using smartphones, and now is the time to enable new possibilities for the development of applications with high accuracy requirements.

The design of the modules will be done by Deimos-Space using the algorithms and expertise developed during their involvement with GSA managed FP7 research projects GRIP and ENCORE.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
ESNC
Satellite Masters Conference
Google ARA project

The 2014 edition of the European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC) received a record number of entries, with the European GNSS Agency (GSA) Special Prize going to Elecnor Deimos for their Galileo for ARA - Design of a new Galileo Module for ARA platform project. This innovative concept aims to develop Galileo modules for the Google ARA modular smartphone concept – a potential game changer for positioning in the mobile phone market.

Since 2004, the European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC) has been rewarding the best services, products, and business cases that utilize satellite navigation in everyday life. Over this time, ESNC has evolved into an international innovation competition – one that recognizes the best ideas in the field of satellite navigation. Entries come from a wide range of companies, research institutes, students and individuals.

The 2014 edition of the ESNC received a record number of entries and the European GNSS Agency (GSA) Special Prize was the most popular category – receiving a total of 152 submissions! Although all the proposals were very interesting, there can be only one winner. And this year the GSA special prize went to Elecnor Deimos for their Galileo for ARA project.

Giovanni Vecchione and Antonio Fernandez of Deimos Space received their prize, worth up to € 40 000, from GSA Head of Communications Donna Reay during the official Awards Ceremony for ESNC 2014, held on the evening of October 23 in Berlin, Germany.

“The Galileo for ARA project is looking to deploy one of Galileo’s unique and most powerful features – the E5 signal - in an innovative mass market initiative,” said GSA Executive Director Carlos des Dorides. “It showcases the positive effect that investment in European GNSS is having across Europe in driving world-class innovation.”

ARA – a modular smartphone

Led by Google with the aim of developing a smartphone comprised of individual modules, the ARA project intends to open the smartphone market to billions of new users across the globe.

“With a traditional chip structure, all of a smartphone’s functions are currently combined into a single component, which makes it difficult to add or change a function,” explains Deimos Space’s Giovanni A. Vecchione. “With a modular structure, you have the option to simply switch out a component, meaning a smartphone’s capabilities can be easily enhanced without creating unneeded electronic waste.”

Specifically, the winning project aims to develop a Galileo modular component with enhanced capabilities to be used within the framework of this module-based smartphone. To accomplish this, the team is working to shrink the receiver size to fit the modular concept.

“On the one hand, accomplishing this will extend the smartphone market to many new people,” adds Giovanni. “On the other, it will meet the increasing demand for special model smartphones where, for example, a user wants high precision GNSS capabilities.”

Giovanni explains that currently such special models are only available to the professional market: “Producing and using these types of phones today is too complex and expensive to be commercially viable to the consumer market,” he says. “But with a simpler and smaller, modular-based option, we will be able to open this market to the masses.”

E5 on your phone

Elecnor Deimos is the technology company of the Elecnor Group providing technological solutions for the Aeronautics, Aerospace, Defence, Transport, Energy and Environment, Telecommunications and Security markets.

GALILEO for ARA is the solution for demanding smartphone users looking to use one of Galileo’s most important features: the unique E5 broadband signal. The idea is to design an E5 GALILEO receiver module for the ARA platform. While mass market smartphones will use the E1 signal, the availability of high end phones offering enhanced accuracy through the use of the E5 signal will be appealing to many users.

A second module is foreseen that will implement an external antenna module interface that could be used with existing phones’ GNSS components and provide better performance to a specialised GNSS unit. The ARA phone will offer these components to those who need better precision (centimetre-level accuracy) in positioning, and multipath-resistant solutions designed for pedestrians and urban environments. Much has already been achieved using smartphones, and now is the time to enable new possibilities for the development of applications with high accuracy requirements.

The design of the modules will be done by Deimos-Space using the algorithms and expertise developed during their involvement with GSA managed FP7 research projects GRIP and ENCORE.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
ESNC
Satellite Masters Conference
Google ARA project

The European GNSS Agency (GSA) recently participated in the INTERGEO conference and trade fair, taking place in Berlin from 7 – 9 October. This leading event for geodesy, geo-information and land management once again demonstrated the vibrancy and importance of this sector, where satellite-based positioning technologies play a key enabling role.

The European GNSS Agency (GSA) recently participated in the INTERGEO conference and trade fair, taking place in Berlin from 7 – 9 October. This leading event for geodesy, geo-information and land management once again demonstrated the vibrancy and importance of this sector, where satellite-based positioning technologies play a key enabling role.

“We are here to talk to the suppliers of the Geodesy and Land Management market, particularly about the chipsets in their receivers and surveying technologies to ensure they are ready for Galileo services when they start,” says the GSA Market Development Officer Reinhard Blasi. “It is important to be here – on the ground and in the market place - making sure a dialogue is continued with suppliers.”

According to Blasi, Intergeo is all about bringing European Satellite technology down to Earth: “As for EGNOS, the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service that improves the accuracy of GPS, it is widely used in mapping applications where sub metre accuracy is needed and it is opening the door for more demanding high precision surveying applications where Galileo will play an important role,” he says.

GSA shared its stand with the European Space Agency (ESA), the Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, the Fraunhofer Institute and the Copernicus programme, and was coordinated by SATNAV Forum, the national network of regional GNSS initiatives, test environments and innovation clusters funded by the German government.

“SATNAV Forum is an important partner for GSA,” explains Blasi. “The GSA needs multipliers and organisations that can spread the word on opportunities for Galileo and GNSS at national level.”

Clearly, the geographic information sector is a market with great opportunities and, judging by the crowds at INTERGEO, one that has growing popularity and is attracting innovative European entrepreneurs. It is a sector where positioning is a key enabling technology and European GNSS are making a very positive impact.

A new award

The awards ceremony of the third Council of European Geodetic Surveyors (CLGE) students contest took place at INTERGEO, where Maurice Barbieri, President of the CLGE, announced that the GSA will collaborate in next year’s contest.

Next year will see the introduction of a new category on European GNSS, with the aim of fostering the adoption of EGNOS and Galileo in surveying.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
EGNOS Portal
INTERGEO

The European GNSS Agency (GSA) recently participated in the INTERGEO conference and trade fair, taking place in Berlin from 7 – 9 October. This leading event for geodesy, geo-information and land management once again demonstrated the vibrancy and importance of this sector, where satellite-based positioning technologies play a key enabling role.

The European GNSS Agency (GSA) recently participated in the INTERGEO conference and trade fair, taking place in Berlin from 7 – 9 October. This leading event for geodesy, geo-information and land management once again demonstrated the vibrancy and importance of this sector, where satellite-based positioning technologies play a key enabling role.

“We are here to talk to the suppliers of the Geodesy and Land Management market, particularly about the chipsets in their receivers and surveying technologies to ensure they are ready for Galileo services when they start,” says the GSA Market Development Officer Reinhard Blasi. “It is important to be here – on the ground and in the market place - making sure a dialogue is continued with suppliers.”

According to Blasi, Intergeo is all about bringing European Satellite technology down to Earth: “As for EGNOS, the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service that improves the accuracy of GPS, it is widely used in mapping applications where sub metre accuracy is needed and it is opening the door for more demanding high precision surveying applications where Galileo will play an important role,” he says.

GSA shared its stand with the European Space Agency (ESA), the Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, the Fraunhofer Institute and the Copernicus programme, and was coordinated by SATNAV Forum, the national network of regional GNSS initiatives, test environments and innovation clusters funded by the German government.

“SATNAV Forum is an important partner for GSA,” explains Blasi. “The GSA needs multipliers and organisations that can spread the word on opportunities for Galileo and GNSS at national level.”

Clearly, the geographic information sector is a market with great opportunities and, judging by the crowds at INTERGEO, one that has growing popularity and is attracting innovative European entrepreneurs. It is a sector where positioning is a key enabling technology and European GNSS are making a very positive impact.

A new award

The awards ceremony of the third Council of European Geodetic Surveyors (CLGE) students contest took place at INTERGEO, where Maurice Barbieri, President of the CLGE, announced that the GSA will collaborate in next year’s contest.

Next year will see the introduction of a new category on European GNSS, with the aim of fostering the adoption of EGNOS and Galileo in surveying.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
EGNOS Portal
INTERGEO

The European Commission, in collaboration with the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is organizing a consultation on European GNSS receiver technology.

The consultation will be held on November 18th, 2014 in Brussels, at the Committee of the Regions, Jacques Delors building, rue Belliard 99-101. This event is being held to inform the stakeholders of the European GNSS receiver community about the funding opportunities format and timeline for the period 2015-2020, and to gather inputs for the definition of R&D actions in the field of receiver technology.

The workshop will consist of one panel session during which stakeholders from industry, SMEs, academia, and technology institutes are solicited to debate and define important lines of research in receiver technology.

Interested participants are kindly invited to fill in the registration form and to indicate in a few words the application area they are interested in and the fields of research that should be supported.

The European Commission, in collaboration with the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is organizing a consultation on European GNSS receiver technology.

The consultation will be held on November 18th, 2014 in Brussels, at the Committee of the Regions, Jacques Delors building, rue Belliard 99-101. This event is being held to inform the stakeholders of the European GNSS receiver community about the funding opportunities format and timeline for the period 2015-2020, and to gather inputs for the definition of R&D actions in the field of receiver technology.

The workshop will consist of one panel session during which stakeholders from industry, SMEs, academia, and technology institutes are solicited to debate and define important lines of research in receiver technology.

Interested participants are kindly invited to fill in the registration form and to indicate in a few words the application area they are interested in and the fields of research that should be supported.

The European Commission, in collaboration with the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is organizing a consultation on European GNSS receiver technology.

The consultation will be held on November 18th, 2014 in Brussels, at the Committee of the Regions, Jacques Delors building, rue Belliard 99-101. This event is being held to inform the stakeholders of the European GNSS receiver community about the funding opportunities format and timeline for the period 2015-2020, and to gather inputs for the definition of R&D actions in the field of receiver technology.

The workshop will consist of one panel session during which stakeholders from industry, SMEs, academia, and technology institutes are solicited to debate and define important lines of research in receiver technology.

Interested participants are kindly invited to fill in the registration form and to indicate in a few words the application area they are interested in and the fields of research that should be supported.

The European Commission, in collaboration with the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is organizing a consultation on European GNSS receiver technology.

The consultation will be held on November 18th, 2014 in Brussels, at the Committee of the Regions, Jacques Delors building, rue Belliard 99-101, room JDE 53. This event is being held to inform the stakeholders of the European GNSS receiver community about the funding opportunities format and timeline for the period 2015-2020, and to gather inputs for the definition of R&D actions in the field of receiver technology.

The workshop will consist of one panel session during which stakeholders from industry, SMEs, academia, and technology institutes are solicited to debate and define important lines of research in receiver technology.

Interested participants are kindly invited to fill in the registration form and to indicate in a few words the application area they are interested in and the fields of research that should be supported.

As European satellites offer a possibility to improve the efficiency of train control systems, GNSS technology is starting to gain momentum in the rail sector. To promote the role of GNSS in this important sector, the European GNSS Agency (GSA) recently exhibited at Innotrans – a leading rail transport tradeshow.

EGNOS can and, in the future, Galileo will provide continuous and highly reliable positioning service – helping increase the competitiveness of rail among other modes of transportation. Currently GNSS in European rail is primarily used within non-Safety of Life applications, including asset management and passenger information services. However, the latest technological developments show that augmented GNSS, together with specific sensors, can help satisfy the stringent CENELEC Safety and Integrity Level requirements.

As a result, the rail sector has an increasing demand for cost effective and innovative GNSS applications for both safety critical and non-safety critical purpose. For example, in the safety critical domain, GNSS based applications can provide signalling and autonomous train control. In the non-safety critical domain, GNSS is helping improve the performance of asset management and passenger information systems.

Showcasing the E-GNSS Advantage

With rail becoming an important market segment for GNSS technology, and to put emphasis on the many benefits E-GNSS can bring the rail sector, for the first time the GSA exhibited at a rail tradeshow. At Innotrans, one of the leading international tradeshows for the sector held 23 – 26 September in Berlin, the GSA showcased the EGNOS advantage for rail.

Joining a panel discussion hosted by the European Railways Agency (ERA) entitled ‘How Heaven Could Support European Train Control System (ETCS)”’, GSA Head of Market Development Gian-Gherardo Calini explained how European GNSS can serve as a solution to some of the problems the sector currently faces.

“Although rail will become a major market for E-GNSS, it is already providing benefits, such as helping to improve safety,” he said. “Our role at the GSA is to serve the end user by making sure the technology delivers the necessary solutions.”

Calini acknowledged there are challenges to the sector’s full adoption of GNSS, but stated that other sectors have overcome challenges and are currently benefiting from E-GNSS: “It is a successful reality in other transport sectors, especially aviation, and we must focus on building from these experiences,” he said. 

The ERTMS/ETCS is a major industrial project that aims to replace Europe’s different national train control and command systems. The deployment of ERTMS will enable the creation of a seamless European railway system with aligned signalling – essential to increasing the competitiveness of European railways.

Europe’s GNSS systems – Galileo and EGNOS – are actively contributing to the needed evolution of the ERTMS. One example of this long-term perspective is the Shift2Rail Joint Undertaking, whose objective is also to support the adoption of GNSS in the rail sector. Within this undertaking, it is foreseen that both Galileo and EGNOS will be brought into ERTMS standards and foster European GNSS adoption in the area of Low Density Lines.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
EGNOS and Rail
Innotrans 2014

Read more:

Rail Sector Looks towards Space Technology for Safety

As European satellites offer a possibility to improve the efficiency of train control systems, GNSS technology is starting to gain momentum in the rail sector. To promote the role of GNSS in this important sector, the European GNSS Agency (GSA) recently exhibited at Innotrans – a leading rail transport tradeshow.

EGNOS can and, in the future, Galileo will provide continuous and highly reliable positioning service – helping increase the competitiveness of rail among other modes of transportation. Currently GNSS in European rail is primarily used within non-Safety of Life applications, including asset management and passenger information services. However, the latest technological developments show that augmented GNSS, together with specific sensors, can help satisfy the stringent CENELEC Safety and Integrity Level requirements.

As a result, the rail sector has an increasing demand for cost effective and innovative GNSS applications for both safety critical and non-safety critical purpose. For example, in the safety critical domain, GNSS based applications can provide signalling and autonomous train control. In the non-safety critical domain, GNSS is helping improve the performance of asset management and passenger information systems.

Showcasing the E-GNSS Advantage

With rail becoming an important market segment for GNSS technology, and to put emphasis on the many benefits E-GNSS can bring the rail sector, for the first time the GSA exhibited at a rail tradeshow. At Innotrans, one of the leading international tradeshows for the sector held 23 – 26 September in Berlin, the GSA showcased the EGNOS advantage for rail.

Joining a panel discussion hosted by the European Railways Agency (ERA) entitled ‘How Heaven Could Support European Train Control System (ETCS)”’, GSA Head of Market Development Gian-Gherardo Calini explained how European GNSS can serve as a solution to some of the problems the sector currently faces.

“Although rail will become a major market for E-GNSS, it is already providing benefits, such as helping to improve safety,” he said. “Our role at the GSA is to serve the end user by making sure the technology delivers the necessary solutions.”

Calini acknowledged there are challenges to the sector’s full adoption of GNSS, but stated that other sectors have overcome challenges and are currently benefiting from E-GNSS: “It is a successful reality in other transport sectors, especially aviation, and we must focus on building from these experiences,” he said. 

The ERTMS/ETCS is a major industrial project that aims to replace Europe’s different national train control and command systems. The deployment of ERTMS will enable the creation of a seamless European railway system with aligned signalling – essential to increasing the competitiveness of European railways.

Europe’s GNSS systems – Galileo and EGNOS – are actively contributing to the needed evolution of the ERTMS. One example of this long-term perspective is the Shift2Rail Joint Undertaking, whose objective is also to support the adoption of GNSS in the rail sector. Within this undertaking, it is foreseen that both Galileo and EGNOS will be brought into ERTMS standards and foster European GNSS adoption in the area of Low Density Lines.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
EGNOS and Rail
Innotrans 2014

Read more:

Rail Sector Looks towards Space Technology for Safety

The signing of the Galileo Exploitation Delegation Agreement between the European GNSS Agency (GSA) and the European Commission serves as an initial step towards the full Galileo Exploitation Phase.

The European GNSS Agency (GSA) and the European Commission concluded an agreement delegating a range of exploitation tasks for Galileo to the GSA. Serving as an initial step towards the full Galileo Exploitation Phase, the Agreement provides a framework and budget for the development of services and operations through 2021.

Specifically, according to the Agreement, the GSA’s responsibilities include:

• Provision and marketing of the services;
• Management, maintenance, continuous improvement, evolution and protection of the space and ground infrastructure;
• Research and development of receiver platforms with innovative features in different application domains;
• Development of future generations of the system;
• Cooperation with other GNSS;
• All other required activities to ensure the development and smooth running of the system.

The European Commission remains responsible for the overall programme supervision, while the European Space Agency (ESA) is entrusted with the deployment phase.

The Agreement was signed between Daniel Calleja Crespo, Director-General of the Enterprise and Industry Directorate-General at the European Commission, and Carlo des Dorides, Executive Director of the GSA. The Agreement specifically sets the actions to be implemented, the amount of funding provided, and the conditions for the overall management. 

“With Galileo, we aim to provide a tangible service to European citizens, and this Delegation Agreement ensures we have the tools and funding necessary to achieve this,” says des Dorides.

The services expected to be developed from this Agreement will provide considerable economic opportunities in a wide range of domains, including transport, telecommunication, energy and banking. For example, in 2013 the annual global market for global navigation satellite products and services was valued at €175 billion, and this is expected to grow over the next years to an estimated €237 billion in 2020.

The Galileo exploitation phase will be progressively rolled out starting in 2014 – 2015, with full operability scheduled for 2020. The implementation period of the Agreement runs until 2021, with a comprehensive review of its functioning by the end of 2016. The maximum current EU contribution amounts to EUR 490 million, which will cover procurement and grant activities, including the GSA-ESA working arrangements and a programme management reserve, along with related research and development activities. The financing of the full exploitation phase will be confirmed during a mid-term review before the end of 2016.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
EGNOS Portal
World Space Week website
World Space Week on Facebook
World Space Week on Twitter

In its 15th edition, this year’s United Nations (UN) Space Week is highlighting the many benefits of satellite navigation to humankind. With its theme “Space: Guiding Your Way”, World Space Week in 2014 is focusing on the value of such Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) as EGNOS and Galileo.

World Space Week 2014 (4 – 10 October) is highlighting the benefits of satellite navigation, including EGNOS and Galileo, to humankind. In 2014, many improved and brand new Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) – Galileo, Third Generation GPS, Glonass and Beidou – are being rolled out. In parallel there is an enormous increase in satellite navigation applications across many areas, including road navigation, aviation, maritime, agriculture, and disaster recovery.

GNSS have changed the way we navigate. Not only does it help us locate planes, ships, cars, trains and people, but it also helps to improve agriculture and disaster management. During this decade, new GNSS are regularly being deployed, including Europe’s Galileo, Russian Glonass and Chinese Beidou satellite systems. This multi-constellation development is rapidly increasing the accuracy and scope of positioning and timing applications.

With its GNSS theme, World Space Week hopes to improve knowledge of the clear benefits that space technology brings to our daily lives.

Since its United Nations declaration in 1999, World Space Week has grown into the largest public space event on Earth. More than 1,400 events in 80 countries celebrated the benefits of space and excitement about space exploration in 2013. With the new satellite navigation theme “Space: Guiding Your Way”, organisers hope to inspire even more events around the world in the years to come.

World Space Week

World Space Week is held every year from 4 to 10 October. These dates commemorate the launch of Sputnik I, the first ever artificial satellite, on 4 October 1957, and the entering into force of the UN Outer Space Treaty on 10 October 1967.

The objective of World Space Week is to “increase awareness among decision makers and civil society of the benefits of the peaceful uses of space science and technology for sustainable development”. It is to be a “yearly celebration at the international level of the contribution that space science and technology can make to the betterment of the human condition”.

Every year World Space Week has a different theme, highlighting a specific angle of space science.

World Space Week events are held all over the world, in schools, universities, science centres, museums, at companies and in many other places. You can find out more at the World Space Week website, its dedicated Facebook page or follow World Space Week on Twitter.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
EGNOS Portal
World Space Week website
World Space Week on Facebook
World Space Week on Twitter

Together with market development and security accreditation, the operation of the Galileo Security Monitoring Centre (GSMC) is one of the core activities entrusted to the GSA in its Founding Regulation. In particular, the GSMC fulfils a key role in ensuring the security of the Galileo system.

The GSMC operates within the GSA as part of the Galileo infrastructure called the Galileo Security Facility.

The GSMC executes a specific function within the GSA in ensuring that the Galileo infrastructure is adequately protected. Following an independent security accreditation process achieved by a separated part of the GSA, the GSMC serves as an operator inside the Agency performing the following unique roles:

• Facilitating the centralization of the access to Galileo Public Regulated Service (PRS) for the EU Member States.
• Providing Galileo security monitoring services and implementing operational measures aimed at maintaining the security of the infrastructure.

Once Galileo begins offering operational services, the GSMC will provide around-the-clock monitoring of the Galileo system’s security. The purpose of this monitoring is to detect accidental or deliberate events that could result in a disruption of services. In the case of such an event, GSMC will inform stakeholders and take measures to protect Galileo in accordance with the direction provided by the European Commission as governors of the Galileo system and with the European Council in the rare event of a critical security threat to the sustained nominal operation of the Galileo system.

The GSMC is located in St. Germain-en-Laye, France and Swanwick, UK.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency

European GNSS Service Centre

Together with market development and security accreditation, the operation of the Galileo Security Monitoring Centre (GSMC) is one of the core activities entrusted to the GSA in its Founding Regulation. In particular, the GSMC fulfils a key role in ensuring the security of the Galileo system.

The GSMC operates within the GSA as part of the Galileo infrastructure called the Galileo Security Facility.

The GSMC executes a specific function within the GSA in ensuring that the Galileo infrastructure is adequately protected. Following an independent security accreditation process achieved by a separated part of the GSA, the GSMC serves as an operator inside the Agency performing the following unique roles:

• Facilitating the centralization of the access to Galileo Public Regulated Service (PRS) for the EU Member States.
• Providing Galileo security monitoring services and implementing operational measures aimed at maintaining the security of the infrastructure.

Once Galileo begins offering operational services, the GSMC will provide around-the-clock monitoring of the Galileo system’s security. The purpose of this monitoring is to detect accidental or deliberate events that could result in a disruption of services. In the case of such an event, GSMC will inform stakeholders and take measures to protect Galileo in accordance with the direction provided by the European Commission as governors of the Galileo system and with the European Council in the rare event of a critical security threat to the sustained nominal operation of the Galileo system.

The GSMC is located in St. Germain-en-Laye, France and Swanwick, UK.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency

European GNSS Service Centre

The European GNSS Service Centre (GSC) is preparing to be the essential interface between global users and Galileo’s Full Operational Capability (FOC). A recent kick-off meeting in Madrid initiated a range of projects that will create the necessary facilities and operations for providing this vital interface.

A meeting at the offices of Spain’s National Institute for Aerospace Technology (INTA) in Madrid on 16 September saw the latest step towards full implementation of the European GNSS Service Centre (GSC). The meeting discussed the GSC v1 operations and hosting service provision that will define and deliver full operational services for Galileo by GSC.

The meeting was attended by representatives the European Commission, the European Space Agency (ESA), the European GNSS Agency (GSA) and members of the consortium tasked to run GSC: INTA, the global transport consultancy Ineco, Spanish defence engineering systems company ISDEFE and ESSP (the European Satellite Services Provider).

The initial contracts for provision of GSC operations and services were awarded on 16 July, with the contracts signed on 1 September. The contracts cover the definition, design and development of GSC v1 operations and hosting services, including the provision of support for logical and physical security, the accreditation of the Centre, and ensuring the quality of the infrastructure.

As part of the full functionality, the so-called GSC v1is being developed to also support the dissemination of commercial data via a real-time interface. This is in line with the GSC’s objective to evolve over time to become fully-functional in support of Galileo Full Operational Capability (FOC) services.

Galileo critical applications

The GSC is an essential part of the GSA’s strategy for the development of GNSS applications, supporting innovation within industry and SMEs across Europe. “The GSC is yet another step in our dedication to support entrepreneurs, companies and researchers to develop their activities thanks to European Satellite Navigation data,” says GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides.

Galileo is the European satellite navigation system under civilian control that guarantees access to all for very precise positioning and timing data. Galileo is fully compatible with other currently deployed GNSS, including the US GPS and Russian GLONASS systems.

Due to the use of two frequencies, Galileo will be capable of providing any user with metre positioning accuracy in real time. It will also ensure service availability even under the most severe circumstances.

In the context of the Galileo ground segment, the GSC is the single interface for the user communities of Galileo Open and Commercial Services and in the future case of the development of the Safety of Life (SoL) service at both the European and international level.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency

Galileo

EGNOS

European GNSS Service Centre

The European GNSS Service Centre (GSC) is preparing to be the essential interface between global users and Galileo’s Full Operational Capability (FOC). A recent kick-off meeting in Madrid initiated a range of projects that will create the necessary facilities and operations for providing this vital interface.

A meeting at the offices of Spain’s National Institute for Aerospace Technology (INTA) in Madrid on 16 September saw the latest step towards full implementation of the European GNSS Service Centre (GSC). The meeting discussed the GSC v1 operations and hosting service provision that will define and deliver full operational services for Galileo by GSC.

The meeting was attended by representatives the European Commission, the European Space Agency (ESA), the European GNSS Agency (GSA) and members of the consortium tasked to run GSC: INTA, the global transport consultancy Ineco, Spanish defence engineering systems company ISDEFE and ESSP (the European Satellite Services Provider).

The initial contracts for provision of GSC operations and services were awarded on 16 July, with the contracts signed on 1 September. The contracts cover the definition, design and development of GSC v1 operations and hosting services, including the provision of support for logical and physical security, the accreditation of the Centre, and ensuring the quality of the infrastructure.

As part of the full functionality, the so-called GSC v1is being developed to also support the dissemination of commercial data via a real-time interface. This is in line with the GSC’s objective to evolve over time to become fully-functional in support of Galileo Full Operational Capability (FOC) services.

Galileo critical applications

The GSC is an essential part of the GSA’s strategy for the development of GNSS applications, supporting innovation within industry and SMEs across Europe. “The GSC is yet another step in our dedication to support entrepreneurs, companies and researchers to develop their activities thanks to European Satellite Navigation data,” says GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides.

Galileo is the European satellite navigation system under civilian control that guarantees access to all for very precise positioning and timing data. Galileo is fully compatible with other currently deployed GNSS, including the US GPS and Russian GLONASS systems.

Due to the use of two frequencies, Galileo will be capable of providing any user with metre positioning accuracy in real time. It will also ensure service availability even under the most severe circumstances.

In the context of the Galileo ground segment, the GSC is the single interface for the user communities of Galileo Open and Commercial Services and in the future case of the development of the Safety of Life (SoL) service at both the European and international level.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency

Galileo

EGNOS

EUropean GNSS Service Centre

Gothenburg City airport is leading the way in Sweden for satellite-based landing procedures enabled by Europe’s EGNOS system – improving accuracy and safety when aircraft land in a very cost effective way.

On 18 September 2014, Gothenburg City Airport became the first in Sweden to publish an EGNOS-based approach procedure. As a result, today runways 1 and 19 are operating LPV (Localiser Performance with Vertical Guidance) landing procedures.

“For the aircraft, the use of the new procedures will improve safety, increase capacity use, and save on costs over the long term,” says Annika Nyberg, CEO of Gothenburg City Airport.

LPV procedures are already in use in more than 114 airports across Europe, providing a cost effective alternative equivalent to conventional ILS CAT I instrument landing procedures. LPV offers similar performance without the need for significant on-site infrastructure installation and maintenance. For these reasons, it is becoming a very valuable navigation aid to small and medium-size airports, increasing safety and accessibility to those aerodromes.

Cost-effective and safe

Gothenburg City Airport was chosen for first implementation in a pilot case launched by GSA due to two aircraft operators showing interest in LPV procedures and several EGNOS-equipped aircraft already flying from the airport. In addition, it was an ideal location for a pilot implementation project.

Three operators at the airport have already implemented SBAS, and other aircraft are awaiting equipment upgrades to take advantage of LPV at the airport. In addition, helicopters are taking advantage of the procedures. A helicopter EGNOS survey conducted under a previous GSA-funded project raised awareness of LPV and PinS (Point in Space) procedures among the Swedish helicopter community. Two helicopter operators, Norrlansflyg ambulance and Scandinavian MediCopter, have already registered their interest in upgrading their aircraft to LPV capability.

          Also read: EGNOS Approach Procedures Available in Three More Countries

GSA has previously undertaken a number of awareness projects in Sweden with airport authorities, aircraft operators and regulators, helping them understand the value of EGNOS and the challenges of implementing SBAS at high latitudes.

“LFV has done a great job in design, construction and implementation of new approach procedures,” says Karin Schagerlind, Head of Operations, LFV Air Traffic Services at Gothenburg City Airport. “With the right training we are now excited to start a procedure that will benefit aviation a great deal.”

LFV, the Swedish air navigation service provider, is currently working to publish LPV procedures at Sweden’s Storuman airport, also supported by GSA. LFV has final contracts with four further Swedish airports to start SBAS procedure design and implementation, and is also discussing offers with a number of other airports across the country.

EGNOS is Europe’s Satellite-based Augmentation System (SBAS) that can enable satellite navigation systems to meet the operational requirements set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) for the most critical phases of aircraft flight, in particular landing. The project to prepare the airport for LPV operations was funded by the European GNSS Agency (GSA) and implemented by Swedish air navigation service provider LFV.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency

EGNOS Portal

Gothenburg Airport

EGNOS for Aviation

The GNSS Service Centre (GSC), based within Madrid’s National Institute of Aerospace Technology (INTA), is an integral part of the European GNSS infrastructure. Inaugurated in 2013, it is responsible for providing the single interface between the Galileo system and the users of the Galileo Open Service (OS) and the Galileo Commercial Service (CS).

The GSC Nucleus, the precursor of a fully-fledged GSC, is already providing basic services to the user community via a web portal and user helpdesk. The one-stop-shop portal provides Galileo users with relevant information on the system status, Notice Advisory to Galileo Users (NAGUs), GNSS R&D material, and easy access to the OS helpdesk via a web contact form that enables users to submit requests to a dedicated helpdesk.

Already now the GSC Nucleus is producing substantial results. More than 17,000 visitors from 134 different countries have used the portal. To build on this momentum, an upgrade is being developed that will include such additional content and functionalities as:

• Publication of almanacs
• Automatic NAGU notifications
• User surveys
• Dedicated section to information on GNSS testing and simulation facilities
• Graphical representation of the Galileo constellation ground tracks, visibility map

As part of the full functionality, a new version of the GSC is being developed to support the dissemination of commercial data via a real-time interface. This is in line with the GSC’s objective to evolve over time in order to become fully-functional in support of Galileo Full Operational Capability (FOC) services.

An essential interface

The GSC is an additional tool and essential part of the European GNSS Agency’s (GSA) strategy for the development of GNSS applications, supporting innovation within industry and SMEs across Europe. “The GSC is yet another step in our dedication to support entrepreneurs, companies and researchers to develop their activities thanks to European Satellite Navigation data,” says GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides.

Expanding on the essential role GNSS technology contributes to European industry, GSA Head of Market Development Gian Gherardo Calini notes the GSC will trigger and increase the paradigm change from a technology push to a user centric ‘pull’ approach. “As a civil system Galileo is close to the user and the GSC is one of the tools facilitating this connection,” he says. “Not only will the GSC become increasingly important to interface with the users via the right channels and spread information, but also to re-circulate knowledge gained from the users themselves,” he says.

A key component for developing this ‘pull’ strategy is the Galileo Commercial Service, which builds on the constellation’s civil nature. “The Commercial Service has the potential to improve the performance of existing location services for all user communities and will be a key element of Galileo’s service provision,” says des Dorides. “It will also help further enhance Galileo’s economic added value in downstream markets.”

On this front, the Early Proof of Concept (EPOC) team recently tracked the encrypted Galileo E6B and E6-C signals broadcast by Galileo satellites. As a result, the Commercial Service loop has been closed using both encrypted and non-encrypted signals.

        Also read: First Galileo Commercial Service Demonstration with Encrypted Signals

This is marks a significant milestone for the CS program, as the tests verified the functionality of the CS signal’s encryption functionalities, with the data received containing authentication and high accuracy information previously generated outside the Galileo system – an essential feature to ensuring Galileo’s high accuracy and authentication services.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency

GNSS Service Centre

The European GNSS Agency (GSA) and Eurocontrol plan to leverage synergies to enhance aviation safety, improve air traffic management and better the aviation user experience.

As Europe’s skies and major airports become increasingly congested, there is need for Air Traffic Management (ATM) technologies to evolve from ground-based infrastructures to more advanced systems based on new technologies – including European GNSS programmes like EGNOS and Galileo.

Both Eurocontrol and the GSA have a shared objective of developing and exploiting European GNSS technology to improve accessibility, efficiency and safety to European operators, pilots and airports. “The full deployment of GNSS offers unprecedented opportunities to further improve air traffic management safety and capacity while reducing costs at a pan-European level,” says GSA Executive Director, Carlo des Dorides. “Eurocontrol’s activities in this field will complement those of the GSA to ensure that the development and implementation of satellite-based navigation provides an optimal solution for European airspace users.”

          Also read: GSA and EBAA Join Forces in Support of Airport Access

The aim of the agreement is to jointly contribute to the implementation of European Union GNSS policies as they apply to the field of aviation. “Eurocontrol and the GSA share a common objective – the secure and safe implementation of European satellite navigation policies in the aviation sector,” says Frank Brenner, Director General of Eurocontrol. “The enhanced cooperation between our two organisations means that Eurocontrol will now bring its unequalled capacity to understand, coordinate and represent the needs of the civil and military airspace users to the promotion and development of GNSS.”

The cooperation agreement, which was signed at a 15 September 2014 press conference attended by the GSA, Eurocontrol and the European Commission, serves as another example of the European Commission’s support of the aviation sector. “I am confident that a strong cooperation between the GSA and Eurocontrol will benefit aviation, the European GNSS Programmes and indeed European citizens,” says Daniel Calleja Crespo, Director General of DG Enterprise and Industry at the European Commission.

“The full deployment of GNSS offers unprecedented opportunities to further improve air traffic management safety and capacity while reducing costs at a pan-European level.”

-

Carlo des Dorides, Executive Director, GSA

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
EGNOS and Aviation
Eurocontrol

The European GNSS Agency (GSA) and Eurocontrol plan to leverage synergies to enhance aviation safety, improve air traffic management and better the aviation user experience.

As Europe’s skies and major airports become increasingly congested, there is need for Air Traffic Management (ATM) technologies to evolve from ground-based infrastructures to more advanced systems based on new technologies – including European GNSS programmes like EGNOS and Galileo.

Both Eurocontrol and the GSA have a shared objective of developing and exploiting European GNSS technology to improve accessibility, efficiency and safety to European operators, pilots and airports. “The full deployment of GNSS offers unprecedented opportunities to further improve air traffic management safety and capacity while reducing costs at a pan-European level,” says GSA Executive Director, Carlo des Dorides. “Eurocontrol’s activities in this field will complement those of the GSA to ensure that the development and implementation of satellite-based navigation provides an optimal solution for European airspace users.”

          Also read: GSA and EBAA Join Forces in Support of Airport Access

The aim of the agreement is to jointly contribute to the implementation of European Union GNSS policies as they apply to the field of aviation. “Eurocontrol and the GSA share a common objective – the secure and safe implementation of European satellite navigation policies in the aviation sector,” says Frank Brenner, Director General of Eurocontrol. “The enhanced cooperation between our two organisations means that Eurocontrol will now bring its unequalled capacity to understand, coordinate and represent the needs of the civil and military airspace users to the promotion and development of GNSS.”

The cooperation agreement, which was signed at a 15 September 2014 press conference attended by the GSA, Eurocontrol and the European Commission, serves as another example of the European Commission’s support of the aviation sector. “I am confident that a strong cooperation between the GSA and Eurocontrol will benefit aviation, the European GNSS Programmes and indeed European citizens,” says Daniel Calleja Crespo, Director General of DG Enterprise and Industry at the European Commission.

“The full deployment of GNSS offers unprecedented opportunities to further improve air traffic management safety and capacity while reducing costs at a pan-European level.”

-

Carlo des Dorides, Executive Director, GSA

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
EGNOS and Aviation
Eurocontrol

The European GNSS Agency (GSA) and Eurocontrol plan to leverage synergies to enhance aviation safety, improve air traffic management and better the aviation user experience.

As Europe’s skies and major airports become increasingly congested, there is need for Air Traffic Management (ATM) technologies to evolve from ground-based infrastructures to more advanced systems based on new technologies – including European GNSS programmes like EGNOS and Galileo.

Both Eurocontrol and the GSA have a shared objective of developing and exploiting European GNSS technology to improve accessibility, efficiency and safety to European operators, pilots and airports. “The full deployment of GNSS offers unprecedented opportunities to further improve air traffic management safety and capacity while reducing costs at a pan-European level,” says GSA Executive Director, Carlo des Dorides. “Eurocontrol’s activities in this field will complement those of the GSA to ensure that the development and implementation of satellite-based navigation provides an optimal solution for European airspace users.”

          Also read: GSA and EBAA Join Forces in Support of Airport Access

The aim of the agreement is to jointly contribute to the implementation of European Union GNSS policies as they apply to the field of aviation. “Eurocontrol and the GSA share a common objective – the secure and safe implementation of European satellite navigation policies in the aviation sector,” says Frank Brenner, Director General of Eurocontrol. “The enhanced cooperation between our two organisations means that Eurocontrol will now bring its unequalled capacity to understand, coordinate and represent the needs of the civil and military airspace users to the promotion and development of GNSS.”

The cooperation agreement, which was signed at a 15 September 2014 press conference attended by the GSA, Eurocontrol and the European Commission, serves as another example of the European Commission’s support of the aviation sector. “I am confident that a strong cooperation between the GSA and Eurocontrol will benefit aviation, the European GNSS Programmes and indeed European citizens,” says Daniel Calleja Crespo, Director General of DG Enterprise and Industry at the European Commission.

“The full deployment of GNSS offers unprecedented opportunities to further improve air traffic management safety and capacity while reducing costs at a pan-European level.”

-

Carlo des Dorides, Executive Director, GSA

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
EGNOS and Aviation
Eurocontrol

The European GNSS Agency (GSA) and Eurocontrol plan to leverage synergies to enhance aviation safety, improve air traffic management and better the aviation user experience.

As Europe’s skies and major airports become increasingly congested, there is need for Air Traffic Management (ATM) technologies to evolve from ground-based infrastructures to more advanced systems based on new technologies – including European GNSS programmes like EGNOS and Galileo.

Both Eurocontrol and the GSA have a shared objective of developing and exploiting European GNSS technology to improve accessibility, efficiency and safety to European operators, pilots and airports. “The full deployment of GNSS offers unprecedented opportunities to further improve air traffic management safety and capacity while reducing costs at a pan-European level,” says GSA Executive Director, Carlo des Dorides. “Eurocontrol’s activities in this field will complement those of the GSA to ensure that the development and implementation of satellite-based navigation provides an optimal solution for European airspace users.”

          Also read: GSA and EBAA Join Forces in Support of Airport Access

The aim of the agreement is to jointly contribute to the implementation of European Union GNSS policies as they apply to the field of aviation. “Eurocontrol and the GSA share a common objective – the secure and safe implementation of European satellite navigation policies in the aviation sector,” says Frank Brenner, Director General of Eurocontrol. “The enhanced cooperation between our two organisations means that Eurocontrol will now bring its unequalled capacity to understand, coordinate and represent the needs of the civil and military airspace users to the promotion and development of GNSS.”

The cooperation agreement, which was signed at a 15 September 2014 press conference attended by the GSA, Eurocontrol and the European Commission, serves as another example of the European Commission’s support of the aviation sector. “I am confident that a strong cooperation between the GSA and Eurocontrol will benefit aviation, the European GNSS Programmes and indeed European citizens,” says Daniel Calleja Crespo, Director General of DG Enterprise and Industry at the European Commission.

“The full deployment of GNSS offers unprecedented opportunities to further improve air traffic management safety and capacity while reducing costs at a pan-European level.”

-

Carlo des Dorides, Executive Director, GSA

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
EGNOS and Aviation
Eurocontrol

Based in Hanoi, Vietnam the International Centre for R&D of Satellite Navigation Technology in South East Asia (NAVIS) is on a mission to give satellite navigation technology – particularly Galileo – a boost in the region. To learn more, the European GNSS Agency (GSA) recently caught up with Navis Director Dr. Ta Hai Tung.

NAVIS’ mission is to act as a linking entity between Europe and South East Asia within the GNSS sector. Specifically, it aims to promote cooperation between EU and South East Asian actors, promote European GNSS technology, and reinforce international collaboration among players.

To achieve this, the NAVIS Centre is conducting research, training and awareness initiatives in collaboration with a growing network of international institutions from Asia-Pacific and Europe. NAVIS also provides support to regional policy makers on GNSS technical issues relating to the development of regulations and standards.

The GSA recently caught up with NAVIS Director Dr. Ta Hai Tung to learn more.

GSA: What is the main focus of your work at the NAVIS Centre?

Tung: Our core function is to develop satellite navigation in South East Asia. Of course doing this involves numerous actors, not only from the Asia-Pacific region, but Europe too. Together we are conducting ongoing research and coordinating workshops and conferences that give these actors an opportunity to come together and share their findings.
In fact, since 2012, together with other partners, we have been actively involved in organizing the Asia-Oceania Regional Workshop on GNSS (AORW), which is an annual key event in the region. The previous one, held in Hanoi in December 2013, attracted 160 participants from 17 countries. The next edition, AORW-6, will be in Phuket, Thailand from 9 to 11 October 2014.

What kind of results is your research producing?

A major milestone for us happened last year when we became the first in Asia to make a Galileo fix. This accomplishment earned us a commemorative certificate from the European Space Agency (ESA).

In addition, we are very active in developing regional GNSS systems and supporting companies and governments in their satellite navigation actions. In this sense, we serve as a bridge between European GNSS and South East Asia.

Why the focus on Galileo?

Since 2004, our main focus has been promoting Galileo and its benefits to South East Asia. This is important because, as a region, we lack our own satellite navigation capabilities and thus will depend on other national or regional systems.

There’s a lot of competition coming from Russia, China and Japan – each looking to tie South East Asia to their GNSS system. However, the majority of these systems are military based or controlled, which of course raises concerns for us. This is what makes Galileo so attractive, it is being developed and will be operated as a civilian programme.

Do you have a sense of how the South East Asian GNSS market looks?

The potential here is substantial. From my visits with regional companies, there is significant interest in satellite navigation. In fact, the Vietnamese government has recently issued a regulation that requires all vehicles used to transport passengers or goods to be equipped with ‘black boxes’ capable of relaying data – which will come from GNSS technology.

Many of these local technology companies are looking for suitable providers, but tend to look towards US/Japan/China companies instead of European ones. Our job is to be here, on the ground, letting companies know of the many benefits that Europe – and Galileo – have to offer.

The International Centre for Research and Development of Satellite Navigation Technology in South East Asia – the NAVIS Centre – has been set up by the SEAGAL project (2009-2010), an action co-funded by the Seventh Research Framework Programme (FP7) of the European Commission, Call GALILEO-2007-4.3-01, Grant Agreement No. 228061. The collaboration between Europe and NAVIS is still going on thanks to the Growing NAVIS project (2012-2015), co-funded by the Seventh Research Framework Programme (FP7) of the European Commission, Call GALILEO .2011.4.3-1 International Cooperation and Awareness, Grant Agreement No. 287203.
The NAVIS Centre is located in the Hanoi University of Science and Technology and is managed in agreement with the following supporting institutions: Politecnico di Torino (Italy), Istituto Superiore Mario Boella (Italy), Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya (Spain) and Hanoi University of Science and Technology (Vietnam).

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
NAVIS Centre
Growing NAVIS project

Based in Hanoi, Vietnam the International Centre for R&D of Satellite Navigation Technology in South East Asia (NAVIS) is on a mission to give satellite navigation technology – particularly Galileo – a boost in the region. To learn more, the European GNSS Agency (GSA) recently caught up with Navis Director Dr. Ta Hai Tung.

NAVIS’ mission is to act as a linking entity between Europe and South East Asia within the GNSS sector. Specifically, it aims to promote cooperation between EU and South East Asian actors, promote European GNSS technology, and reinforce international collaboration among players.

To achieve this, the NAVIS Centre is conducting research, training and awareness initiatives in collaboration with a growing network of international institutions from Asia-Pacific and Europe. NAVIS also provides support to regional policy makers on GNSS technical issues relating to the development of regulations and standards.

The GSA recently caught up with NAVIS Director Dr. Ta Hai Tung to learn more.

GSA: What is the main focus of your work at the NAVIS Centre?

Tung: Our core function is to develop satellite navigation in South East Asia. Of course doing this involves numerous actors, not only from the Asia-Pacific region, but Europe too. Together we are conducting ongoing research and coordinating workshops and conferences that give these actors an opportunity to come together and share their findings.
In fact, since 2012, together with other partners, we have been actively involved in organizing the Asia-Oceania Regional Workshop on GNSS (AORW), which is an annual key event in the region. The previous one, held in Hanoi in December 2013, attracted 160 participants from 17 countries. The next edition, AORW-6, will be in Phuket, Thailand from 9 to 11 October 2014.

What kind of results is your research producing?

A major milestone for us happened last year when we became the first in Asia to make a Galileo fix. This accomplishment earned us a commemorative certificate from the European Space Agency (ESA).

In addition, we are very active in developing regional GNSS systems and supporting companies and governments in their satellite navigation actions. In this sense, we serve as a bridge between European GNSS and South East Asia.

Why the focus on Galileo?

Since 2004, our main focus has been promoting Galileo and its benefits to South East Asia. This is important because, as a region, we lack our own satellite navigation capabilities and thus will depend on other national or regional systems.

There’s a lot of competition coming from Russia, China and Japan – each looking to tie South East Asia to their GNSS system. However, the majority of these systems are military based or controlled, which of course raises concerns for us. This is what makes Galileo so attractive, it is being developed and will be operated as a civilian programme.

Do you have a sense of how the South East Asian GNSS market looks?

The potential here is substantial. From my visits with regional companies, there is significant interest in satellite navigation. In fact, the Vietnamese government has recently issued a regulation that requires all vehicles used to transport passengers or goods to be equipped with ‘black boxes’ capable of relaying data – which will come from GNSS technology.

Many of these local technology companies are looking for suitable providers, but tend to look towards US/Japan/China companies instead of European ones. Our job is to be here, on the ground, letting companies know of the many benefits that Europe – and Galileo – have to offer.

The International Centre for Research and Development of Satellite Navigation Technology in South East Asia – the NAVIS Centre – has been set up by the SEAGAL project (2009-2010), an action co-funded by the Seventh Research Framework Programme (FP7) of the European Commission, Call GALILEO-2007-4.3-01, Grant Agreement No. 228061. The collaboration between Europe and NAVIS is still going on thanks to the Growing NAVIS project (2012-2015), co-funded by the Seventh Research Framework Programme (FP7) of the European Commission, Call GALILEO .2011.4.3-1 International Cooperation and Awareness, Grant Agreement No. 287203.
The NAVIS Centre is located in the Hanoi University of Science and Technology and is managed in agreement with the following supporting institutions: Politecnico di Torino (Italy), Istituto Superiore Mario Boella (Italy), Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya (Spain) and Hanoi University of Science and Technology (Vietnam).

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
NAVIS Centre
Growing NAVIS project

At a recent live demonstration in Prague, the public was given a unique preview of Europe’s eCall system in action. Powered by European GNSS technology, emergency services will be able to respond to accidents more quickly and accurately. As a result, lives will be saved.

According to organizers of the live demonstration, part of the European Space Solutions Conference 2014 in Prague, the concept of Europe’s eCall emergency service is simple. Each car is equipped with a black box, similar to what is found in airliners. When there is an accident, the black box is automatically activated, transmitting information to the public safety answering site, which instantly creates an event that records such data as the location of the vehicle, number of passengers, and type of vehicle.

“This information is then used to coordinate a faster launch of rescue services who can quickly reach you,” says Viktor Szabo of UAMK, a Czech company developing the system. “All-in-all, it takes only 16 seconds from the time of the crash to the operator receiving the information and dispatching emergency services to the scene.”

    Read More: European GNSS Success Story - eCall

One question raised is why this automation is needed – with mobile phones, can’t the passenger just call emergency services? To answer this, Viktor invited guests to take a ride in the crash demonstration vehicle.

Once inside the demo vehicle and buckled up, the car flips over and the airbag is deployed. The passenger soon finds themselves trapped between the seat and the airbag, unable to use their arms and thus unable to reach their mobile phone. Thus, the brilliance of the automated call system.

Your Car Can Call for Help

In accordance with EU objectives, all new cars will soon be equipped with this emergency call system. Once installed, whenever there is an accident the unit will automatically dial the 112 emergency number, sending a minimum set of data relevant to the accident information. Europe’s satellites provide the precise location of the vehicle.

This information is then sent to an operator of the 112 emergency number who – thanks to satellite information – can see the location of the accident on a map. The operator can communicate directly with the passengers.

    Read More: How to Enable Better Location for Emergency Calls: Galileo and 112

At the same time, the data transmitted by the eCall system is sent to emergency services, who are immediately dispatched to the scene. As these responders head to the accident site, they are guided by satellite-generated traffic information, ensuring efficient routing.

Harmonised eCall European Pilot (HeERO)

In order to operate the eCall system at the international level, it must be deployed as technically compatible. The goal of the European HeERO project is to define and verify interoperability of the eCall service. A three year project launched in 2011 and the Czech Republic participates through the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Interior – General Directorate of the Fire Brigade of the Czech Republic.

The HeERO project is partially funded by the ICT Policy Support Programme (ICT PSP) as part of the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme of the European Union.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency

European Space Solutions Conference 2014

At a recent live demonstration in Prague, the public was given a unique preview of Europe’s eCall system in action. Powered by European GNSS technology, emergency services will be able to respond to accidents more quickly and accurately. As a result, lives will be saved.

According to organizers of the live demonstration, part of the European Space Solutions Conference 2014 in Prague, the concept of Europe’s eCall emergency service is simple. Each car is equipped with a black box, similar to what is found in airliners. When there is an accident, the black box is automatically activated, transmitting information to the public safety answering site, which instantly creates an event that records such data as the location of the vehicle, number of passengers, and type of vehicle.

“This information is then used to coordinate a faster launch of rescue services who can quickly reach you,” says Viktor Szabo of UAMK, a Czech company developing the system. “All-in-all, it takes only 16 seconds from the time of the crash to the operator receiving the information and dispatching emergency services to the scene.”

    Read More: European GNSS Success Story - eCall

One question raised is why this automation is needed – with mobile phones, can’t the passenger just call emergency services? To answer this, Viktor invited guests to take a ride in the crash demonstration vehicle.

Once inside the demo vehicle and buckled up, the car flips over and the airbag is deployed. The passenger soon finds themselves trapped between the seat and the airbag, unable to use their arms and thus unable to reach their mobile phone. Thus, the brilliance of the automated call system.

Your Car Can Call for Help

In accordance with EU objectives, all new cars will soon be equipped with this emergency call system. Once installed, whenever there is an accident the unit will automatically dial the 112 emergency number, sending a minimum set of data relevant to the accident information. Europe’s satellites provide the precise location of the vehicle.

This information is then sent to an operator of the 112 emergency number who – thanks to satellite information – can see the location of the accident on a map. The operator can communicate directly with the passengers.

    Read More: How to Enable Better Location for Emergency Calls: Galileo and 112

At the same time, the data transmitted by the eCall system is sent to emergency services, who are immediately dispatched to the scene. As these responders head to the accident site, they are guided by satellite-generated traffic information, ensuring efficient routing.

Harmonised eCall European Pilot (HeERO)

In order to operate the eCall system at the international level, it must be deployed as technically compatible. The goal of the European HeERO project is to define and verify interoperability of the eCall service. A three year project launched in 2011 and the Czech Republic participates through the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Interior – General Directorate of the Fire Brigade of the Czech Republic.

The HeERO project is partially funded by the ICT Policy Support Programme (ICT PSP) as part of the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme of the European Union.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency

European Space Solutions Conference 2014

At a recent live demonstration in Prague, the public was given a unique preview of Europe’s eCall system in action. Powered by European GNSS technology, emergency services will be able to respond to accidents more quickly and accurately. As a result, lives will be saved.

According to organizers of the live demonstration, part of the European Space Solutions Conference 2014 in Prague, the concept of Europe’s eCall emergency service is simple. Each car is equipped with a black box, similar to what is found in airliners. When there is an accident, the black box is automatically activated, transmitting information to the public safety answering site, which instantly creates an event that records such data as the location of the vehicle, number of passengers, and type of vehicle.

“This information is then used to coordinate a faster launch of rescue services who can quickly reach you,” says Viktor Szabo of UAMK, a Czech company developing the system. “All-in-all, it takes only 16 seconds from the time of the crash to the operator receiving the information and dispatching emergency services to the scene.”

    Read More: European GNSS Success Story - eCall

One question raised is why this automation is needed – with mobile phones, can’t the passenger just call emergency services? To answer this, Viktor invited guests to take a ride in the crash demonstration vehicle.

Once inside the demo vehicle and buckled up, the car flips over and the airbag is deployed. The passenger soon finds themselves trapped between the seat and the airbag, unable to use their arms and thus unable to reach their mobile phone. Thus, the brilliance of the automated call system.

Your Car Can Call for Help

In accordance with EU objectives, all new cars will soon be equipped with this emergency call system. Once installed, whenever there is an accident the unit will automatically dial the 112 emergency number, sending a minimum set of data relevant to the accident information. Europe’s satellites provide the precise location of the vehicle.

This information is then sent to an operator of the 112 emergency number who – thanks to satellite information – can see the location of the accident on a map. The operator can communicate directly with the passengers.

    Read More: How to Enable Better Location for Emergency Calls: Galileo and 112

At the same time, the data transmitted by the eCall system is sent to emergency services, who are immediately dispatched to the scene. As these responders head to the accident site, they are guided by satellite-generated traffic information, ensuring efficient routing.

Harmonised eCall European Pilot (HeERO)

In order to operate the eCall system at the international level, it must be deployed as technically compatible. The goal of the European HeERO project is to define and verify interoperability of the eCall service. A three year project launched in 2011 and the Czech Republic participates through the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Interior – General Directorate of the Fire Brigade of the Czech Republic.

The HeERO project is partially funded by the ICT Policy Support Programme (ICT PSP) as part of the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme of the European Union.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency

European Space Solutions Conference 2014

Europe is becoming a key player in the global navigation satellite system (GNSS) arena. In this series of articles, the European GNSS Agency (GSA) highlights the many success stories happening across all sectors in market uptake, user adoption, innovation and R&D. Here we focus on the agriculture sector and how European GNSS, like EGNOS and Galileo, is bringing the benefits of precision agriculture to the challenging environments of Brazil.

High accuracy GNSS positioning has been at the core of Precision Agriculture (PA) technology in Brazil – supporting planting, harvesting and overall maintenance of farming areas. For example, the Brazilian ethanol industry is a full-time user PA, relying on such high accuracy GNSS techniques as Real Time Kinematic (RTK).

Although the use of such technology is widespread, there are challenges. The use of GNSS RTK, for instance, is limited due to the high frequency of ionospheric scintillation that, especially in years of high solar activity, systematically disrupts RTK performance during the evening and nights. This results in downtime and, consequently, large financial losses.

Also read: European Space Solutions 2014: European GNSS For Smart Farming

Tackling challenges like this is the objective of the CALIBRA FP7 project and its many local partners. Agro Pastoril Campanelli, one of CALIBRA’s local industrial partners, is an example of an agriculture company that extensively relies on PA technology. Campanelli plays an active role in the project and, within this scope, have provided the necessary infrastructure for the CALIBRA to perform a real world experiment during normal field operations (Figure 1).

A successful experiment

GNSS receivers purchased by CALIBRA partners UNESP and ConsultGEL were used during the experiments. One ionospheric scintillation monitor receiver (ISMR) unit, the Septentrio PolaRxS, was set up to monitor the ionosphere, while an Altus APS3 receiver was installed as a RTK reference station. A number of RTK units were mounted in the PA tractor (figure 2) for performance evaluation.

The experiments were conducted during the first week of April 2014. 

At the time of writing, data has been stored and made available to project partners for analysis. Results will be disseminated via the project website, relevant events and sector publications.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
EGNOS Agriculture
CALIBRA
Horizon 2020

Europe is becoming a key player in the global navigation satellite system (GNSS) arena. In this series of articles, the European GNSS Agency (GSA) highlights the many success stories happening across all sectors in market uptake, user adoption, innovation and R&D. Here we focus on the agriculture sector and how European GNSS, like EGNOS and Galileo, is bringing the benefits of precision agriculture to the challenging environments of Brazil.

High accuracy GNSS positioning has been at the core of Precision Agriculture (PA) technology in Brazil – supporting planting, harvesting and overall maintenance of farming areas. For example, the Brazilian ethanol industry is a full-time user PA, relying on such high accuracy GNSS techniques as Real Time Kinematic (RTK).

Although the use of such technology is widespread, there are challenges. The use of GNSS RTK, for instance, is limited due to the high frequency of ionospheric scintillation that, especially in years of high solar activity, systematically disrupts RTK performance during the evening and nights. This results in downtime and, consequently, large financial losses.

Also read: European Space Solutions 2014: European GNSS For Smart Farming

Tackling challenges like this is the objective of the CALIBRA FP7 project and its many local partners. Agro Pastoril Campanelli, one of CALIBRA’s local industrial partners, is an example of an agriculture company that extensively relies on PA technology. Campanelli plays an active role in the project and, within this scope, have provided the necessary infrastructure for the CALIBRA to perform a real world experiment during normal field operations (Figure 1).

A successful experiment

GNSS receivers purchased by CALIBRA partners UNESP and ConsultGEL were used during the experiments. One ionospheric scintillation monitor receiver (ISMR) unit, the Septentrio PolaRxS, was set up to monitor the ionosphere, while an Altus APS3 receiver was installed as a RTK reference station. A number of RTK units were mounted in the PA tractor (figure 2) for performance evaluation.

The experiments were conducted during the first week of April 2014. 

At the time of writing, data has been stored and made available to project partners for analysis. Results will be disseminated via the project website, relevant events and sector publications.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
EGNOS Agriculture
CALIBRA
CALIBRA FP7
Horizon 2020

Europe is becoming a key player in the global navigation satellite system (GNSS) arena. In this series of articles, the European GNSS Agency (GSA) highlights the many success stories happening across all sectors in market uptake, user adoption, innovation and R&D. Here we focus on the agriculture sector and how European GNSS, like EGNOS and Galileo, is bringing the benefits of precision agriculture to the challenging environments of Brazil.

High accuracy GNSS positioning has been at the core of Precision Agriculture (PA) technology in Brazil – supporting planting, harvesting and overall maintenance of farming areas. For example, the Brazilian ethanol industry is a full-time user PA, relying on such high accuracy GNSS techniques as Real Time Kinematic (RTK).

Although the use of such technology is widespread, there are challenges. The use of GNSS RTK, for instance, is limited due to the high frequency of ionospheric scintillation that, especially in years of high solar activity, systematically disrupts RTK performance during the evening and nights. This results in downtime and, consequently, large financial losses.

Also read: European Space Solutions 2014: European GNSS For Smart Farming

Tackling challenges like this is the objective of the CALIBRA FP7 project and its many local partners. Agro Pastoril Campanelli, one of CALIBRA’s local industrial partners, is an example of an agriculture company that extensively relies on PA technology. Campanelli plays an active role in the project and, within this scope, have provided the necessary infrastructure for the CALIBRA to perform a real world experiment during normal field operations (Figure 1).

A successful experiment

GNSS receivers purchased by CALIBRA partners UNESP and ConsultGEL were used during the experiments. One ionospheric scintillation monitor receiver (ISMR) unit, the Septentrio PolaRxS, was set up to monitor the ionosphere, while an Altus APS3 receiver was installed as a RTK reference station. A number of RTK units were mounted in the PA tractor (figure 2) for performance evaluation.

The experiments were conducted during the first week of April 2014. 

At the time of writing, data has been stored and made available to project partners for analysis. Results will be disseminated via the project website, relevant events and sector publications.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
EGNOS Agriculture
CALIBRA
Horizon 2020

European GNSS Agency (GSA) launches a call for proposals to increase EGNOS adoption in civil aviation.

Today’s GNSS penetration in the global aviation market is over 80% (and up to 90% in the instrumental user sub-segment). The shipments of EGNOS enabled devices are expected to dominate the entire market, including the regional, business and general aviation segments. The penetration of SBAS enabled units in equipped aircraft is expected to increase from some 20% in 2012 to 60% in 2020.

To further enhance this essential EGNOS user segment, the GSA has launched a call for proposals to foster further EGNOS adoption in the European civil aviation sector. The objective is twofold. On the one hand, to grant aims to support projects that enable users to equip and use their aircraft or rotorcraft fleet with GPS/SBAS-enabled avionics. On the other hand, it aims to allow Air Navigation Service Providers and aerodromes/heliports to implement EGNOS-based operations in Europe.

Scope of the Grant

The purpose of the call is to co-fund  projects capable of fostering EGNOS operational implementation for regional, business and general aviation and rotorcraft. In addition, commercial operators and OEMs interested in benefiting from EGNOS may also apply.

Specifically, the call aims to:

• Foster the design, development and operational implementation of EGNOS based operations, including approach procedures at different European aerodromes and EGNOS based routes
• Develop and install GPS/EGNOS enabled avionics and granting of airworthiness certification for RNP APCH procedures down to LPV minima, including the development of Supplemental Type Certificates (STC) or Service Bulletins (SB)
• Approve Air Operator Certificates for LPV operations of aircraft already equipped with SBAS capabilities
• Develop enablers to accelerate EGNOS adoption and preparation for its future capabilities, such as LPV 200

To accomplish this, proposals are expected to address activities in one or more of the following areas:

RNP APCH Procedures to LPV Minima

Projects under this area of activity should focus on the design, development and publication of EGNOS LPV approach procedures at European airports, aiming at publication of the new RNP APCH procedures including LPV minima based on EGNOS in national AIPs.

PinS Procedures to LPV Minima

Proposals should envisage the operational implementation of new PinS procedures, including LPV minima based on EGNOS, by the end of the project.

Aircraft or Rotorcraft Forward Fit

Proposal addressing this area of activity should target the development of SBAS LPV capability in new aircraft models and/or its entry into operation.

Aircraft or Rotorcraft Retrofit

This area of activity focuses on in-service aircraft and rotorcraft not certified to perform LPV approaches, and proposals should target the tasks needed to achieve operational use of the LPV capabilities, including hardware upgrades or acquisition, hardware installation and certification and/or obtaining the specific operational approval from the national authority, when necessary.

Development of Service Bulletin

Proposals addressing this area of activity will target the development of SBs involving SBAS LPV and their commercialization.

Development of Supplemental Type Certificate

This area of activity addresses the development of STCs involving SBAS LPV and their commercialization.

Development of Enablers and Other EGNOS Based Operations

Projects in this area of activity should address the development of enablers to accelerate EGNOS adoption and its operational use by civil aviation. Proposals may include, but are not limited to, hardware/software development, processes implementation and related trials. Activities in this area may also include implementation of other EGNOS based operations, beyond RNP approaches and down to LPV minima, including, but not limited, to RNP 0.3 routes, LP approaches of preparation for LPV 200 approaches.
The proposals should demonstrate the need for such enablers by aviation stakeholders and readiness of the proposer to accomplish the proposed tasks within the time of the project.

The Details

Application documents and additional information can be found here.

The deadline for submitting applications is 16:00 CET 31 October.

Applications will be assessed in terms of relevance of the proposal and credibility of the proposed approach, economic and societal impact, and coherence and effectiveness of the work plan.

The total budget of the call is EUR 6 000 000 and maximum EU financing of eligible direct costs is 60 percent. In addition, a flat-rate amount of 7% of the total eligible direct costs of the action is eligible under indirect costs.

Awarding of the grants will happen in December 2014, with each grant agreement having an estimated duration of two years.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
GSA Grants
 

European GNSS Agency (GSA) launches a call for proposals to increase EGNOS adoption in civil aviation.

Today’s GNSS penetration in the global aviation market is over 80% (and up to 90% in the instrumental user sub-segment). The shipments of EGNOS enabled devices are expected to dominate the entire market, including the regional, business and general aviation segments. The penetration of SBAS enabled units in equipped aircraft is expected to increase from some 20% in 2012 to 60% in 2020.

To further enhance this essential EGNOS user segment, the GSA has launched a call for proposals to foster further EGNOS adoption in the European civil aviation sector. The objective is twofold. On the one hand, to grant aims to support projects that enable users to equip and use their aircraft or rotorcraft fleet with GPS/SBAS-enabled avionics. On the other hand, it aims to allow Air Navigation Service Providers and aerodromes/heliports to implement EGNOS-based operations in Europe.

Scope of the Grant

The purpose of the call is to co-fund  projects capable of fostering EGNOS operational implementation for regional, business and general aviation and rotorcraft. In addition, commercial operators and OEMs interested in benefiting from EGNOS may also apply.

Specifically, the call aims to:

• Foster the design, development and operational implementation of EGNOS based operations, including approach procedures at different European aerodromes and EGNOS based routes
• Develop and install GPS/EGNOS enabled avionics and granting of airworthiness certification for RNP APCH procedures down to LPV minima, including the development of Supplemental Type Certificates (STC) or Service Bulletins (SB)
• Approve Air Operator Certificates for LPV operations of aircraft already equipped with SBAS capabilities
• Develop enablers to accelerate EGNOS adoption and preparation for its future capabilities, such as LPV 200

To accomplish this, proposals are expected to address activities in one or more of the following areas:

RNP APCH Procedures to LPV Minima

Projects under this area of activity should focus on the design, development and publication of EGNOS LPV approach procedures at European airports, aiming at publication of the new RNP APCH procedures including LPV minima based on EGNOS in national AIPs.

PinS Procedures to LPV Minima

Proposals should envisage the operational implementation of new PinS procedures, including LPV minima based on EGNOS, by the end of the project.

Aircraft or Rotorcraft Forward Fit

Proposal addressing this area of activity should target the development of SBAS LPV capability in new aircraft models and/or its entry into operation.

Aircraft or Rotorcraft Retrofit

This area of activity focuses on in-service aircraft and rotorcraft not certified to perform LPV approaches, and proposals should target the tasks needed to achieve operational use of the LPV capabilities, including hardware upgrades or acquisition, hardware installation and certification and/or obtaining the specific operational approval from the national authority, when necessary.

Development of Service Bulletin

Proposals addressing this area of activity will target the development of SBs involving SBAS LPV and their commercialization.

Development of Supplemental Type Certificate

This area of activity addresses the development of STCs involving SBAS LPV and their commercialization.

Development of Enablers and Other EGNOS Based Operations

Projects in this area of activity should address the development of enablers to accelerate EGNOS adoption and its operational use by civil aviation. Proposals may include, but are not limited to, hardware/software development, processes implementation and related trials. Activities in this area may also include implementation of other EGNOS based operations, beyond RNP approaches and down to LPV minima, including, but not limited, to RNP 0.3 routes, LP approaches of preparation for LPV 200 approaches.
The proposals should demonstrate the need for such enablers by aviation stakeholders and readiness of the proposer to accomplish the proposed tasks within the time of the project.

The Details

Application documents and additional information can be found here.

The deadline for submitting applications is 16:00 CET 31 October.

Applications will be assessed in terms of relevance of the proposal and credibility of the proposed approach, economic and societal impact, and coherence and effectiveness of the work plan.

The total budget of the call is EUR 6 000 000 and maximum EU financing of eligible direct costs is 60 percent. In addition, a flat-rate amount of 7% of the total eligible direct costs of the action is eligible under indirect costs.

Awarding of the grants will happen in December 2014, with each grant agreement having an estimated duration of two years.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
GSA Grants
 

European citizens from all walks of life will rely on Galileo and EGNOS. To demonstrate how, the GSA has launched a new video giving viewers an inside look at the many ways European satellite navigation is bettering their day-to-day lives.

Question: What do the following have in common?
•    A farmer driving a tractor
•    The captain of a large cargo ship manoeuvring in port
•    An environmental expert surveying a forest
•    A truck driver transporting hazardous good
•    A banker trading commodities

Answer: They all rely on satellite navigation.

Satellite navigation goes far beyond guiding you from point A to point B. To show you the extent of satellite navigation’s impact, the EU GNSS Agency (GSA) has launched a new video. The video gives viewers an inside look at the many benefits both EGNOS today and Galileo in the future are bringing to European citizens.

              Watch This: EGNOS & Galileo – Navigation Powered by Europe

Europe contributes to making positioning more accurate, reliable and available through its two, state-of-the-art satellite navigation programmes: EGNOS and Galileo. EGNOS is Europe’s first concrete venture into satellite navigation. Using geo-stationary satellites and a network of ground stations, it increases the accuracy of existing satellite signals, along with providing a unique integrity message.

Galileo, on the other hand, is Europe’s independent global satellite navigation system. Once fully-operational, it will provide reliable, highly-accurate global positioning under civilian control.

From aviation to mapping, rail to maritime and everything in between, EU GNSS programmes are changing the way we live and do business. European citizens from many walks of life will rely on Galileo and EGNOS to power services that enhance efficiency, safety, productivity and economic growth.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency

European citizens from all walks of life will rely on Galileo and EGNOS. To demonstrate how, the GSA has launched a new video giving viewers an inside look at the many ways European satellite navigation is bettering their day-to-day lives.

Question: What do the following have in common?
•    A farmer driving a tractor
•    The captain of a large cargo ship manoeuvring in port
•    An environmental expert surveying a forest
•    A truck driver transporting hazardous good
•    A banker trading commodities

Answer: They all rely on satellite navigation.

Satellite navigation goes far beyond guiding you from point A to point B. To show you the extent of satellite navigation’s impact, the EU GNSS Agency (GSA) has launched a new video. The video gives viewers an inside look at the many benefits both EGNOS today and Galileo in the future are bringing to European citizens.

              Watch This: EGNOS & Galileo – Navigation Powered by Europe

Europe contributes to making positioning more accurate, reliable and available through its two, state-of-the-art satellite navigation programmes: EGNOS and Galileo. EGNOS is Europe’s first concrete venture into satellite navigation. Using geo-stationary satellites and a network of ground stations, it increases the accuracy of existing satellite signals, along with providing a unique integrity message.

Galileo, on the other hand, is Europe’s independent global satellite navigation system. Once fully-operational, it will provide reliable, highly-accurate global positioning under civilian control.

From aviation to mapping, rail to maritime and everything in between, EU GNSS programmes are changing the way we live and do business. European citizens from many walks of life will rely on Galileo and EGNOS to power services that enhance efficiency, safety, productivity and economic growth.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency

European citizens from all walks of life will rely on Galileo and EGNOS. To demonstrate how, the GSA has launched a new video giving viewers an inside look at the many ways European satellite navigation is bettering their day-to-day lives.

Question: What do the following have in common?
•    A farmer driving a tractor
•    The captain of a large cargo ship manoeuvring in port
•    An environmental expert surveying a forest
•    A truck driver transporting hazardous good
•    A banker trading commodities

Answer: They all rely on satellite navigation.

Satellite navigation goes far beyond guiding you from point A to point B. To show you the extent of satellite navigation’s impact, the EU GNSS Agency (GSA) has launched a new video. The video gives viewers an inside look at the many benefits both EGNOS today and Galileo in the future are bringing to European citizens.

              Watch This: EGNOS & Galileo – Navigation Powered by Europe

Europe contributes to making positioning more accurate, reliable and available through its two, state-of-the-art satellite navigation programmes: EGNOS and Galileo. EGNOS is Europe’s first concrete venture into satellite navigation. Using geo-stationary satellites and a network of ground stations, it increases the accuracy of existing satellite signals, along with providing a unique integrity message.

Galileo, on the other hand, is Europe’s independent global satellite navigation system. Once fully-operational, it will provide reliable, highly-accurate global positioning under civilian control.

From aviation to mapping, rail to maritime and everything in between, EU GNSS programmes are changing the way we live and do business. European citizens from many walks of life will rely on Galileo and EGNOS to power services that enhance efficiency, safety, productivity and economic growth.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency

The Early Proof of Concept (EPOC) team has successfully tracked the encrypted Galileo E60B and E6-C signals broadcast by Galileo satellites. As a result, the Commercial Service loop has been closed using both encrypted and non-encrypted signals.

During the 10-day testing period, receivers located in Tres Cantos, Spain and Poing, Germany, showed the successful tracking and data demodulation of the encrypted signals from available Galileo satellites, with periods where all satellites transmitting E6 encrypted signals were tracked simultaneously.

The tests verified the functionality of the Galileo Commercial Service (CS) signal’s encryption functionalities, with the data received containing authentication and high accuracy information previously generated outside the Galileo system. This is an essential feature to ensuring Galileo’s high accuracy and authentication services – some of which may be commercial in nature. 

“The Commercial Service has the potential to improve the performance of existing location services for all user communities and will be a key element of Galileo’s service provision,” says GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides. “It will also help further enhance Galileo’s economic added value in downstream markets.”

Also read: First Signal-In-Space Tests Of The Galileo Commercial Service Demonstrator

Added-value

Galileo Commercial Services will deliver a range of added-value features, including positioning accurate to decimetre level and an authentication feature, both of which allow for the development of innovative applications for professional or commercial use. The Galileo CS demonstrator began its proof of concept earlier this year, with early service expected to start in 2016.

Once operational, CS will provide access to two additional encrypted signals on the E6 band, delivering a higher data throughput rate and increased accuracy. CS addresses the authentication and high-precision market segments and will deliver innovative services with improved performance and greater added value than those obtained through the open service.

Also read: GSA Launches Public Consultation On The Galileo Commercial Service

“Although there are still many steps before the delivery of an operational CS, these first test prove what Galileo can do in the near future” notes European Commission Project Officer Ignacio Fernández Hernández, who is in charge of Galileo Commercial Service design and management.

Successful Team Approach

The tests are the results of a collective effort involving teams and projects of ‘AALECS’ (Authentication and Accurate Location Experimentation with the Commercial Service), supported by the European Commission, the European GNSS Agency (GSA), the European Space Agency (ESA) and Galileo operator, Spaceopal.

The AALECS project is building a platform to connect to the European GNSS Service Centre (GSC) and transmit real time CS data through the Galileo satellites. This platform will be operational by 2015 and will demonstrate the real performance of future high accuracy and authentication services of Galileo prior to early service availability.

The European Commission launched the AALECS project in January 2014 and it was awarded to a consortium led by GMV including CGI, Qascom, IFEN, Veripos and KU Leuven. As part of the AALECS project, GMV and IFEN developed an Early Proof-Of-Concept platform aimed at testing external data transmission through offline means. The project will last for around two and a half years.

Miguel Romay, Director of GNSS at GMV adds: “The first successful demonstration shows the potential of Galileo to provide a new generation of innovative and high performance satellite-based navigation services. We are proud to be part of the team developing the CS Demonstrator and contribute to proving the capabilities of Galileo.”

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency

The Early Proof of Concept (EPOC) team has successfully tracked the encrypted Galileo E60B and E6-C signals broadcast by Galileo satellites. As a result, the Commercial Service loop has been closed using both encrypted and non-encrypted signals.

During the 10-day testing period, receivers located in Tres Cantos, Spain and Poing, Germany, showed the successful tracking and data demodulation of the encrypted signals from available Galileo satellites, with periods where all satellites transmitting E6 encrypted signals were tracked simultaneously.

The tests verified the functionality of the Galileo Commercial Service (CS) signal’s encryption functionalities, with the data received containing authentication and high accuracy information previously generated outside the Galileo system. This is an essential feature to ensuring Galileo’s high accuracy and authentication services – some of which may be commercial in nature. 

“The Commercial Service has the potential to improve the performance of existing location services for all user communities and will be a key element of Galileo’s service provision,” says GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides. “It will also help further enhance Galileo’s economic added value in downstream markets.”

Also read: First Signal-In-Space Tests Of The Galileo Commercial Service Demonstrator

Added-value

Galileo Commercial Services will deliver a range of added-value features, including positioning accurate to decimetre level and an authentication feature, both of which allow for the development of innovative applications for professional or commercial use. The Galileo CS demonstrator began its proof of concept earlier this year, with early service expected to start in 2016.

Once operational, CS will provide access to two additional encrypted signals on the E6 band, delivering a higher data throughput rate and increased accuracy. CS addresses the authentication and high-precision market segments and will deliver innovative services with improved performance and greater added value than those obtained through the open service.

Also read: GSA Launches Public Consultation On The Galileo Commercial Service

“Although there are still many steps before the delivery of an operational CS, these first test prove what Galileo can do in the near future” notes European Commission Project Officer Ignacio Fernández Hernández, who is in charge of Galileo Commercial Service design and management.

Successful Team Approach

The tests are the results of a collective effort involving teams and projects of ‘AALECS’ (Authentication and Accurate Location Experimentation with the Commercial Service), supported by the European Commission, the European GNSS Agency (GSA), the European Space Agency (ESA) and Galileo operator, Spaceopal.

The AALECS project is building a platform to connect to the European GNSS Service Centre (GSC) and transmit real time CS data through the Galileo satellites. This platform will be operational by 2015 and will demonstrate the real performance of future high accuracy and authentication services of Galileo prior to early service availability.

The European Commission launched the AALECS project in January 2014 and it was awarded to a consortium led by GMV including CGI, Qascom, IFEN, Veripos and KU Leuven. As part of the AALECS project, GMV and IFEN developed an Early Proof-Of-Concept platform aimed at testing external data transmission through offline means. The project will last for around two and a half years.

Miguel Romay, Director of GNSS at GMV adds: “The first successful demonstration shows the potential of Galileo to provide a new generation of innovative and high performance satellite-based navigation services. We are proud to be part of the team developing the CS Demonstrator and contribute to proving the capabilities of Galileo.”

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency

The Galileo Public Regulated Service (PRS) will be a unique feature of the EU’s new Galileo Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). This robust and secure service will be made available to authorised users, such as emergency services, via authorised national authorities. The deployment, implementation and use of PRS was the subject of a recent briefing for Belgian civil authorities at the Royal Military Academy (RMA) in Brussels.

In summary, the Galileo PRS will provide a permanent encrypted and robust signal for use by disaster management services, security forces and defence. However, such a system comes with responsibility – namely ensuring the system remains safeguarded. With modern society increasingly relying on satellite navigation infrastructure, it is essential that best practises are implemented and a dialogue maintained with private sector players on operational issues.

As an example of how this private/public sector dialog should look, Claudia de Maesschalck of the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs pointed to Belgium, praising it and its industry for its work in support of GNSS and, specifically, Galileo and PRS. “Belgium is well advanced in PRS in terms of R&D, testing and demonstration, and manufacturing – and we intend to stay at the forefront,” she said.

Galileo Status

The provision of Galileo services, including PRS, is now the responsibility of the European GNSS Agency (GSA). “The GSA now has responsibility for the operation and service provision for EGNOS and, from 2014, its core business is shifting from one of technology provision to service provision,” said GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides. “In the future, starting in 2017, Galileo will become one of the main areas of activity of the GSA.”

From 2015, Galileo Early Services will become available. However, since 2013, PRS has proven that it is a truly independent and secure GNSS service. According to des Dorides, in addition to EU Member States, third countries have requested access to PRS.

Already several Member States have established a Competent PRS Authority (CPA), tested the PR S signal and confirmed their interest in PRS pilot projects..  In January, a consortium of companies was awarded a contract to develop the first generation of PRS operational receivers for use by PRS participants in EU Member States. The receivers will be used in PRS pilot projects.

Although access to PRS was initially envisaged as being available when the Galileo satellites were in Full Operation Capability (FOC), due to the strong interest of Member States joint projects, ‘PRS participants to In-Orbit-Validation’ (PPTI) were initiated in July 2012. This ensures Member States will be in a position to use PRS operationally earlier than FOC is achieved.

Des Dorides also reminded delegates that the Commission’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme is set to announce the first calls for projects in the PRS user segment. With a budget of €20 million, the call is scheduled for the second half of 2014.

“The potential market for PRS is huge,” claimed des Dorides. The military segment was substantial –– and it is estimated that up to 60 % of the three million civilian security users in Europe will also need access, plus additional requirements, for secure timing and synchronisation services for critical infrastructures.”

No Spoof

PRS’s use of encrypted navigation signals and a wider bandwidth than the normal Galileo Open Service means it is more robust to jamming or spoofing of the signal. The risk of a loss of signal is greatly reduced, which means any attempt at malicious interference requires more power and therefore the source of interference should be easier to locate.

And, of course, PRS will remain available when the Open Service has been temporarily suspended or jammed due to a security issue.

Christian Lezy from the European Space Agency (ESA) described the In-Orbit testing of the PRS signal from the ESA’s ground station in Redu, Belgium. Secure testing is being set-up for characterising the PRS signal in space. The modular facility will use Redu’s 20 metre L-band dish to enable a practically noiseless environment for measurement.

The facility will be ready by late August, around the same time when the third Galileo satellite launch is expected. Testing of PRS is anticipated by late October or early November. “The Redu system will allow full performance characterisation of PRS in space,” said Lezy. “The test facility will be of great benefit for EU industry.”

Open and secure

A nominated Competent PRS Authority (CPA) is required for each Member States using PRS or manufacturing PRS technologies.  The CPA will have an essential role in implementing and managing PRS in every EU member state. In Belgium Bruno Vermeire will be moving from the National Security Authority to head up his country’s CPA and he described the role of these new authorities and the specific structures being established in Belgium.

“Galileo PRS will give the EU and its Member States independence and a GNSS that is both open and secure,” said Vermeire. “Currently we must ask other people ‘Please can we use your signals?’. PRS puts the situation other way around and gives us autonomy and authority.

Essentially each CPA is responsible for managing and supervising its PRS users and any manufacturers of PRS receivers and other equipment in its territory. The CPA also controls the use of PRS receivers through the provision of encryption keys provided by the GSMC.

Initially – up to 2020 - the Belgian CPA will be operating a manual point of contact system to serve the national PRS user community which will initially be small. However during this time it will be preparing for the future. A key role of the CPA will also be to coordinate all future PRS pilot programmes and PPTI initiatives. The next phase of PPTI projects will be from 2014 to 2017 and proposals for testing user requirements or scenarios were requested.

After 2020 Vermeire foresees a fully electronic exchange of information that will be able to handle a much larger user community as PRS is adopted widely by the emergency services and other civilian security organisations.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
GSA PRS
 

Read more:

GSA Launches Consultations On Technology Roadmap For The Galileo Public Regulated Services (PRS) In Support Of The User Segment Development And Market Uptake

The Galileo Public Regulated Service (PRS) will be a unique feature of the EU’s new Galileo Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). This robust and secure service will be made available to authorised users, such as emergency services, via authorised national authorities. The deployment, implementation and use of PRS was the subject of a recent briefing for Belgian civil authorities at the Royal Military Academy (RMA) in Brussels.

In summary, the Galileo PRS will provide a permanent encrypted and robust signal for use by disaster management services, security forces and defence. However, such a system comes with responsibility – namely ensuring the system remains safeguarded. With modern society increasingly relying on satellite navigation infrastructure, it is essential that best practises are implemented and a dialogue maintained with private sector players on operational issues.

As an example of how this private/public sector dialog should look, Claudia de Maesschalck of the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs pointed to Belgium, praising it and its industry for its work in support of GNSS and, specifically, Galileo and PRS. “Belgium is well advanced in PRS in terms of R&D, testing and demonstration, and manufacturing – and we intend to stay at the forefront,” she said.

Galileo Status

The provision of Galileo services, including PRS, is now the responsibility of the European GNSS Agency (GSA). “The GSA now has responsibility for the operation and service provision for EGNOS and, from 2014, its core business is shifting from one of technology provision to service provision,” said GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides. “In the future, starting in 2017, Galileo will become one of the main areas of activity of the GSA.”

From 2015, Galileo Early Services will become available. However, since 2013, PRS has proven that it is a truly independent and secure GNSS service. According to des Dorides, in addition to EU Member States, third countries have requested access to PRS.

Already several Member States have established a Competent PRS Authority (CPA), tested the PR S signal and confirmed their interest in PRS pilot projects..  In January, a consortium of companies was awarded a contract to develop the first generation of PRS operational receivers for use by PRS participants in EU Member States. The receivers will be used in PRS pilot projects.

Although access to PRS was initially envisaged as being available when the Galileo satellites were in Full Operation Capability (FOC), due to the strong interest of Member States joint projects, ‘PRS participants to In-Orbit-Validation’ (PPTI) were initiated in July 2012. This ensures Member States will be in a position to use PRS operationally earlier than FOC is achieved.

Des Dorides also reminded delegates that the Commission’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme is set to announce the first calls for projects in the PRS user segment. With a budget of €20 million, the call is scheduled for the second half of 2014.

“The potential market for PRS is huge,” claimed des Dorides. The military segment was substantial –– and it is estimated that up to 60 % of the three million civilian security users in Europe will also need access, plus additional requirements, for secure timing and synchronisation services for critical infrastructures.”

No Spoof

PRS’s use of encrypted navigation signals and a wider bandwidth than the normal Galileo Open Service means it is more robust to jamming or spoofing of the signal. The risk of a loss of signal is greatly reduced, which means any attempt at malicious interference requires more power and therefore the source of interference should be easier to locate.

And, of course, PRS will remain available when the Open Service has been temporarily suspended or jammed due to a security issue.

Christian Lezy from the European Space Agency (ESA) described the In-Orbit testing of the PRS signal from the ESA’s ground station in Redu, Belgium. Secure testing is being set-up for characterising the PRS signal in space. The modular facility will use Redu’s 20 metre L-band dish to enable a practically noiseless environment for measurement.

The facility will be ready by late August, around the same time when the third Galileo satellite launch is expected. Testing of PRS is anticipated by late October or early November. “The Redu system will allow full performance characterisation of PRS in space,” said Lezy. “The test facility will be of great benefit for EU industry.”

Open and secure

A nominated Competent PRS Authority (CPA) is required for each Member States using PRS or manufacturing PRS technologies.  The CPA will have an essential role in implementing and managing PRS in every EU member state. In Belgium Bruno Vermeire will be moving from the National Security Authority to head up his country’s CPA and he described the role of these new authorities and the specific structures being established in Belgium.

“Galileo PRS will give the EU and its Member States independence and a GNSS that is both open and secure,” said Vermeire. “Currently we must ask other people ‘Please can we use your signals?’. PRS puts the situation other way around and gives us autonomy and authority.

Essentially each CPA is responsible for managing and supervising its PRS users and any manufacturers of PRS receivers and other equipment in its territory. The CPA also controls the use of PRS receivers through the provision of encryption keys provided by the GSMC.

Initially – up to 2020 - the Belgian CPA will be operating a manual point of contact system to serve the national PRS user community which will initially be small. However during this time it will be preparing for the future. A key role of the CPA will also be to coordinate all future PRS pilot programmes and PPTI initiatives. The next phase of PPTI projects will be from 2014 to 2017 and proposals for testing user requirements or scenarios were requested.

After 2020 Vermeire foresees a fully electronic exchange of information that will be able to handle a much larger user community as PRS is adopted widely by the emergency services and other civilian security organisations.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
GSA PRS
 

Read more:

GSA Launches Consultations On Technology Roadmap For The Galileo Public Regulated Services (PRS) In Support Of The User Segment Development And Market Uptake

The number and variety of Location Based Service (LBS) devices is on the rise: more than half of all mobile phones in Europe and North America are GNSS capable and global yearly shipments of GNSS-enabled LBS devices has grown from 150 million to 1bln over the last five years. How to ensure the European GNSS market capitalises on these opportunities was the topic of discussion at the European Space Solutions Conference.

Today it seems everybody is talking about LBS but few are talking about GNSS and Galileo’s key role in it. In the crowded LBS sector, ‘where is GNSS’?

“GNSS on your smartphone is just one of over a dozen available technologies,” said Justyna Redelkiewicz of the European GNSS Agency (GSA), speaking during the Consumer Applications session of the European Space Solutions conference. “That being said, GNSS’ role in location based services is substantial as it is the primary technology used for outdoor positioning.

LBS is the most important market segment for GNSS use today and will remain so in the future, as the growth forecast for the smartphone market is phenomenal. In 2009, it was forecasted that there would be 450 million smartphones by 2013. Impressive, no doubt. But in reality over 1 billion were shipped. More so, the market is far from being saturated, meaning even more opportunities are on the horizon.

Redelkiewicz believes that future growth will be fuelled by new platforms and applications, particularly those offering non-stop fixed positioning in all environments.

This is good news for Galileo: “Galileo combined with other GNSS systems will improve GNSS location, particularly in challenging environments like urban canyons,” said Redelkiewicz. “More so, Galileo’s unique data-less signals will offer further benefits to the LBS market.”

Using the data-less signal, Galileo enhances indoor penetration, improves performances in urban canyons and in noise measurements and improves sensitivity in A-GNSS mode.

Adrian Stimpson of Rx Networks confirmed that Galileo provides real added value to citizens using Location Based Services (LBS). When used in addition to GPS and/or GLONASS, Galileo proved to significantly improve accuracy in challenging environments such as urban canyons and indoors. Galileo showed improvements in both Time-to-First-Fix (TTFF) and position accuracy for the majority of scenarios.

This improved accuracy will have a profound impact across numerous sectors, including critical situations like E-112 calls. With the European Commission evaluating the mandate of GNSS location on mobile phones for emergency calling purposes, the test results demonstrate the benefit of including Galileo.

“The results should be encouraging to any GNSS chipset manufacturer who is considering adding Galileo as a competitive differentiator,” commented Adrian Stimpson.

GNSS in Action

But the role of European GNSS in the LBS sector is not something waiting to happen, it’s happening today. For example, Qualcomm will make use of multi-constellation GNSS to improve the precision of geo-locating on your mobile phone. “The need for location is evolving, and consumers expect their mobile devices not only to know what they are doing and where, but to anticipate what’s next,” said Will Brown, Senior Director Technical Marketing at Qualcomm. “The key to anticipation is location based information.”

Brown notes one of the key challenges is to improve pedestrian navigation, particularly in terms of low power navigation in dense urban environments. He believes the answer to this is the development of new applications capable of combining various location sensors and resulting in better contextual awareness.

“According to analysts by 2017, indoor location will be a $6 billion market opportunity,” he said. “What we are seeing is a new breed of indoor services for connecting people, with the end goal being to turn your mobile device into a personal assistant.”

Auto developments

Antti Aumo of the Car Connectivity Consortium, a global consortium for smartphone-based connected-car solutions, described their efforts to deliver the leading industry standard for car-smartphone connectivity. Their standard is designed for maximum interoperability between smartphones and cars. Apps developed for the consortium delivered maximum added value in-car while minimizing driver distraction. LBS was an essential element for seamless in-car smartphone use he believed.

Carlo Bagnoli of ST Microelectronics also described positioning trends in automotive and consumer applications. For vehicle apps he also saw fusion of data from multiple sensors as essential and stated that Galileo was now being considered as an option by all carmakers with regard to the likely requirements for the new EU eCall standard.

He also thought that single band, multi-constellation GNSS was becoming a global requirement with its recognised advantages in many critical environments and for Intelligent Transport Systems to deliver sustainable mobility. Some emerging functions, including autonomous driving, would call for cost-effective, precise positioning in the automotive sector.

Perhaps one of the most highly-anticipated uses of GNSS technology in consumer applications is the so called ‘Google Car’.  However, the driverless car of the future isn’t the company’s first foray into space-based consumer applications.

“Google’s success has been in its ability to take the complex and expensive and make it usable to the consumer,” said Ed Parsons, Geospatial Technologist at Google. “The secret behind this success is our keen understanding that accessibility always wins.”

As an example, Parson’s pointed to the switch from CDs to MP3s. Even though CDs offer a higher quality sound than MP3s, ultimately the consumer chose the MP3 because it made music more accessible.

“The question we have to ask ourselves is how we can make space more available to the mobile generation,” asked Parsons. “For us, the answer started with Google Earth, which we created without the need for any new technology. We simply took an existing infrastructure and made it more accessible to the consumer.”

Parsons points to television as another example of the power of accessibility. Traditional television programming goes against the modern trend of ‘on demand’. Built on a complex process for distribution, it is unable to provide the on-demand content today’s digital generation wants. To meet this untapped market, Google turned to YouTube.

“YouTube essentially strips away the complexity of distribution in favour of the simplicity of a cloud platform, and it’s revolutionizing the television market,” said Parsons. “We need this same type of thinking for the distribution of geospatial information – what we need is a YouTube like cloud platform for space.”

With the key driver of the LBS market being the development of new consumer-orientated applications, Parson’s stressed the importance of having a simple space platform: “Application developers need to be able to access and use a simple platform,” he said. “Simplicity and accessibility will be the determining factors to fully exploiting this important and growing GNSS market.”

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
European Space Solutions Conference 2014

Read more:

Space As A Solution: European Space Solutions 2014 Opens In Prague
The Results Are In: Galileo Increases The Accuracy Of Location Based Services

The number and variety of Location Based Service (LBS) devices is on the rise: more than half of all mobile phones in Europe and North America are GNSS capable and global yearly shipments of GNSS-enabled LBS devices has grown from 150 million to 1bln over the last five years. How to ensure the European GNSS market capitalises on these opportunities was the topic of discussion at the European Space Solutions Conference.

Today it seems everybody is talking about LBS but few are talking about GNSS and Galileo’s key role in it. In the crowded LBS sector, ‘where is GNSS’?

“GNSS on your smartphone is just one of over a dozen available technologies,” said Justyna Redelkiewicz of the European GNSS Agency (GSA), speaking during the Consumer Applications session of the European Space Solutions conference. “That being said, GNSS’ role in location based services is substantial as it is the primary technology used for outdoor positioning.

LBS is the most important market segment for GNSS use today and will remain so in the future, as the growth forecast for the smartphone market is phenomenal. In 2009, it was forecasted that there would be 450 million smartphones by 2013. Impressive, no doubt. But in reality over 1 billion were shipped. More so, the market is far from being saturated, meaning even more opportunities are on the horizon.

Redelkiewicz believes that future growth will be fuelled by new platforms and applications, particularly those offering non-stop fixed positioning in all environments.

This is good news for Galileo: “Galileo combined with other GNSS systems will improve GNSS location, particularly in challenging environments like urban canyons,” said Redelkiewicz. “More so, Galileo’s unique data-less signals will offer further benefits to the LBS market.”

Using the data-less signal, Galileo enhances indoor penetration, improves performances in urban canyons and in noise measurements and improves sensitivity in A-GNSS mode.

Adrian Stimpson of Rx Networks confirmed that Galileo provides real added value to citizens using Location Based Services (LBS). When used in addition to GPS and/or GLONASS, Galileo proved to significantly improve accuracy in challenging environments such as urban canyons and indoors. Galileo showed improvements in both Time-to-First-Fix (TTFF) and position accuracy for the majority of scenarios.

This improved accuracy will have a profound impact across numerous sectors, including critical situations like E-112 calls. With the European Commission evaluating the mandate of GNSS location on mobile phones for emergency calling purposes, the test results demonstrate the benefit of including Galileo.

“The results should be encouraging to any GNSS chipset manufacturer who is considering adding Galileo as a competitive differentiator,” commented Adrian Stimpson.

GNSS in Action

But the role of European GNSS in the LBS sector is not something waiting to happen, it’s happening today. For example, Qualcomm will make use of multi-constellation GNSS to improve the precision of geo-locating on your mobile phone. “The need for location is evolving, and consumers expect their mobile devices not only to know what they are doing and where, but to anticipate what’s next,” said Will Brown, Senior Director Technical Marketing at Qualcomm. “The key to anticipation is location based information.”

Brown notes one of the key challenges is to improve pedestrian navigation, particularly in terms of low power navigation in dense urban environments. He believes the answer to this is the development of new applications capable of combining various location sensors and resulting in better contextual awareness.

“According to analysts by 2017, indoor location will be a $6 billion market opportunity,” he said. “What we are seeing is a new breed of indoor services for connecting people, with the end goal being to turn your mobile device into a personal assistant.”

Auto developments

Antti Aumo of the Car Connectivity Consortium, a global consortium for smartphone-based connected-car solutions, described their efforts to deliver the leading industry standard for car-smartphone connectivity. Their standard is designed for maximum interoperability between smartphones and cars. Apps developed for the consortium delivered maximum added value in-car while minimizing driver distraction. LBS was an essential element for seamless in-car smartphone use he believed.

Carlo Bagnoli of ST Microelectronics also described positioning trends in automotive and consumer applications. For vehicle apps he also saw fusion of data from multiple sensors as essential and stated that Galileo was now being considered as an option by all carmakers with regard to the likely requirements for the new EU eCall standard.

He also thought that single band, multi-constellation GNSS was becoming a global requirement with its recognised advantages in many critical environments and for Intelligent Transport Systems to deliver sustainable mobility. Some emerging functions, including autonomous driving, would call for cost-effective, precise positioning in the automotive sector.

Perhaps one of the most highly-anticipated uses of GNSS technology in consumer applications is the so called ‘Google Car’.  However, the driverless car of the future isn’t the company’s first foray into space-based consumer applications.

“Google’s success has been in its ability to take the complex and expensive and make it usable to the consumer,” said Ed Parsons, Geospatial Technologist at Google. “The secret behind this success is our keen understanding that accessibility always wins.”

As an example, Parson’s pointed to the switch from CDs to MP3s. Even though CDs offer a higher quality sound than MP3s, ultimately the consumer chose the MP3 because it made music more accessible.

“The question we have to ask ourselves is how we can make space more available to the mobile generation,” asked Parsons. “For us, the answer started with Google Earth, which we created without the need for any new technology. We simply took an existing infrastructure and made it more accessible to the consumer.”

Parsons points to television as another example of the power of accessibility. Traditional television programming goes against the modern trend of ‘on demand’. Built on a complex process for distribution, it is unable to provide the on-demand content today’s digital generation wants. To meet this untapped market, Google turned to YouTube.

“YouTube essentially strips away the complexity of distribution in favour of the simplicity of a cloud platform, and it’s revolutionizing the television market,” said Parsons. “We need this same type of thinking for the distribution of geospatial information – what we need is a YouTube like cloud platform for space.”

With the key driver of the LBS market being the development of new consumer-orientated applications, Parson’s stressed the importance of having a simple space platform: “Application developers need to be able to access and use a simple platform,” he said. “Simplicity and accessibility will be the determining factors to fully exploiting this important and growing GNSS market.”

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
European Space Solutions Conference 2014

Read more:

Space As A Solution: European Space Solutions 2014 Opens In Prague
The Results Are In: Galileo Increases The Accuracy Of Location Based Services

At the Farnborough International Airshow, the European GNSS Agency (GSA) announced that Rockwell Collins’ flight management system and GNSS receiver enabled the first successful demonstration of advanced arrival and departure flight operations for the FilGAPP programme – the EU’s airspace enhancement project.

Filling the gap in GNSS advanced procedures and operations, or FilGAPP, is the EU programme aiming to develop efficient and accurate methods for navigating airspace. To accomplish this, the programme uses satellite-based navigation tools, such as EGNOS, and advanced flight management system (FMS) functions.

In advancement of this objective, Rockwell Collins’ FMS and GNSS receiver recently enabled the first successful demonstration of advanced arrival and departure flight operations for the project. The demonstration was the first time a high-precision, high-integrity missed approach/departure has been performed in Europe. The demonstration flights also validated technical and operational independence from nearby ATC systems, assuring increased operational capacity for airports.

    Read more: "Filling The Gap" In GNSS Advanced Procedures And Operations

As a leading avionics manufacturer, Rockwell Collins is an ideal partner in this endeavour. “FilGAPP highlights the opportunity that exists for air carriers and corporate operators to increase operating capacity and to save time and fuel through more efficient terminal procedures at European airports,” says Rockwell Collins’ vice president and managing director Claude Alber.

“Airspace users demand advanced procedures, to enjoy further operational benefits and use capabilities already available on board”, said Gian Gherardo Calini, Head of Market Development at GSA. “European GNSS, and EGNOS in particular, delivers positioning and timing information, enabling such operations, as demonstrated in FilGAPP”.

FilGAPP is a project under the European Commission’s Seventh Framework Programme. It is managed by the GSA and coordinated by INECO, along with industry and national air navigation service providers.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
EGNOS for Aviation

At the Farnborough International Airshow, the European GNSS Agency (GSA) announced that Rockwell Collins’ flight management system and GNSS receiver enabled the first successful demonstration of advanced arrival and departure flight operations for the FilGAPP programme – the EU’s airspace enhancement project.

Filling the gap in GNSS advanced procedures and operations, or FilGAPP, is the EU programme aiming to develop efficient and accurate methods for navigating airspace. To accomplish this, the programme uses satellite-based navigation tools, such as EGNOS, and advanced flight management system (FMS) functions.

In advancement of this objective, Rockwell Collins’ FMS and GNSS receiver recently enabled the first successful demonstration of advanced arrival and departure flight operations for the project. The demonstration was the first time a high-precision, high-integrity missed approach/departure has been performed in Europe. The demonstration flights also validated technical and operational independence from nearby ATC systems, assuring increased operational capacity for airports.

    Read more: "Filling The Gap" In GNSS Advanced Procedures And Operations

As a leading avionics manufacturer, Rockwell Collins is an ideal partner in this endeavour. “FilGAPP highlights the opportunity that exists for air carriers and corporate operators to increase operating capacity and to save time and fuel through more efficient terminal procedures at European airports,” says Rockwell Collins’ vice president and managing director Claude Alber.

“Airspace users demand advanced procedures, to enjoy further operational benefits and use capabilities already available on board”, said Gian Gherardo Calini, Head of Market Development at GSA. “European GNSS, and EGNOS in particular, delivers positioning and timing information, enabling such operations, as demonstrated in FilGAPP”.

FilGAPP is a project under the European Commission’s Seventh Framework Programme. It is managed by the GSA and coordinated by INECO, along with industry and national air navigation service providers.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
EGNOS for Aviation

During the Farnborough International Airshow (FIA), the European GNSS Agency (GSA) and the EBAA announced the launch of strategic discussions aimed at coordinating future joint venture actions to promote implementation of EGNOS at regional airports.

Following a strategic meeting held in May at EBACE2014 in Geneva, the EBAA has produced a list of high-potential airports that was further discussed during the European Space Solutions conference in Prague. At the Farnborough Airshow, the two signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote wider use of EGNOS at regional airports in Europe.   

Read More: Aviation Embraces the EGNOS Advantage

“The business aviation segment is a pioneer in the use of EGNOS and most new business aircraft are already equipped,” says GSA Executive Director, Carlo des Dorides. “This means operators can start using published LPV procedures immediately, without the need for any upgrades, just by obtaining the operational approval from the authority where the aircraft is registered.”
With ever increasing difficulties in gaining access to major hubs, maintaining all-weather access at secondary and tertiary airports is becoming increasingly important for the sector. Business aviation is now in a position to optimize access at more regional airports via the promotion of EGNOS-based landing procedures.

Read More: EGNOS Enables an Integrated European Sky

“The aviation community stands to benefit greatly from EGNOS because it means safe access to small and medium sized airports without the need for expensive ground equipment,” says EBAA CEO Fabio Gamba. “Approach procedures have been published for around 100 airports, which is still a far cry from where we should be.”

Read More: EGNOS Powers Business Aviation

According to Gamba, a move towards satellite-based technology is well overdue – a fact made evident when comparing availability in Europe to that of the US. “We are proud to have signed this MoU with the GSA and, together, we are commitment to having many more procedures published in the near future,” he adds.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
EGNOS for Aviation
European Business Aviation Association

The 2014 edition of the European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC) has seen record numbers of entries – with the European GNSS Agency (GSA) Special Prize being particularly popular. The competition is now in its evaluation stage, selecting the winners that will be announced at the Awards Ceremony in Berlin on 23 October.

The entries are now closed for the 11th European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC) and a record number of people submitted innovative ideas for space-based solutions. This year, a total of 434 complete and validated entries were received. And with 152 entries, the GSA special prize has recorded an extraordinarily good result and a new all-time record as well. The GSA category was by far the most popular Special Prize for 2014.

The GSA Special Prize sought entries that highlight features offered by the European GNSS (EGNSS), EGNOS and Galileo, in a commercial application. The winner of the GSA prize will have the opportunity to realise their idea at a suitable EU incubation centre for six months, with the option of an additional six months based on evaluation after the first period. The award criteria will be the uniqueness and originality of the idea, its business (and social) potential, the credibility of the corresponding team, and the application's use of unique EGNOS/Galileo features.

Next Steps

The competition now enters its evaluation phase with GSA experts scrutinizing the entries to select the winners. Winners will be invited to the official Awards Ceremony, scheduled for 23 October in Berlin, Germany.

The Awards Ceremony with take place during the Satellite Masters Conference in Berlin. This two-day conference will showcase a unique portfolio of innovative applications based on GNSS and Earth Observation capabilities focusing on European entrepreneurial spirit and the impact of space technologies on business and society.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
Galileo
EGNOS
ESNC - GSA Special Prize 

We want to know what you think about EGNOS, the services it offers and any ideas you have to improve its quality. To help gather your views, a short EGNOS User Satisfaction Survey has just been launched. Your views matter to us, so please take a few minutes to complete the online questionnaire.

The European GNSS Agency (GSA) supports the promotion and marketing of the services offered by the EGNOS programme, in particular through establishing close relationships with users and potential users of the system. A key task is collecting and assessing user needs in order to adapt the programme to best meet user requirements.

The actual EGNOS services are currently delivered by European Satellite Services Provider (ESSP SAS) under contract with GSA for the period 2014 – 2021. Together, GSA and ESSP work to meet and improve our users’ needs and expectations.

The EGNOS User Satisfaction Survey is intended to measure EGNOS user satisfaction and gather valuable suggestions to improve the quality of the service we provide to you. Your opinions are important to us, and will help EGNOS continue to improve, meet and hopefully exceed your expectations.

Completing the survey should only take about 15 minutes and all responses will be treated under applicable European Data Protection law.

What is EGNOS?

EGNOS is Europe's first venture into satellite navigation. EGNOS is a Satellite Based Augmentation System (SBAS), which provides corrections and integrity information to GPS signals. It uses a set of monitoring stations to receive GPS signals and estimates their errors. Finally, differential corrections are transmitted to the users by geostationary satellites.  EGNOS makes existing satellite navigation signals suitable for safety critical applications such as flying aircraft or navigating ships through narrow channels. EGNOS has been certified for civil aviation since 2011.

EGNOS increases the accuracy of existing satellite positioning signals from GPS while providing a crucial ‘integrity message', informing users in the event of GPS signal problems. It also transmits an extremely accurate universal time signal.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
EGNOS Portal
European Users Satisfaction Survey
EGNOS User Support Website