The v4.1.0 update includes new SouthPAN SBAS capabilities and additions to the graphical user interface (GUI).
Ginan is an open-source toolkit for creating precise point positioning (PPP) analysis products, correction streams and positions. It is being actively developed in a Geoscience Australia Positioning Australia program.
The source code for the current version of Ginan is available for download from GitHub. New versions of Ginan with enhanced capabilities will be developed and released over time.
Geoscience Australia is establishing operational instances of Ginan that produce PPP analysis products and streams on a continuous basis, and which are available free of charge.
Viasat Inc. has received $252 million AUD from Geoscience Australia and Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) to deliver additional satellite services for the region’sSouthern Positioning Augmentation Network (SouthPAN).
SouthPAN is a collaborative satellite-based augmentation system developed jointly by Australia and New Zealand. It provides precise positioning and navigation services to support aviation, maritime, agriculture, surveying and emergency response.
This is the second contract award for Viasat, after Inmarsat — which has since combined with Viasat — was awarded a contract in May 2023 to deliver a satellite payload for SouthPAN. The new agreement, which amends the previous award and comes under Viasat’s Communication Services segment, covers the continuation of services from Viasat’s existing in-orbit satellites as well as a new payload, marking a significant extension of Viasat’s partnership with both governments.
The agreement secures satellite service and ground infrastructure to deliver precise positioning across Australia, New Zealand and the region’s maritime zones.
SouthPAN is delivered by Geoscience Australia in partnership with Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand, with early services available to both countries since 2022.
SouthPAN includes Safety-of-Life L1 SBAS for civil aviation and open services for precise point positioning and next-generation SBAS.
The Southern Positioning Augmentation Network (SouthPAN) has successfully completed its Critical Design Review (CDR), marking a pivotal milestone towards delivering advanced satellite-based augmentation services (SBAS) across Australia and New Zealand.
Led by Lockheed Martin Australia, with GMV as a key strategic partner, SouthPAN is jointly supported by the Australian and New Zealand governments to provide satellite navigation and precise positioning services throughout Australasia.
The Critical Design Review represents a vital checkpoint in the lifecycle of a safety-critical system such as SouthPAN, validating that the design meets stringent performance, safety and security requirements necessary for civil aviation operations. As part of this milestone, the SouthPAN team provided comprehensive certification artifacts aligned with international aviation standards, including ARP 4754A for systems development processes, DO-254 for hardware, and DO-278A for software assurance.
The successful completion of the CDR demonstrates that the system’s architecture and implementation will satisfy the rigorous design assurance levels mandated for safety-of-life applications. Achieving this milestone confirms the readiness of the system’s design for operational deployment and marks a critical step forward towards its future certification for safety‑of-life services in the aviation sector.
SouthPAN is notable as the first SBAS globally designed from its inception as a service rather than as a conventional turnkey system. This service-oriented approach enables scalability and potential expansion into other regions, while establishing clear customer-provider interactions governed by service-level agreements (SLAs) and adherence to defined key performance indicators (KPIs).
Early open services have been provided since September 2022, demonstrating immediate benefits to users across Australasia. Moving forward, the SouthPAN service will fully deliver safety‑of-life L1 SBAS critical for aviation operations, significantly enhancing flight safety through precise runway approaches and superior navigation accuracy.
Additionally, SouthPAN has integrated cutting-edge dual-frequency multi-constellation (DFMC) SBAS and precise point positioning (PPP) through SBAS as open services available to diverse users, including the agriculture, maritime, rail, road transport and geomatics sectors. The DFMC SBAS capability is designed to support an effortless transition to future safety-of-life services through engineering updates and software modifications, without necessitating costly hardware replacements.
GMV is responsible for two core elements of the SouthPAN project: the Corrections Processing Facility (CPF) and the Ground Control Center (GCC). These facilities will ensure that SouthPAN consistently meets stringent performance benchmarks by generating precise corrections for navigation signals and promptly identifying and reporting anomalies critical for safety-of-life aviation services. GMV also leads the navigation performance engineering activities and continuous performance monitoring, ensuring the system reliably fulfills its specified operational criteria.
The Australian and New Zealand governments, with support from FrontierSI, are conducting a survey with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to identify the opportunities and barriers for integrating Southern Positioning Augmentation Network (SouthPAN) signal support in GNSS chips, devices and equipment.
SouthPAN is a Satellite-Based Augmentation System (SBAS) in the Southern Hemisphere and provides improved positioning and navigation services in Australia, New Zealand and maritime regions.
Precise positioning from the network offers improved accuracy down to 10 cm. SouthPAN provides augmented and corrected satellite navigation signals directly from the satellite rather than through a mobile phone, providing accuracy that overcomes gaps in mobile internet and radio communications.
SouthPAN early Open Services has been live since September 2022, and aviation safety-of-life certified SouthPAN services are set to go live in 2028. Safety-of-life certified services are designed to support end users engaging in life risking operations, such as landing an aircraft at an airport.
OEMs of positioning and/or navigation service equipment are asked to share insights on the support of SouthPAN’s three services into chips, devices and equipment. In particular, the company is looking for OEM’s’ views on barriers and opportunities for support of the L1, dual frequency multi-constellation (DFMC) and precise point positioning (PPP) via SouthPAN services.
The information provided will assist Geoscience Australia (GA) and Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) to maximize SouthPAN ‘s full potential and benefits.
Click here to access the survey. Responses will be accepted until Sept. 30, 2023.
Inmarsat has partnered with Australia and New Zealand to deliver the Southern Positioning Augmentation Network (SouthPAN), which will provide accurate, reliable, and instant positioning services in the Asian Pacific region. The positioning service will be delivered on one of Inmarsat’s three new I-8 satellites in 2027.
SouthPAN will improve positioning accuracy to 10 cm for users in the maritime, agriculture and construction industries.
“SouthPAN represents extraordinary potential for the region,” Todd McDonell, president of Inmarsat Global Government, said. “It can save lives by enabling precision safety tracking, help farmers improve productivity through automated device tracking, or even support transport management systems of the future.”
The Inmarsat I-8 satellites will also be a critical part of a safety-of-life-certified SouthPAN for aviation and other applications, scheduled for 2028.
Multinational technology firm GMV has signed an agreement with Lockheed Martin Corporation to develop the processing and control centers for the Southern Positioning Augmentation Network system (SouthPAN). Lockheed is contracted to establish SouthPAN.
The project is a joint initiative of the Australian and New Zealand governments to provide a satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS) for navigation and precise point positioning (PPP) services. GMV will also be responsible for monitoring both of these services in the region and for ensuring compliance with the committed performance levels.
SBAS and PPP systems have applications in industries as diverse as agriculture and road, air, maritime and rail transportation, as well as in the field of geomatics. SouthPAN is expected to accelerate development of applications in these areas.
SouthPAN is also the first system with these characteristics available in the Southern Hemisphere. With this new program, Australia and New Zealand will be contributing to improved global coverage and interoperability for services of this type, joining the list of countries and regions that already have their own SBAS system: the United States (WAAS), Europe (EGNOS), India (GAGAN) and Japan (MSAS).
On Sept. 26, two weeks after the agreement was signed, the first services were provided by activating transmission of the system’s first signals. This was a significant milestone, because SouthPAN is the first project where an industry consortium provides an SBAS as a service, rather than as a turnkey system.
Image: SouthPAN
GMV’s role
GMV will be responsible for developing two key subsystems for SouthPAN: the Corrections Processing Facility and the Ground Control Center. The company will also be responsible for monitoring the system and ensuring it complies with the committed performance levels.
GMV also will provide support for the system’s operation and maintenance.
Corrections Processing Facility. The facility generates correction messages for signals transmitted by GPS and Galileo, improving precision for users by improving accuracy to as little as 10 centimeters.
The facility also detects malfunctions in the satellites and generates warnings for users. This will allow use of SouthPAN by civilian aircraft as a navigation system during various flight operations, including precision approaches to runways for landing.
Safety-of-life services such as these will be available in 2028.
SouthPAN early Open Services coverage. OS-L1 covers mainland Australia and New Zealand. OS-DFMC and OS-PVS cover Exclusive Economic Zones in both countries. (Image: Geosciences Australia)
Ground Control Center. The control center remains in operation 24 hours a day seven days a week, and will perform all the functions needed to monitor and control the system. It will also provide information to users about the system’s operation and availability of services.
In Australia, SouthPAN development, entry into service and operation are being supervised by Geoscience Australia in collaboration with Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand.
In 2020, the two agencies signed the Australia New Zealand Science, Research and Innovation Cooperation Agreement (ANZSRICA). Over the next 20 years, the Australian government will be contributing 1.4 billion Australian dollars to the SouthPAN project.
SouthPAN provides accurate, reliable and instant positioning services across all of Australia and New Zealand’s land and maritime zones without the need for mobile phone or internet coverage. It will improve positioning from 5-10 meters, to as little as 10 centimeters — a 50-fold increase in accuracy.
The SouthPAN satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS) test-bed project took place between 2017 and 2019, demonstrating the value of SouthPAN to Australian and New Zealand economies and communities. Economic analysis indicates that it is more than $6.2 billion for Australia alone.
In February 2020, Geoscience Australia and Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) began a joint collaboration on SouthPAN under the Australia New Zealand Science, Research and Innovation Cooperation Agreement (ANZSRICA). A comprehensive procurement process followed, awarding an AUD$1.18 billion, 19-year contract on Sept. 16 to Lockheed Martin Australia.
“The SouthPAN project team will work with Lockheed Martin Australia to establish a network of Global Navigation Satellite System reference stations, a corrections processing facility and satellite uplink facilities that will enable accurate and reliable positioning signals to be transmitted from satellites to users,” said Madeleine King, Minister for Resources and Northern Australia. “The SouthPAN services will be fully operational across the two countries with safety-of-life certification from 2028.”
Benefits from SouthPAN
With early Open Services, Geoscience Australia and Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand enable industry access to SouthPAN. Early Open Services can immediately integrate with existing equipment or products, to create or enhance positioning service offerings to end-users.
Early Open Services will bring widespread benefits across agriculture, construction, resources and many other industries, paving the way for technological advancements in automation, including:
heavy vehicle automation, such as truck platooning, where vehicles can connect to each other as a group to transport goods
precision agriculture applications such as yield mapping, controlled traffic farming, inter-row seeding, precision spraying and livestock management
personnel safety on mine and construction sites, through smart geofencing technologies that accurately identify the locations of workers with key equipment, such as vehicles and heavy machinery.
SouthPAN is estimated to generate more than AUD$6 billion in benefits to the Australian economy over the next 30 years.
King said the new network will allow
mining companies to install more accurate collision avoidance systems on automated mining haul trucks
visually impaired citizens to navigate cities with pinpoint assistive technologies
light aircraft to land more safely in remote rural areas in all weather conditions, including essential services such as The Royal Flying Doctor Service.
The joint Australia-New Zealand initiative will be a game-changer for the economies of both nations, said Damien O’Connor, New Zealand minister for land information.
“This technology was originally developed to support aviation safety, but as technology has advanced, the applications have expanded,” O’Connor said. “It now has potential uses as varied as enabling accurate vehicle guidance for efficiencies in agriculture and horticulture management, tracking maritime shipments, and enabling navigation for drones and other unmanned vehicles.”
Early Open Services
SouthPAN will provide three early Open Services.
L1 SBAS Open Service. The L1 SBAS early Open Service will provide navigation messages on the L1 frequency (1,575.42 MHz), and allow users with a receiver that tracks GPS L1 C/A signals to improve their position accuracy to better than ≤3m in the horizontal and ≤4 m in the vertical (95% confidence interval).
DFMC SBAS Open Service. The Dual-Frequency Multi-Constellation SBAS early Open Service will provide navigation messages on the L5 frequency (1,176.45 MHz), and allow users — with a receiver that tracks GPS L1 C/A and L5 signals, and Galileo E1 and E5a signals — to improve their position accuracy to better than ≤1.5m in the horizontal and ≤2.5 m in the vertical (95% confidence interval).
PVS Open Service. The Precise Point Positioning (PPP) via SouthPAN (PVS) early Open Service will share the L5 frequency with the DFMC SBAS Open Service in the near future, before transitioning to a new navigation signal. PVS will allow users — with a receiver that tracks GPS L1 C/A and L5 signals and Galileo E1 and E5a signals, and is capable of processing the PVS messages — to improve their position accuracy better than ≤0.40 m in the horizontal and ≤0.55 m in the vertical (95% confidence interval) after convergence. Convergence will be better than 80 minutes during PVS early Open Services, and the user does not need to remain stationary during the convergence period.
SouthPAN early Open Services coverage. OS-L1 covers mainland Australia and New Zealand. OS-DFMC and OS-PVS cover Exclusive Economic Zones in both countries. (Image: Geosciences Australia)
SouthPAN uses several distributed ground stations to monitor signals broadcast by GNSS satellites, and compares each station’s known location with position data from the satellites.
The GNSS signal data and measurement information is sent to correction processing facilities. The facilities aggregate the data from all ground stations, produce error corrections and status information about the GNSS satellites, and format the data in a standardized series of messages. These messages are sent to an uplink station, which transmits the data to a satellite in geostationary earth orbit. The data is broadcast to all precise positioning users, who combine SouthPAN’s data with their own observations of GNSS satellites.
SouthPAN early Open Services coverage. (Image: Geosciences Australia)
The government of Australia has awarded Lockheed Martin a $1.18 billion contract to establish the Southern Positioning Augmentation Network (SouthPAN) to enhance precision.
The system is expected to be fully operational by 2028, and will be provided as a service for 19 years with an option to extend.
The program will use a unique, Lockheed Martin-developed, second-generation satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS) broadcasting on two frequencies to augment signals from two GPS and Galileo.
The SouthPAN initiative
The SouthPAN initiative will deliver a signal augmenting GPS and Galileo over the Australasia region, improving accuracy from 5-10 meters to within as little as 10 centimeters.
The greater positioning accuracy and integrity of the SouthPAN signal has applications across a range of users, including civil aviation, vehicle guidance, precision agriculture for efficiencies in crop management, tracking maritime shipments, and enabling navigation for drones and other unmanned vehicles.
Lockheed Martin Australia will work with the SouthPAN project team to establish a network of GNSS reference stations and satellite uplink facilities that will enable communications and transmissions with the SouthPAN space infrastructure.
SouthPAN is a partnership between Geoscience Australia and Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) under the Australia New Zealand Science, Research and Innovation Cooperation Agreement.
2017 testbed
Lockheed Martin tested a second-generation SBAS testbed in partnership with Geoscience Australia in 2017.
Lockheed Martin’s second-generation SBAS technology receives and monitors basic signals data from multiple GNSS through widely distributed reference stations. This data is collected by a SBAS testbed master station, which computes corrections and integrity bounds for each GNSS satellite signal, and generates augmentation messages.
The new messages are sent to an SBAS payload hosted aboard an Inmarsat geostationary Earth orbit satellite via an uplink antenna in Uralla, New South Wales. The Inmarsat satellite rebroadcasts the augmentation messages containing corrections and integrity data to the end users’ GNSS receivers. The whole process takes less than six seconds.
Lockheed Martin provided the systems integration expertise in addition to the Uralla radio frequency uplink; GMV-Spain provided its “magicGNSS” processors; Inmarsat provided the navigation payload hosted on the 4F1 geostationary satellite. The Australia and New Zealand Cooperative Research Centre for Spatial Information coordinated the demonstrator SBAS test-bed SBAS test-bed projects.
The SouthPAN contract will expand Lockheed Martin’s investments toward sustainable business growth in Australia. Currently, Lockheed Martin programs support 4,000 Australian jobs in advanced manufacturing and technology industries. The contract will grow that footprint with additional jobs in at least four states.
