Swift Navigation has partnered with Taiwan Mobile, a major telecommunications company in Taiwan, to introduce the Skylark Precise Positioning Service to the Taiwanese market. This collaboration aims to meet the increasing demand for high-accuracy positioning solutions across various industries.
Skylark is a real-time GNSS correction service that enhances positioning precision to the centimeter level by correcting signal errors from GNSS. It is the first cloud-based precise positioning service developed specifically for large-scale applications, designed to deliver accuracy, reliability, and safety worldwide. The service utilizes advanced atmospheric modeling to reduce errors from ionospheric disturbances, clock drift and satellite orbit inaccuracies, improving location accuracy from several meters to just a few centimeters.
The service is supported by a carrier-grade network consisting of modern ground reference stations, which have been designed and operated collaboratively by Taiwan Mobile and other mobile network operators globally. Skylark’s highly reliable and precise positioning capabilities are expected to support emerging applications in automotive, robotics, and fleet management sectors. In automotive applications, it is the first and only automotive safety integrity level (ASIL) certified, real-time cloud-based positioning service compliant with ISO 26262:2018, enabling safe operation of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous vehicles.
For robotics, Skylark’s proprietary atmospheric modeling offers centimeter-level accuracy with extended baselines and automatic failover, ensuring reliable performance for devices such as robotic lawnmowers and surveying drones. In fleet management, the service provides a cost-effective, dependable positioning solution optimized for battery-powered devices, facilitating efficient last-mile and final-inch logistics, and integrating with a broad range of compatible GNSS hardware.
GNSS spoofing has become a regular occurrence with the potential for severe consequences when precise and reliable positioning is critical. Legacy GNSS signals are the primary target for bad actors, as most precise positioning relies on these signals, and it’s constantly getting easier and cheaper for people to fake the message. To combat this, Trimble has introduced Trimble RTX-NMA (Navigation Message Authentication), the first solution on the market to mitigate spoofing attacks on the GPS and BeiDou satellite constellations. Trimble RTX-NMA leverages the Trimble RTX correction service and enhances the security and integrity of GNSS navigation messages for all Trimble ProPoint receivers. Used in conjunction with Galileo OSNMA, users now have three constellations protected from spoofing attacks.
Trimble RTX-NMA seeks to detect both fake GNSS signals and faulty ephemeris data through real-time authentication that ensures navigation messages from multiple RTX reference station receivers are genuine and trustworthy. It also encompasses faulty ephemeris detection, preventing unreliable data from being included in the correction stream. Enhanced security through advanced cryptographic techniques like AES encryption, and stream authentication, take it a step further. Trimble RTX-NMA is also compatible with various Trimble GNSS receivers using firmware version 6.40 or greater, making it a versatile solution for a wide range of applications without a subscription. With these features, Trimble RTX-NMA offers increased reliability, enhanced security, and improved integrity — an added layer of defense against potential threats such as spoofing.
As reliance on GNSS continues to grow, ensuring the security and integrity of navigation data becomes paramount. Trimble RTX-NMA represents a significant step forward in addressing these challenges, offering a robust and effective solution for enhancing GNSS security.
JAVAD GNSS, a global provider of high-precision GNSS solutions, and Inertial Labs, a VIAVI Solutions Company, have entered a strategic partnership to integrate Inertial Labs’ IMU-P modules with JAVAD’s advanced OEM GNSS receivers. This collaboration introduces a new GNSS+INS platform designed to deliver accuracy, stability and resilience, even in environments where GNSS signals are weak or unavailable.
Central to this advancement is the JAVAD TR-3Si receiver, engineered for compatibility with professional IMU modules. Combined with the advanced IMU-P units, the system is positioned to offer high levels of precision and reliability, supporting mission-critical requirements in aerospace, defense, autonomous vehicles, UAVs, robotics, precision agriculture and other demanding sectors.
Inertial Labs’ IMU-P modules can perform in dynamic settings, providing continuous orientation and acceleration data for sensor fusion. The integration of this inertial technology with JAVAD’s established GNSS systems enhances navigation accuracy and efficiency in both GNSS-accessible and GNSS-denied environments.
JAVAD GNSS is expanding its support for IMU modules and is expected to release further updates on this initiative.
The Department of the Air Force (DAF) has successfully launched the Navigation Technology Satellite-3 (NTS-3) Vanguard aboard the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vulcan rocket on the USSF-106 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, on August 12, 2025. This mission marks the first U.S. national security payload launched on the Vulcan Centaur rocket, which represents a new era of launch vehicle capability for national defense.
“We have a strategic imperative to deliver science and technology that enables and accelerates a resilient hybrid space architecture for the space capabilities that the joint force depends on,” said Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Commander and DAF Technology Executive Officer (TEO), Brig. Gen. Jason E. Bartolomei.
NTS-3’s Advanced Architecture
NTS-3 is an experimental integrated navigation satellite designed by the AFRL to enhance the robustness, resilience and responsiveness of space-based positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) services, crucial to both military and civilian applications. The satellite aims to advance the capabilities of existing global navigation satellite systems, such as GPS, through innovative technology that includes an advanced atomic clock timekeeping system, a reprogrammable receiver compatible with both legacy and advanced signals (the Global Navigation Satellite System Test Architecture), and Chips Message Robust Authentication, which defends against GPS spoofing.
NTS-3 features a fully reprogrammable software architecture that spans the space-based satellite, ground-based control system, and agile user receivers. This enables rapid software updates either on orbit or in the field, a significant departure from previous GPS satellites that required hardware changes for upgrades. This approach delivers not only military advantages in contested environments but also substantial benefits for civilian users who rely heavily on GPS for banking, agriculture, telecommunications and air traffic control.
“We rely on GPS so much, in ways that we don’t always think about,” said Rachel Gleichmann, NTS-3 deputy program manager, AFRL Space Vehicles Directorate. So, to make sure that it is resilient and that it’s always available and always accurate — or, as the military likes to say, ‘assured’ is extremely important to your average American.”
Industry partner L3Harris Technologies serves as the prime contractor, working alongside AFRL on the design, development, integration, testing, launch vehicle interface, and on-orbit operations of the satellite. The collaboration embodies a comprehensive ecosystem approach that leverages resources from government, industry, academia, and venture capital to foster innovation in national security space.
Anduril Industries is expanding into South Korea, opening a new office in Seoul. The company has also appointed a new local country leader and is forming partnerships with Korean companies to develop defense technologies for the region.
The move coincides with a two-day visit to the Republic of Korea by company founder Palmer Luckey, who is meeting with government officials and industry leaders.
The Seoul office is Anduril’s first in South Korea. John Kim has been appointed vice president and head of Anduril Korea. Kim previously led Boeing Korea’s defense business and served as the company’s interim president. He brings extensive experience working with the U.S. military and South Korea’s defense sector. The company plans to expand its local team and expects to double its headcount within 12 months.
South Korea’s Ministry of Defense has prioritized artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, and networked weapons as part of a modernization effort coordinated by the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Military planners say current defense systems are insufficient to deter or prevail in future conflicts.
As part of the expansion, Anduril will sign a contract with Korean Air’s Aerospace Business Division to co-develop unmanned aerial systems, license production of additional Anduril products for the Indo-Pacific market and explore the possibility of building a manufacturing and production facility in South Korea. The agreement is expected to establish a cooperative defense technology framework in the region.
“Anduril is committed to helping the Republic of Korea in its mission to develop a technologically advanced, highly networked armed force with fewer but more precise platforms,” Kim said. “Our new office and team expansion is further demonstration of this ongoing commitment.”
Founded in 2017, Anduril employs more than 6,000 people and is valued at over $30 billion. The company has delivered advanced defense capabilities to the U.S. Department of Defense, the Australian Defence Force and the U.K. Ministry of Defence. The new Seoul office will expand Anduril’s growing footprint in the Indo-Pacific.
The Estonian news portal Delfi reports that a covert Russian military installation in the Królewiec region, just east of Poland’s border, is believed to be responsible for GPS interference affecting the Baltic states and the Gulf of Finland.
According to confidential sources, the facility’s primary mission is to monitor satellites and NATO communications, with the goal of undermining allied intelligence operations. Documents obtained by Delfi indicate that the base, located in Pioniersk, is part of Russia’s “Tobol” electronic warfare network.
The Tobol system is described as a network of surveillance, defense and command sites designed both to shield Russian satellite communications and navigation systems from NATO attacks and to disrupt NATO intelligence. The Królewiec facility, which focuses on satellite monitoring, was officially established in 2009 by the Russian Ministry of Defence. Similar installations are located across Russia, including near Moscow, Penza, Cheboksary and in Ulan-Ude, Siberia.
The Finnish newspaper Ilta-Sanomat, reports that Russia has been developing navigation jamming technology since the 1980s, initially as a counter to GPS-guided weapons. Those capabilities have since expanded in response to Western military equipment supplied to Ukraine.
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, incidents of GPS interference have increased in countries bordering Russia. Aviation and maritime navigation have been particularly affected, with pilots and ship crews reporting inaccurate or lost positioning data.
The Federal Aviation Administration’s new Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) framework, incorporating Part 108 and Part 146, establishes a regulatory pathway for safe and scalable drone operations. This framework is expected to accelerate the integration of both drone deliveries and air taxis into everyday transportation networks. What was once a conceptual vision has now become an actionable roadmap, supported by technology that enables safe and collaborative use of lower airspace.
Airwayz offers an artificial intelligence–driven unmanned traffic management (UTM) and U-Space Service Provider (USSP) system designed to coordinate multiple drone operators sharing the same airspace. Unlike static management systems, Airwayz’ platform provides fully dynamic airspace allocation and routing, allowing multiple fleets to operate simultaneously without interference. The system is capable of validating and approving flights, as well as suggesting updated routes, within approximately five seconds. This enables continuous, real-time decision-making in response to changing conditions.
Autonomous Decision-Making and Human Oversight
The Airwayz UTM constantly monitors the airspace for both manned and unmanned aircraft, dynamically adjusting flights to reduce the risk of collision. Using autonomous rerouting capabilities, the system can alter a drone’s course mid-flight if safety conditions change. Although much of the operation can occur without manual intervention, human operators retain the authority to override automated decisions, ensuring an added layer of accountability. This approach shortens approval times, avoids dedicating airspace to only one operator, and streamlines operations for complex missions.
Central to the Airwayz UTM/USSP is a focus on safety. The system evaluates environmental and operational risks by monitoring nearby aerial activity, weather patterns, and other critical factors. When potential hazards are detected, it recommends the most effective course of action to avoid incidents. These recommendations can involve route changes while the drone is already in flight, ensuring that missions can be completed without compromising safety.
By enabling fully dynamic and responsive airspace management, Airwayz UTM allows drones to travel between any two points at any time, provided flights are reported to and coordinated through the system. Continuous monitoring during both pre-flight and in-flight phases ensures that adjustments can be made immediately when risks emerge. This flexibility increases the commercial capacity of the airspace, while maintaining safety as the primary priority.
Temporary U-Space for Specific Operations
For short-term events or limited-duration needs, Airwayz employs a “temporary U-Space” approach. These temporary zones can be quickly established to manage high-priority or ad-hoc operations and are dismantled once no longer necessary. AI algorithms analyze and predict flight paths, assess the reliability of those predictions, and adjust the boundaries of the temporary U-Space according to risk levels. In low-risk scenarios, boundaries can be minimized to allow more concurrent aircraft, while higher-risk situations trigger expanded safety zones.
Xona has reached three new commercial agreements with precision timing innovators Hoptroff, Fibrolan and Timebeat, marking its official entry into the precision timekeeping and synchronization market. These partnerships seek to enable end users to leverage Xona’s Pulsar satellites to provide independent, secure, and resilient timing infrastructure amid mounting global complexity and risk.
Satellite navigation provides far more than positioning — it’s the world’s most accurate source of globally synchronized time signals underpinning nearly every critical system, including:
Emergency response coordination
Real-time power grid balancing
Transportation network resilience
Fair and trustworthy global financial trading
5G network synchronization
Data center efficiency and security
As infrastructure becomes more connected and distributed, timing is the backbone of data governance— determining who holds critical data, when it was held and for how long. A single second lost or spoofed can erode trust across every facet of daily life.
Broadcasting nanosecond-level accurate time from low-Earth orbit, Pulsar provides a new alternative to vulnerable GNSS-based systems. With built-in authentication, secure signals, and up to 100x received power of legacy GNSS, Pulsar ensures reliable reception even in low-rise buildings and urban environments — all without requiring specialized hardware, according to the company.
“This is an important milestone — proof that next-generation satellite technology is no longer just promising innovation, but solving real, urgent problems today.” said Jay Wakenshaw, COO of Xona. “Seeing market leaders like Hoptroff, Fibrolan, and TimeBeat adopt Pulsar validates that there’s a genuine need and significant demand for what we’re bringing to market.”
Pulsar testing and demonstrations in real-world environments will continue through this year and into early next year, with active field deployments planned from late 2026.
“Our customers in critical national infrastructure rely on precision timing to keep their operations secure, compliant, and efficient.” said Tim Richards, CEO of Hoptroff. “The low-Earth orbit Ssatellite system provided by Xona will add additional redundancy to our global timing network, and complements our existing terrestrial timing infrastructure which is essential for next gen applications particularly in these uncertain times.”
“We’re always seeking innovative alternatives to GNSS — because the future of timing depends on it.” said Shamir Stein, CEO of Fibrolan. “Pulsar is exactly the kind of breakthrough our industry needs: a powerful, dependable solution that will allow us to continue delivering simple, robust, and hassle-free timing to our partners and customers.”
Hexagon’s surveying solutions are playing a key role in the construction of Project Rogfast, a 27-km subsea road tunnel in Norway that is set to be the longest and deepest of its kind. Running 392 m below sea level, the tunnel will link Stavanger, Haugesund and Bergen, aiming to cut travel time by up to 50% and strengthening economic connections in the oil and gas sector.
The project, led by construction firm Skanska, presents unique engineering challenges, including tunneling from both ends with a final meeting point that allows for no more than a 5 cm margin of error. Even small misalignments could result in significant delays and costly rework. Skanska is using Hexagon’s portfolio of Leica Geosystems solutions to align machinery and validate measurements in real time, enabling precise tunneling under extreme conditions.
Hexagon’s technologies are delivering measurable impact across the project by:
Enabling precise alignment with total stations, GPS, multistations and laser scanners.
Reducing rework, emissions, and cost through real-time data capture and validation.
Powering safe operations under extreme conditions, 392 m below sea level.
“In a project like this, even a millimeter of misalignment can trigger cascading risks,” said Trond Valleur, vice president at Skanska. “Hexagon’s technology gives our teams the confidence to move forward with accuracy, efficiency and safety.”
The Leica Nova MS60 MultiStation is a robotic total station that can measure points down to 1 mm to 2 mm and capture 3D scans. (Credit: Hexagon)
The collaboration reflects a partnership between Skanska and Hexagon that has spanned more than 30 years. The Skanska team is using several Leica Geosystems surveying instruments, including the Leica RTC360, Leica MS60 MultiStation, Leica AP20 AutoPole and Leica TS60.
On July 23, 2025, the National Geodetic Survey (NGS) sent a news notice announcing the rollout plan for remaining NSRS modernization products, including OPUS Products Changes, and on June 11, 2025, they sent a news notice to users stating that NGS’s Multi-Year CORS Solution 3 (MYCS3) was released. This newsletter will highlight these two News notices and what they mean to users of the United States National Spatial Reference System (NSRS).
A colleague recently reminded me that the new NSRS is more than just a technical update — it presents an ideal opportunity to review existing processes and workflows, address current products and process considerations, and strategically plan for future requirements. It is well known that the new NSRS will significantly improve geospatial data accuracy. Improved accuracy and reliability of geospatial data empower management to make more informed decisions and optimize resource allocation. NSRS users should proactively assess their geospatial data dependencies and evaluate how adoption of the new datum will affect workflows, datasets and operational decision‑making. I will provide you with more information at a later date.
NGS NEWS
Rollout Plan for Remaining NSRS Modernization products, including OPUS Products Changes
On June 17, 2025, NGS released the first preliminary products of the modernized National Spatial Reference System (NSRS) for beta testing and feedback. In the coming months, additional products listed below will be made available. As each product is released, it will undergo at least six months of testing preceding the final adoption and implementation of the modernized NSRS.
The descriptions below supersede previous updates or information shared in NSRS Modernization blueprint documents, plans, or presentations. These products and their status will be described on the Track Our Progress webpage.
The Data Delivery System (DDS) landing page will provide an updated version of the “NGS Map” and “Looking for Benchmarks” pages. This new landing page will allow you to access modernized informational pages about geodetic stations and geodetic marks.
Geodetic station pages will offer an updated version of the current NOAA CORS Network (NCN) station pages. Geodetic mark pages will be updated datasheets, replacing the current ASCII text file version of datasheets. The updated coordinates (reference epoch coordinates) for marks and updated CORS coordinate functions (CCFs) for CORSs in the modernized NSRS will be available through these pages.
The NGS Coordinate Conversion and Transformation Tool (NCAT) will be updated through multiple versions, currently with state plane coordinates, then later adding support for various geopotential calculations including ellipsoid/orthometric height conversion as well as NADCON (geometric) and VERTCON (orthometric) transformations from the current NSRS to the modernized NSRS.
OPUS-Static will function similarly to today’s tool, but it will operate with the modernized NSRS, including the support of multi-GNSS data. Additionally, the popular function of “sharing” your solution with others (colloquially called “OPUS-Share”) will be retained, but with appropriate caveats that the shared solution should not be used as geodetic control. These shared solutions will be available through the geodetic mark pages of the DDS.
The following products will not be included in the release of the modernized NSRS. However, plans to replace the services or mitigate gaps are described below.
OPUS-Projects 5 will not be included in the modernized NSRS. Instead, NGS will focus on both developing an improved software suite for OPUS, known as OPUS 6, and minimizing any gap in service in which the current OPUS-Projects functionality is not available for users to organize, process, adjust, and submit high-accuracy GPS surveys for use by NGS in expanding and improving the NSRS. As noted above, OPUS-Share will remain available as a means to submit data to NGS.
OPUS-Rapid Static (OPUS-RS) will not be included in the modernized NSRS. Instead, the modernized version of OPUS-Static, noted above, will be capable of processing multi-GNSS static data files that are shorter in duration (i.e., less than 2 hours).
Note: the current OPUS Projects 5 software will be supported until the modernized system is adopted, and a deadline for OPUS-Projects users to submit their surveys for publication will be announced with at least six months’ notice.
To stay informed about these releases, please subscribe to NGS News. If you have questions, please email [email protected].
Now, I would like to address the issues associated with July 23, 2025, announcement. This NGS News announced the rollout plan for the remaining NSRS modernization products. I have highlighted several sentences in this announcement that I believe users need to understand to determine the impact on their processes and workflows that are used to generate their products and services.
The news announcement states that NGS released the first preliminary products of the modernized National Spatial Reference System (NSRS) for beta testing and feedback. My July 2025 GPS World Newsletter highlighted these preliminary products. It mentioned that in the coming months, additional products will be made available. Each product will undergo at least six months of testing preceding the final adoption and implementation of the modernized NSRS. This seems to be a good process, but users need to understand the complete message.
The NGS News announcement provides a list of products that will be available and a list of products that will not be available when the new NSRS is adopted. Users need to understand what products will not be available after NGS officially adopts the new NSRS so they can determine what that means to their workflow process and client requirements. In my opinion, for the new NSRS to be successfully implemented by users, it is essential that all the necessary software tools are available to enable users to submit projects for review, approval, and publication by NGS. As many of you know, when I worked for NGS, I was the Project Manager of the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88). That said, from my experience as the NAVD 88 Project Manager, having the appropriate tools available was important for users to implement NAVD 88. As a matter of fact, NGS accepted and processed vertical control data in both NGVD 29 and NAVD 88 for a period to assist users in the implementation of the new vertical reference datum.
It is important to note that the NGS News Announcement states that OPUS-Project 5 will not be included in the new NSRS when it is officially adopted. See the below image.
Since OPUS Projects 5 will not be supported after the modernized system is adopted, users will not be able to submit their projects for review, approval, and publication by NGS like they can do today. NGS does indicate that they will be working on OPUS 6 to “minimize any gap in service.” There are a few questions that I believe should be addressed: (1) What does “minimize any gap in service” mean? Is this one month, one year, or several years? (2) Why must the new NSRS be adopted before users can submit their projects to NGS for official publication? And (3) Why should users use OPUS-Share when NGS itself advises against relying on OPUS-Share results for establishing geodetic control? If the federal agencies and surveying community allow the new NSRS to be adopted before OPUS 6 is available or OPUS Project 5 is modified for use in the new NSRS, the only way to get an updated coordinate such as NATRF2022 and NAPGD2022 using NGS process will be to use NGS OPUS-Share products. Again, NGS states that OPUS-Share results should not be used as geodetic control. See NGS’ statement on OPUS Share below.
This is NGS’s statement on OPUS-Share: Additionally, the popular function of “sharing” your solution with others (colloquially called “OPUS-Share”) will be retained, but with appropriate caveats that the shared solution should not be used as geodetic control. These shared solutions will be available through the geodetic mark pages of the DDS.
Using OPUS-Share results that are NOT official NSRS coordinates published by NGS could lead to confusing results and potential lawsuits since NGS does not stand behind the results and recommends NOT using OPUS-Share results for geodetic control. Why would users use OPUS-Share to establish geodetic control when NGS itself advises against relying on OPUS-Share for establishing geodetic control? OPUS-Share results are not officially submitted to NGS for review, approval, and publication on an NGS Datasheet. I don’t believe this approach will meet the needs of users who require their projects to be reviewed, approved, and published by NGS. What is your opinion? You should let NGS, and others know your thoughts and concerns about NGS’s rollout plan for remaining NSRS modernization products.
Now for the release of NGS’s Multi-Year CORS Solution 3 (MYCS3).
NGS MYCS 3 released (Credit: NGS)
First, why did NGS perform the NGS Multi-Year CORS Solution 3 (MYCS3)? To maintain consistency with the International Earth Rotation and Reference System Service (IERS) and the International GNSS Service (IGS) reference frames, NGS has implemented the new International Terrestrial Reference Frame 2020 (ITRF2020) and IGS20 realizations in the U.S. NOAA CORS Network (NCN). What this means to NSRS users is that NGS has updated the North American Datum 1983 (NAD 83), epoch 2010.0 coordinates for stations in the NOAA CORS Network (NCN). This update is called the Multi-Year CORS Solution 3 (MYCS3).
In summary, the MYCS3 news notice states the following:
The coordinate functions for NOAA CORS Network (NCN) stations are now consistent with ITRF2020,
NGS datasheets will display the new NAD 83 coordinates transformed from ITRF2020 coordinate functions,
The new NAD 83 coordinates will be referenced to NAD 83 2011 (epoch 2010.0),
Position and velocity files will display coordinates/velocities in both NAD 83 and ITRF2020, and
The NGS Online Positioning Users Service (OPUS) will begin processing data with NCN control that is consistent with ITRF2020 at the time of measurement; and the results will still be transformed to NAD 83 2011, epoch 2010.0.
The first question that everyone asks is, what are the changes to the coordinates in my region? And, of course, why was it necessary to do this update now, but that’s a discussion for another day. I downloaded the data and prepared a few plots and a table to depict the differences between the new and old coordinates. First, it should be noted that the old NCN coordinates were published in ITRF 2014, epoch 2010.0, and the new NCN coordinates are published in ITRF 2020, epoch 2020.0. So, there will be differences in coordinates because of updates between ITRF2014 and ITRF2020, and because the CORS ITRF 2020 coordinates are published at epoch 2020.0 instead of 2010.0.
The image below provides the new and old CORS coordinates and velocity information for NOAA CORS Monroe (NCMR). These values can be obtained from NGS CORS website.
ITRF coordinates for NCMR. (Credit: NGS)
The difference between ellipsoid heights is straightforward. In the example, the difference is 144.357 meters minus 144.345 meters or 0.012 m. The image captioned “Change in Ellipsoid Height in NC based on ITRF 2020” provides the differences between MYCS3 and MYCS2 NAD83 2011, epoch 2010.0 published ellipsoid heights for the CORS in North Carolina. In other words, this is the change in the NAD 83 2011, epoch 2010.0 ellipsoid height at the CORS after updating to ITRF2020, epoch 2020. I’ve highlighted the NCMR CORS in the box. As you can see from the plot, there are several CORS in North Carolina that their ellipsoid heights have changed significantly; that is, greater than 20 mm and as large as -89 mm.
Change in Ellipsoid Height in NC based on ITRF 2020 (units in mm).
I don’t know about you, but I can’t determine the change in coordinates by looking at XYZ or Latitude/Longitude values. For the horizontal change I computed the differences in latitude and longitude and converted the results to millimeters. As indicated in the image above, the changes in the horizontal component are typically small; that is, less than a few mm. There are, however, a few larger changes such as the one at CORS TN1B (which is in Tennessee) that changed 30 mm.
Change in Horizontal Coordinates in NC based on ITRF 2020 (units mm).
I suppose for all “practical purposes” the changes are small and shouldn’t impact most survey projects. Some of the larger changes are probably a good thing because that may mean that the CORS coordinates needed to be updated to account for movement or something else that affected the coordinates. I created a table that provides the minimum, mean, and maximum values in ellipsoid height and horizontal differences. See the table titled “Differences Between MYCS 3 and MYCS 2 Solutions of NOAA CORS.” I highlighted the State of North Carolina values.
So, why is it important to understand these differences? The NGS Online Positioning Users Service (OPUS) has begun processing data with NCN control that is consistent with ITRF2020 at the time of measurement. This means that if you compare old projects to new projects, you may find some small differences due to the change in CORS NAD 83 2011, epoch 2010.0 coordinates. As I previously mentioned, these differences are small and should not affect the results of most survey projects. Although, any difference can lead to someone questioning their results.
As another example of the changes, the two plots below in the image captioned, “Change in CORS coordinates in Colorado based on ITRF 2020” provides the differences between MYCS3 and MYCS2 NAD83 2011, epoch 2010.0 published coordinates for the CORS in Colorado.
Change in CORS coordinates in Colorado based on ITRF 2020 Ellipsoid Height Change (units in mm).Change in CORS Coordinates in Colorado based on ITRF 2020 Horizontal Change (units in mm).
Another difference that I computed using the results from the MYCS3 solution is an estimate of the changes between the current NSRS, that is NAD 83 2011 (epoch 2010.0) and new NSRS, for example NATRF2022, epoch 2020.0. This is only an estimate but provides a value that users can attain the magnitude of the changes in their local region. The image below depicts the approximate changes in horizontal and vertical components between the current NSRS (NAD 83 2011, epoch 2010.0) and the future NSRS (NATRF2022, epoch 2020.0) based on the CORS in the NCN. (Note that the units have changed to cm.)
Differences between ITRF2020 and NAD 83 2011 in NC Horizontal Change (units in cm).Differences between ITRF2020 and NAD 83 2011 in NC Ellipsoid Height Change (units in cm).
To demonstrate that these changes vary region by region, I prepared plots depicting the changes in the State of Washington and the U.S. Gulf Coast region. As indicated in the plots, the differences between the current NSRS and the new modernized NSRS will vary from state to state and are significantly different than the current NSRS coordinates.
Differences between ITRF2020 and NAD 83 2011 in Washington State Horizontal Change (units in cm).Differences between ITRF2020 and NAD 83 2011 in Washington State Ellipsoid Height Change (units in cm). Differences Between ITRF2020 and NAD 83 2011 in the Gulf Coast Region Horizontal Change (units in cm). Differences Between ITRF2020 and NAD 83 2011 in the Gulf Coast Region Ellipsoid Height Change (units in cm).
This newsletter underscored upcoming OPUS product changes that NGS will implement following adoption of the modernized NSRS, along with updates to CORS station coordinates resulting from the Multi‑Year CORS Solution 3 (MYCS3). It clarified what these changes mean for users of the U.S. NSRS. I also flagged several topics in the NGS News bulletins that warrant further attention, as they are critical for understanding how the modernized NSRS will impact geospatial products and services. The new NSRS offers a strategic opportunity for users to comprehensively review existing processes and workflows, reassess current products, and proactively plan for future requirements. By auditing geospatial data dependencies now, NSRS users can evaluate how transitioning to the new datum will impact workflows, datasets, and operational decision-making.
Will you be ready to implement the new NSRS after NGS officially adopts it? Will you have the appropriate tools available to implement the new NSRS? These are questions that everyone that uses the NSRS should be addressing now.
Exail has signed a contract to supply 100 Phins compact inertial navigation systems (INS) to a U.S.-based global defense company for use in unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs). The Phins Compact INS is designed to provide precise navigation capabilities in challenging environments, remaining functional even when external signals are disrupted. The system’s compact design enables rapid integration into UUVs, allowing for flexible and efficient mission operations in dynamic maritime settings.
According to the company, this contract strengthens Exail’s global leadership in subsea navigation, with its INS technology trusted by more than 50 navies and widely deployed on a broad range of subsea autonomous vehicles worldwide. It also represents a key milestone in the company’s expanding presence in the United States, supporting defense programs with proven, high-performance solutions.
New collaboration to demonstrate how terrestrial 5G-based timing can provide scalable solutions to complement and backup GPS.
NextNav and Oscilloquartz, a division of Adtran, have partnered to demonstrate how 5G-powered terrestrial positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) technology combined with Oscilloquartz’s established synchronization systems can serve as a scalable complement and backup to GPS. The initiative aims to maintain the operation of critical infrastructure, such as data centers, utilities, and emergency services, during GPS outages by distributing precise, coordinated universal time (UTC) over existing 5G networks for both indoor and outdoor environments.
The collaboration integrates Oscilloquartz’s synchronization technology with NextNav’s terrestrial 5G PNT platforms to introduce an additional timing source, thereby reducing end-user dependence on GPS alone. This effort addresses increasing demand for secure and redundant timing solutions in light of threats to GPS reliability. The companies are aligning their technologies with ongoing Federal Communications Commission initiatives to encourage complementary PNT solutions.
According to the companies, this approach responds to national security and public safety concerns by prioritizing the development of resilient infrastructure. The demonstration of these integrated terrestrial timing capabilities is intended to provide a practical example of how industry can build more robust timing networks and reduce the risks associated with relying solely on GPS.
