Tag: CGSIC

Details of September’s CGSIC meeting released, DeLaPena to speak

The 62nd meeting of the U.S. government’s Civil GPS Service Interface Committee (CGSIC) will be held Sept. 19–20 in the Hyatt Regency Denver at the Colorado Convention Center, before the annual ION GNSS+ conference.

It will be hosted by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center (NAVCEN). DOT serves as the civil lead for GPS and chairs the CGSIC in this capacity. NAVCEN is assigned duties as Deputy Chair and Executive Secretariat for the CGSIC.

On Sept. 19, the CGSIC subcommittees for Timing, International Information, and Survey, Mapping, and Geosciences will meet. A summary of these meetings will be presented to the CGSIC Plenary Session on Sept. 20.

Cordell DeLaPena, Program Executive Officer for Military Communications and PNT Space Systems Command

Keynote speaker for the plenary session is Cordell DeLaPena, program executive officer for Military Communications and Positioning, Navigation, and Timing, Space Systems Command, Los Angeles Air Force Base.

The agendas for the CGSIC subcommittee and plenary sessions will include presentations on the operational status and modernization of the GPS constellation of satellites, U.S. space-based positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) policy, GPS augmentation systems, and information related to U.S. engagement with other international GNSS as well as a variety of interesting applications of the use of GPS.

Several new briefings are part of the plenary session this year, including a presentation from NASA on the role of GPS in support of the next lunar mission. Also, the Department of Homeland Security will provide an update on the activities of the Office of Infrastructure Protection, Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Program Management Office.

This year’s meeting will be live-streamed over the internet. For those who are unable to travel, the meetings can be accessed with the links below.

The agenda for the meeting is available; all CGSIC presentations will be available there for viewing online shortly after the meeting ends. As a reminder, all CGSIC meetings are free and open to the public.

Surveying, Mapping and Geo-Sciences Subcommittee
Sept. 19, 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. MDT
Chair: John Galetzka, NGS
Co-Chair: Neill Winn, NPS

https://vimeo.com/event/2298510/f73d8f14a5

International Information Subcommittee
2–5 p.m. MDT
Chair: John Wilde, CEO, Spacekeys

https://vimeo.com/732131682/cc3618c8f4

Timing Subcommittee
2–5 p.m. MDT
Chair: Patricia Larkoski, The MITRE Corporation
Co-Chair: Bijunath Patla, NIST

https://vimeo.com/732129866/117e64cded

Plenary Session
Sept. 20, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Chair: Karen Van Dyke, DOT
Deputy Chair: Cpt. Scott Calhoun, USCG

https://vimeo.com/event/2298510/f73d8f14a5

August 18, 2022
Enhanced NAVCEN website coming, new URLs provided

The U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center (NAVCEN) will transition to a new and enhanced website in the first quarter of this year. The actual transition date has yet to be determined.

As part of the transition, the URLs will be updated across the site, including URLs linked to PDFs. URLs from the legacy site will no longer work. Any bookmarked URLs or URLs used in automatic downloading of data or products will need to be updated.

“We have identified the below URLs as essential to your continued business,” reports Rick Hamilton, CGSIC Executive Secretariat, in a . “Please keep in mind, that while we are sending the URLs in advance, they will not be active until we launch the new website. Once the new website goes live, your URLs will be available for re-bookmarking.”

GPS Almanacs

Current URLs: https://navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=gpsAlmanacs

Replacement: https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/gps-nanus-almanacs-opsadvisories-sof

GPS NANUs

Current URLs: https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=currentNanus

Replacement: https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/sites/default/files/gps/nanu/current_nanu.nnu

GPS Constellation Status

Current URLs: https://navcen.uscg.gov/?Do=constellationStatus

Replacement: https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/gps-constellation

NAVCEN will contact users with a launch date for the new website.

The NAVCEN team can be reached at its help address.

February 4, 2022
US Space Force to host GPS document forum
The U.S. Space Force will host the 2021 Public Interface Control Working Group and Open Forum in September and November. The meetings are open to the public in person and virtually on Wednesday, Sept. 29, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Tuesday, Nov. 19, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Pacific Time).

The meeting and forums will discuss the following documents:
The purpose of the meeting is to update the public on GPS public document revisions and collect issues and comments for analysis and possible integration into future GPS public document revisions.

The meeting will be held in person at

Los Angeles Air Force Base
Great Room, -PCT Campus
100 Sepulveda, Blvd.
El Segundo, CA 90245

Attendees are highly encouraged to participate virtually. It can be accessed at this link or at this link.
- Primary Dial In: 571-200-1700, Meeting ID: 160 913 1495, Password: 813441
- Backup Dial In: 410-874-6300, Conference PIN: 961616381
The official public notice in the Federal Register provides further information, including how to register, submit comments and dial in on the telephone.
August 6, 2021
Minutes posted for meeting on GPS documents
The Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center has published minutes for the 2020 Public Interface Control Working Group (PICWG) and Open Public Forum help on Sept. 30, 2020, for the following NAVSTAR GPS public documents:
- IS-GPS-200 (Navigation User Interfaces)
- IS-GPS-705 (User Segment L5 Interfaces)
- IS-GPS-800 (User Segment L1C Interface)
- ICD-GPS-240 (NAVSTAR GPS Control Segment to User Support Community Interfaces).
The meetings were held to update the public and collect issues and comments for analysis and possible integration into future GPS public document revisions, according to the U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center (CGSIC).
March 17, 2021
PNT Integrity Library published to help protect critical infrastructure

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) has published the Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) Integrity Library and Epsilon Algorithm Suite to protect against GNSS spoofing, or deceiving a GPS device through false signals. These resources advance the design of PNT systems and increase resilience of critical infrastructure to PNT disruptions, according to the Coast Guard Navigation Center.

PNT services, such as GPS, are a national critical function that enable many applications within the critical infrastructure sectors. However, “The increasing reliance on GPS for military, civil and commercial applications makes the system vulnerable,” according to Space Policy Directive-7 (SPD-7), issued Jan. 15. “GPS users must plan for potential signal loss and take reasonable steps to verify or authenticate the integrity of the received GPS data and ranging signal, especially in applications where even small degradations can result in loss of life.”

The PNT Integrity Library and Epsilon Algorithm Suite address this issue by providing users a method to verify the integrity of the received GPS data. “We are excited to release these resources to the PNT community to improve resiliency against potential GPS signal loss,” said DHS S&T PNT Program Manager Brannan Villee.

“Since GPS signals can be jammed or spoofed, critical infrastructure systems should not be designed with the assumption that GPS data will always be available or will always be accurate,” said Jim Platt, chief of Strategic Defense Initiatives at the Cybersecurity and Information Security Agency (CISA) National Risk Management Center. “Application of these tools will provide increased security against GPS disruptions. However, DHS also recommends a holistic defense strategy that considers the integrity of the PNT data from its reception through its use in the supported system.”

The PNT Integrity Library and Epsilon Algorithm Suite are open source and available free of charge. To view more details, visit the DHS S&T PNT Program.

March 2, 2021
Coast Guard provides GPS III antenna phase-center data

Lockheed Martin Space has released the GPS-III satellite antenna phase-center data, as well as the group delay and inter-signal correction data, for SVN-76 and SVN-77 as measured at the factory, announced the U.S. Coast Guard’s Civil GPS Service Interface Committee (CGSIC).

The information is available on the U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center’s website underneath the IIR/IIR-M antenna pattern data files.

The phase center and inter-signal bias data included in this new release provide additional information that supplements the antenna gain pattern data previously available.

Note that the GPS III satellite vehicles (SVNs) also broadcast the Inter-Signal Corrections (ISCs) in the various LNAV/CNAV messages in accordance with all the external IS/ICDs. The value that is being broadcast by the on-orbit constellation is not the factory measured ISCs but the ISCs estimated on-orbit by the Stanford Research Institute (SRI).

January 7, 2021
GPS satellite SVN-77/GPS III SV04 set healthy for use

The U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center has issued a notice that GPS satellite SVN-77 (PRN-14) was set healthy for initial use on Dec. 2 at 0131Z. This follows the U.S. Space Force announcement that the satellite, the fourth GPS III (SV04), received Operational Acceptance approval on Dec. 1.

SVN-77 is the 23rd satellite to broadcast L2C, the second civil GPS signal at 1227.6 MHz. L2C is not yet designated as “operational” by the U.S. Space Force.

However, the L2C signal is set to healthy, and users can utilize this signal at their own risk.

The U.S. Air Force’s Lockheed Martin-built next generation GPS III satellite on orbit. Rendering portrays GPS III Space Vehicles (SVs) 01-10. (Artist’s Rendering: Lockheed Martin)

SVN-77 is the 16th satellite to begin broadcasting the third civil GPS signal, L5, specifically designed for aviation use in an internationally protected band of spectrum designated for aeronautical navigation at 1176.45 MHz. L5 continues to broadcast an unhealthy designation.

SVN-77 is the fourth satellite broadcasting the new L1C signal at 1575.42 MHz.

The next GPS III satellite, SVN-78, initially scheduled to launch in January, will launch no earlier than July 1, 2021.

December 3, 2020
COVID-19 contact tracing discussed in CGSIC meeting

News from NAVCEN

The 60th meeting of the U.S. Civil GPS Service Interface Committee was held Sept. 21-22, utilizing a virtual meeting platform. This was an opportunity for anyone in the world with access to a computer to attend these public meetings of the U.S. Civil GPS Program.

For readers who were unable to attend, a synopsis of the meeting is provided below. The full agenda and presentations are available for download from the GPS.gov website.

The meeting of the CGSIC is an annual event, free and open to the public, conducted to provide updates from U.S. GPS program officials and ensure effective information exchange between the U.S. government and civil GPS users. The two-day meeting is hosted by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Coast Guard Navigation Center (NAVCEN). DOT serves as the civil lead for GPS and chairs the CGSIC in this capacity. NAVCEN is assigned duties as Deputy Chair and Executive Secretariat for the CGSIC.

Subcommittees of the CGSIC for Timing, International Information, and Surveying-Mapping-Geosciences held meetings on Sept. 21, and a summary of these meetings was presented during the CGSIC plenary session conducted on September 22nd.

Major General John E. Shaw, Combined Force Space Component Commander, U.S. Space Command, and Commander, Space Operations Command, U.S. Space Force, provided the keynote for this year’s plenary session. This address was followed by comments from Colonel Curtis Hernandez, Director of National Security Space Policy on the National Space Council and briefings from a variety of other government agencies.

This year’s meeting was replete with briefings from all over the world including an explanation in the International Information Subcommittee of COVID-19 Tracking in South Korea from the Deputy Director of the Korea Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

Everett Hinkley from the U.S. National Forest Service spoke in the Surveying, Mapping and Geosciences Subcommittee showing how the National Remote Sensing Program supports a variety of business areas of the Forest Service including how they are tracking the spread of the Mountain Pine Beetle infestation in our nation’s forests.

The Timing Subcommittee provided an engaging presentation on the current and future plans of the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s new Network Time Services.

Presentations during the plenary session focused on the operational status of the GPS constellation and ground control system modernization, U.S. Space-Based PNT policy, GPS augmentation systems, U.S. engagement with other international GNSS providers, PNT resiliency efforts, as well as a variety of topics related to the status and progress of ongoing GPS programs in the U.S. government.

If you have suggestions for topics to include in upcoming CGSIC meetings, would like to present a topic, or if you found information from past meetings useful and would like to hear more, please contact us via our Navigation Center “contact us” form. Please be sure to select “Civil GPS Service Interface Committee (CGSIC)” from the pull-down menu.

From a GPS operational perspective, civilian non-aviation users can submit GPS-related inquiries or report signal interference or degradation to the U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center online or to the 24-hour watch desk at 703-313-5900.

Civil aviation users within the United States should contact the Federal Aviation Administration for GPS user support. The GPS Operations Center at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado, is the Department of Defense lead for operational issues and questions from military users of GPS.

Rick Hamilton
CGSIC Executive Secretariat
GPS Information Analysis Team Lead
U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center

October 1, 2020
NAVCEN hosts 60th CGSIC meeting virtually before ION GNSS+ 2020
In previous years, the Civil GPS Service Interface Committee (CGSIC) took place right before the start of the ION GNSS+ conference.

This year, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Coast Guard Navigation Center (NAVCEN) are holding the 60th meeting virtually, in collaboration with the Institute of Navigation (ION).

The meeting will take place Sept. 21-22 online before the annual ION GNSS+ conference, which will also take place virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

All CGSIC meetings are free and open to the public. Anyone in the world with access to a computer can attend these public meetings of the U.S. Civil GPS Program.

DOT serves as the civil lead for the GPS program and chairs the CGSIC in this capacity. NAVCEN is assigned duties as deputy chair and executive secretariat for the CGSIC.

Subcommittees of the CGSIC for Timing, International Information, and Surveying-Mapping-Geosciences will hold meetings Sept. 21, and a summary of these meetings will be presented to the CGSIC plenary session on Sept. 22.

The keynote speaker for this year’s plenary session will be Major General John E. Shaw, Combined Force Space Component Commander, U.S. Space Command, and Commander, Space Operations Command, U.S. Space Force.

Presentations this year include:
- PNT updates from various countries around the world
- Atomic clocks for fundamental physics: time for discovery
- Missouri Department of Agriculture land survey program
- National PNT Policy Update from the National Space Council
- Mobile geospatial technology’s role in tracking beetle infestation in our nation’s forests
The full agenda is available online. CGSIC presentations will be posted online shortly after the meeting ends. Register for the meetings here.
August 13, 2020
New GPS SPS Performance Standard released

The U.S. Air Force has released the 5th Edition of the GPS Standard Positioning System (SPS) Performance Standard (PS), according to U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center (NAVCEN) Civil GPS Service Interface Committee (CGSIC).

With final signature by the U.S. Department of Defense, the standard was cleared for public release on April 16. This is the first update to the SPS PS since 2008 and, for the first time, includes pre-Initial Operating Capability (IOC) performance standards for new civil GPS signals L2C and L5, in addition to L1 C/A.

The SPS PS specifies the levels of SPS performance in terms of broadcast signal parameters and GPS constellation design. According to NAVCEN, the U.S. government is committed to meeting and exceeding the minimum levels of service specified in the SPS PS.

The document can be found at the NAVCEN website and at GPS.gov.

April 20, 2020
First GPS III satellite now available

The U.S. Air Force Second Space Operations Squadron (2 SOPS) has issued a statement that the first GPS III satellite is available for backup. While occupying the same plane as SV-68, the new satellite is broadcasting healthy, usable signals and is an active part of the constellation in the vicinity of slot F3 near SV-68.

On. Jan. 13, 2 SOPS issued an Initial Use (USABINIT) NANU for SVN-74, the first of the new generation of GPS-III satellites, according to Rick Hamilton, CGSIC executive secretariat.

SVN-74/PRN-04 was launched on Dec. 23, 2018. Now, having successfully undergone rigorous operational testing on orbit, the satellite has taken its place, backing up SVN-68/PRN-9 at F3 in the active GPS constellation.

NOTICE ADVISORY TO NAVSTAR USERS (NANU) 2020004

SUBJ: SVN74 (PRN04) USABLE JDAY 013/1734

NANU TYPE: USABINIT
NANU NUMBER: 2020004

NANU DTG: 131735Z JAN 2020

REFERENCE NANU: N/A

REF NANU DTG: N/A

SVN: 74

PRN: 04

START JDAY: 013

START TIME ZULU: 1734

START CALENDAR DATE: 13 JAN 2020

STOP JDAY: N/A

STOP TIME ZULU: N/A

STOP CALENDAR DATE: N/A

CONDITION: GPS SATELLITE SVN74 (PRN04) WAS USABLE AS OF JDAY 013
(13 JAN 2020) BEGINNING 1734 ZULU.

POC: CIVILIAN – NAVCEN AT 703-313-5900, HTTPS://WWW.NAVCEN.USCG.GOV
MILITARY – GPS OPERATIONS CENTER at HTTPS://GPS.AFSPC.AF.MIL/GPSOC, DSN 560-2541,

COMM 719-567-2541, [email protected], HTTPS://GPS.AFSPC.AF.MIL

MILITARY ALTERNATE – JOINT SPACE OPERATIONS CENTER, DSN 276-3514,

COMM 805-606-3514, [email protected]

January 13, 2020
CGSIC meeting material available for download

By Rick Hamilton, CGSIC Executive Secretariat, U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center

The 59th meeting of the U.S. Civil GPS Service Interface Committee was held Sept. 16-17 at the Hyatt Regency Miami hotel in Miami, Florida, in conjunction with the Institute of Navigation’s GNSS+ (ION-GNSS+) conference.

For readers who were unable to attend, a synopsis of the meeting is provided below. The full agenda and presentations are available for download from the GPS.gov website.

The meeting of the CGSIC is an annual event, free and open to the public, conducted to provide updates from U.S. GPS program officials and ensure effective information exchange between the U.S. government and civil GPS users.

The two-day meeting is hosted by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Coast Guard Navigation Center (NAVCEN). DOT serves as the civil lead for GPS and chairs the CGSIC in this capacity. NAVCEN is assigned duties as Deputy Chair and Executive Secretariat for the CGSIC.

Engaging sessions were conducted throughout the day of Sept. 16 for the CGSIC Timing, Surveying Mapping and Geo-Sciences, and International Information Subcommittees. The plenary session of the full committee was held on Sept. 17.

Keynote. Diana Furchtgott-Roth, deputy assistant secretary, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology, U.S. Department of Transportation provided the keynote for this year’s plenary session.

She conveyed to the audience the importance of the U.S. GPS for transportation safety and numerous other civil applications and that its spectrum must be protected from harmful interference.

However, given threats from jamming and spoofing, the U.S. is committed to leading the world in positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) and to building and using the best possible PNT solutions to maintain resiliency.

James Platt, director at the PNT Program Management Office of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, highlighted the need to understand cyber vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure supply-chain management.

The meeting included many other interesting briefings related to the status of the U.S. GPS program and the use of GPS around the world, including presentations from the National Space-Based PNT Coordination Office, U.S. Air Force, State Dept., FAA, DOC and NASA.

Presentations during the plenary session focused on the operational status of the GPS constellation and ground control system modernization, U.S. Space-Based PNT policy, GPS augmentation systems, U.S. engagement with other international GNSS providers, as well as a variety of topics related to the status and progress of ongoing GPS programs in the U.S. government.

If you have suggestions for topics to include in upcoming CGSIC meetings, would like to present a topic, or if you found information from past meetings useful and would like to hear more, contact Hamilton via the Navigation Center “contact us” form. Be sure to select “Civil GPS Service Interface Committee (CGSIC)” from the pull-down menu.

From a GPS operational perspective, civilian non-aviation users can submit GPS-related inquiries or report signal interference or degradation to the U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center online or to the 24 hour watch desk at 703-313-5900.

Civil aviation users within the United States should contact the Federal Aviation Administration for GPS user support. The GPS Operations Center at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado, is the lead in the Department of Defense for operational issues and questions from military users of GPS.

November 12, 2019