Contract signed with EUSPA to develop the next version of EGNOS
Thales Alenia Space, the joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), has signed a new contract with the EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) to develop, qualify and deploy the new European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) version.
Thales Alenia Space has also just reached a new milestone in the Galileo program with the integration of a new satellite into Galileo’s Ground Mission Segment (GMS) which will improve positioning service for 3.3 billion users.
EGNOS Upgrade
Thales Alenia Space will provide EUSPA and the EU navigation community with a new version of EGNOS (V243). Its operations will be secured by a new state-of-the art Navigation Land Earth Station technology developed by Thales Alenia Space – NLES-G3.
The NLES transmits the EGNOS message containing all accuracy and integrity corrections to the geostationary satellites for broadcast to users such as aviation operators. Thales Alenia Space NLES-G3 will be integrated with a new geostationary satellite, GEO3, which will enhance the EGNOS system and its end-to-end performance.
Certification and commissioning of this latest version is slated for 2024.
Galileo Milestone
Thales Alenia Space also is the prime contractor for Galileo First Generation’s Ground Mission Segment. Galileo has achieved a milestone with the Galileo constellation approaching final steps before its completion with the GSAT0223 satellite. GSAT0223 will increase the operational constellation to 23 satellites for positioning and 25 for search and rescue.
The new satellite has successfully been positioned in orbit and its payload signals inserted in the Ground Mission Segment (GMS) operational chain of Galileo. The GMS is generating the world’s most accurate satellite ephemerids, enabling decimetric ranging accuracy.
With the entry in service of this satellite, the GMS now serves more than 3,3 billion Galileo users who will benefit from an enhanced positioning and timing service.
Thales and Syrlinks have signed a multi-year contract with the French defence procurement agency (DGA) to develop a new generation of tiny, high-performance atomic clocks.
Code-named Chronos, these new quantum clocks will meet the requirements of numerous civil and military applications. With their very high stability (error of less than 1 second in tens of thousands of years), defence electronics equipment will be able to operate when a GNSS signal is unavailable, for example due to hostile jamming.
Working with the procurement agency, the partners will help safeguard France’s technological sovereignty in GNSS-denied positioning, guidance, navigation and encrypted military communications. In civil applications (5G network synchronization, transport, energy, etc.), the Chronos quantum clocks will deliver low price and high performance to French and international customers.
Large swaths of the modern economy now rely on satellites for synchronization. GNSS technology provides the precise time reference for critical infrastructure such as 4G/5G networks, internet, air and rail transport, energy networks, global banking transactions and high-frequency trading, which would quickly fail if the signal were unavailable. In view of this high level of dependency, backup systems are needed to ensure that our civil and military infrastructure can continue to operate even if the GNSS timing signal is unavailable.
Thales’s industrial facility in Vélizy-Villacoublay and the Thales Research & Technology center in Palaiseau, both near Paris, have the industrial capabilities and talent to manufacture the atomic and optical core of these future quantum clocks.
Syrlinks — a French company based in Rennes, Brittany — specializes in satellite radiocommunications, radionavigation systems and miniature atomic clocks, and its products were selected to equip 650 satellites for the American operator OneWeb. The company will develop the electronic brain of the Chronos clock and guarantee its high-precision timing function.
The CNRS will provide critical scientific support for this project via its SYRTE (Observatoire de Paris) and Femto-ST (Université de Franche-Comté) joint research units.
Quectel Wireless Solutions has released the LC29H, a dual-band multi-constellation GNSS module. Built using the Airoha AG3335 platform, the LC29H is available in multiple variants and optionally integrates real-time kinematic (RTK) and dead reckoning.
The LC29H series offers high performance with power efficiency to meet the market needs of high-precision positioning at the centimeter and decimeter levels. The modules are suited to an expanding market for autonomous lawn mowers, drones, precision agriculture, micro-mobility scooters and delivery robots as well as other industrial and autonomous applications.
“High-precision positioning with centimeter-level accuracy is becoming increasingly vital for many new IoT [internet of things] applications,” said Patrick Qian, Quectel CEO. “Robotics, UAV and industrial applications needing precise navigation are driving new market requirements, and we are very excited to launch our newest generation of high-precision positioning modules.”
The LC29H concurrently receives and processes signals from GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo and QZSS. The module supports L1 and L5 dual-band signal reception, speeding up convergence time, improving positioning accuracy, and achieving fast response times even when signals are interrupted. The dual-band design significantly mitigates the multipath effect experienced near high-rise buildings or in deep urban canyons, and provides reliable positioning performance, Quectel stated.
In addition, some versions of the LC29H contain a six-axis inertial measurement unit (with three-axis accelerometer and three-axis gyroscope) and integrate RTK and dead-reckoning positioning algorithms, allowing for continuous lane-level positioning where the satellite signal is partially or completely blocked, such as underground parking lots, tunnels, urban-canyons or forests. When the satellite signal is reacquired, the LC29H combines inertial sensor data with GNSS signals, and the integrated navigation can provide fast convergence times and decimeter level positioning accuracies.
The LC29H is available in variants, each targeting different application scenarios. The LC29H(EA) is aimed at the growing market of agricultural drones as well as electricity power detection terminals, and can improve the anti-interference capability of complex systems. The LC29H(BA) is well suited to agricultural machinery and specialized vehicles, and the LC29H(DA) can enable centimeter-level accuracy in connected lawnmowers and safety helmets.
South Korea has successfully launched a precision aviation satellite Thursday by leasing space on Malaysia’s MEASAT-3d communication satellite for 15 years, reports The Korea Herald. The first satellite for the Korea Augmentation Satellite System (KASS) will improve the accuracy and reliability of GPS signals for pilots, increasing airline flight safety.
The satellite lifted off from Guiana Space Center in Kourou in French Guiana at 6:50 a.m. Thursday (Seoul time), and successfully separated from the rocket at around 7:18 a.m. after the fairing and first stage rocket separations.
In development since 2014, the KASS system can improve the GPS position error to 1.0 to 1.6 meters from the current 15-33 meter level in real time to ensure positioning reliability throughout the country.
The government plans to begin a pilot service around December before its full-fledged operation next year.
South Korea is the seventh country to have a geosynchronous satellite system officially registered with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The others are the United States, Russia, China, the European Union, India and Japan.
The Korea Augmentation Satellite System will improve airline safety over Korea. (Photo: ugurhan /iStock/Getty Images Plus/Getty Images)
Septentrio’s latest GNSS boards and modules now support PX4 Autopilot for faster integration of high-accuracy positioning into UAVs and robots.
Both the AsteRx-m3 and mosaic receivers support PX4 Autopilot, opening the door to reliable and resilient real-time kinematic positioning.
PX4 Autopilot is one of the largest commercially adopted open-source navigation control stacks, enabling an innovative community to build and maintain drone hardware and software in a scalable way. Drones and robots, which operate autonomously or where a high level of safety is required, now benefit from Septentrio’s accurate positioning receivers, known to be secure against GPS jamming and spoofing with built-in AIM+ Advanced Interference Mitigation technology.
“Our developer community is looking forward to integrating Septentrio’s secure GNSS positioning technology into UAVs and robots, especially in those applications where reliability matters from mapping to surveillance and delivery,” said Ramon Roche, general manager, Dronecode Foundation. “Septentrio’s presence and talk at the PX4 Developer Summit will be an opportunity for developers and integrators to connect with Septentrio and to learn about the latest high-accuracy positioning tech for the PX4 ecosystem.”
“Septentrio has had a fantastic collaboration momentum with Dronecode and the larger PX4 community during the integration of Septentrio receivers into the PX4 Autopilot ecosystem,” said Gustavo Lopez, market access manager at Septentrio. “This collaboration is important because it brings resilient and secure GPS technology to the UAV industry, with tremendous potential in terms of assured positioning and improved safety.”
PX4 is supported by Septentrio’s GNSS boards and modules with both single-antenna and dual-antenna configurations, which offer either heading and pitch or heading and roll angles on top of accurate GNSS positioning.
The Septentrio PX4 driver is freely available on the GitHub.
Harxon has launched a high-precision GNSS antenna, the HX-CSX633A. The HX-CSX633A has an upgraded architecture for more durable use and more flexible installations, making it suitable for agricultural vehicles, small robots and surveying applications.
Photo: Harxon
The HX-CSX633A features a durable, future-proof design with an IP67 waterproof housing. It meets MIL-STD-810-H for vibration and shock, increasing robustness for use under high-vibration conditions. The HX-CSX633A supports flexible installations including magnetic mount, screw mount and pole mount. Consequently, integrators can be confident this powerful antenna can be used in system designs for years to come, the company said.
The HX-CSX633A is fully functional, powerful and stable. The phase center remains constant with a multi-point feeding design. The ability to receive low-elevation signals with high gain and wide beamwidth makes it suitable for tracking visible satellites in tough environments, Harxon said.
The antenna’s low-noise amplification (LNA) features excellent out-of-band rejection, which can suppress electromagnetic interference and prevent disconnection when receivers are operated in complex electromagnetic environments.
Key Features of the HX-CSX633A:
supports GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BDS, QZSS, IRNSS and SBAS signal reception
stable phase center guarantees positioning accuracy within the millimeter-level
strong anti-interference ability to endure challenging operating environments
M3 Systems and TilT Consulting on June 1 were declared winners of the MyEUspace Competition 2021 for their passive radar for detection and localization of obstacles based solely on GNSS signals.
The SANGENE project (Sens And Navigation on GNSS ENvironment Estimation) aims to demonstrate the concept of an integrated GNSS-based passive radar for the detection and first localization of obstacles.
The SANGENE solution is a passive radar technology based solely on GNSS signals integrated into a localization and navigation device currently available onboard an aircraft or a drone. Today’s operational navigation equipment often use a combination of equipment to identify and locate other carriers or obstacles, but these means do not permit detection and visualization of non-equipped or uncooperative carriers, and can be a source of danger.
As “signals of opportunity,” GNSS signals can be used for detecting obstacles. With reflected signals, GNSS satellites behave as multiple radar signal sources that are widely available while remaining discrete.
This principle of passive detector also makes it possible to increase the localization capacity of the GNSS devices already present, without having any major architectural changes to their design.
Within a few months, this solution has passed from a first level of concept and definition to an implementation model. With the impetus provided by the competition, the validation phase will soon begin.
The MyEUspace Competition was organized by the European Union Agency for the Space Program (EUPSA) to support development of innovative commercial solutions — such as mobile apps or hardware-based solutions — that leverage Galileo or Copernicus EU space data.
Burkhard Boeckem and a Boston Dynamics robot dog share insights into smart digital realities. (Photo: Hexagon)
At HxGN LIVE Global 2022, in-person attendees experienced the full breadth of what the flagship conference has to offer for the first time since 2019. The conference is taking place this week at the Venetian hotel in Las Vegas.
Tuesday began with a keynote address by Burkhard Boeckem, chief technology officer, who discussed the importance of smart digital realities and their role in the potential of the metaverse to impact and enhance the physical world. Hexagon’s technology platform Xalt enables intelligence at scale. By integrating sensors and data integration across systems and solutions, like the BLK series and HxDR, Xalt provides the next level of connectivity to harness and utilize data for autonomous systems.
Summit-specific keynotes by speakers from Hexagon, its partners and sponsors provided expertise on issues, solutions and innovations shaping and reimagining various industries.
The Digital Innovation in Construction summit begins. (Photo: Hexagon)
Tuesday was also the first day of breakouts for all summits, with more than 100 sessions throughout the day covering everything from training and tips for Hexagon products to project success stories, panel discussions of industry trends, and a look at the precision engineering of Formula 1 cars with Hexagon partner Oracle Red Bull Racing. Sessions continue through the close of the conference on Thursday.
The Zone, the massive technology expo floor, officially opened for the first time this morning, where attendees explored some of the latest advancements, products and solutions available across seven summit-specific “islands” offering hands-on demonstrations and an opportunity to ask the questions that will help them make the best use of autonomous technology in their field.
Surveyors get the lay of the land at the Pure Surveying Island. (Photo: Hexagon)Advances in digital construction were provided by Leica Geosystems. (Photo: Hexagon)
In the evening, summit events took attendees around the grounds of the Venetian resort for various experiences.
Latest atomic clock designed for commercial, military and aerospace operations; launch webinar scheduled for July 7
Photo: Orolia
Orolia has introduced an upgraded edition of its low size, weight, power and cost (SWaP-C) miniaturized rubidium oscillator product line, the mRO-50 Ruggedized, to meet the latest military and aerospace requirements where time stability and power consumption are critical.
The mRO-50 Ruggedized provides a one-day holdover below 1 µs and a retrace below 1E-10 in a form factor (50.8 x 50.8 x 20mm) that takes up only 51 cc of volume (about one-third of the volume compared to standard rubidium oscillators) and consumes only 0.36 W of power, which is about 10 times less than existing solutions with similar capabilities, the company said.
With these competitive advantages, the new mRO-50 Ruggedized miniaturized rubidium oscillator provides accurate frequency and precise time synchronization to mobile applications, such as military radio-pack systems in GNSS-degraded or denied environments. Its wide-range operating temperature of -40°C to 80°C is also suitable for a wide range of applications such as underwater, military communications, radars, low Earth orbit, electronic warfare, airborne and unmanned vehicles.
“Our dedication and innovative design have contributed to the most accurate GNSS systems in service today,” said Jean-Charles Chen, Orolia Atomic Clocks Product Line director. “Orolia launched the mRO-50 in 2020, bringing the best rubidium technologies into one small form factor and ultra-portable packaging.”
The mRO-50 Ruggedized enhances this breakthrough technology with modifications providing wider thermal range, quicker lock and higher stability.
Orolia’s timing solutions support space agencies and research institutes worldwide, including the European Space Agency (ESA), NASA, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, SpaceX, Blue Origin, the Centre National d’Étude Spatiales (CNES France), the National Physics Laboratory (NPL UK), Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR Germany) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
ESA awarded Orolia two contracts to provide atomic clocks for the first 12 satellites for the Galileo Second Generation System. Each of the new satellites, designed to provide unprecedented accuracy worldwide, will contain three Orolia Rubidium Atomic Frequency Standards (RAFS) and two Orolia atomic clock physics packages integrated with Leonardo’s Passive Hydrogen Masers (PHM).
Septentrio, a leader in high-precision GNSS positioning solutions, has appointed Peter Fairhurst as new vice president of Sales. In this role, Fairhurst will lead the sales and application support teams at Septentrio globally.
Fairhurst succeeds Neil Vancans, who is retiring at the end of June, and who has led Septentrio sales for the last five years.
Fairhurst joins Septentrio with 15 years of experience in the GNSS industry. He most recently was head of Product Strategy at ublox. Before that, he worked many years at Leica Geosystems.
“Peter is an experienced business leader with a proven track record of creating value for customers and fits perfectly in our vision to help our customers be successful in their markets,” said Antoon De Proft, CEO of Septentrio. ”Peter will play a crucial role in implementing our growth strategy and empowering our sales teams to solve our customers’ mission-critical positioning challenges.”
“I am thrilled to join Septentrio and to bring their world-class GNSS solutions to industrial customers around the globe,” Fairhurst said. “Septentrio has unique capabilities and products and is an ideal partner for industrial OEMs for whom reliable and accurate positioning is crucial for their success.”
The EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) is set to launch a new Fundamental Elements call, with a dedicated online workshop June 30. The workshop is an opportunity to learn about the new call and hear from successful projects funded during the last call.
Fundamental Elements is a research and development funding mechanism designed to support the development of innovative chipset, antenna and receiver technologies in which industry would not yet invest on its own initiative. In doing so, the program helps accelerate the integration of European GNSS (EGNSS) into market-ready devices and solutions.
Projects funded by Fundamental Elements play a key role in EUSPA’s mission of driving the development and market uptake of Galileo-enabled receivers. For example, the GEARS project, which was funded during the initial call, developed a super accurate and highly robust Galileo-enabled receiver capable of providing both time and frequency data for critical infrastructure.
The new Fundamental Elements call builds on success of projects by:
integrating Galileo’s key differentiators into receiver technologies, including OSNMA, high-accuracy frequency, triple frequency, Early Warning Service, CAS and ARAIM
leveraging disruptive technologies such as machine learning and artificial intelligence
exploring potential synergies with Copernicus and the forthcoming GovSatCom.
More details about these points and the call in general will be made available during EUSPA’s upcoming Fundamental Elements online Workshop via Webex. Scheduled for June 30, the workshop will include in-depth information on the funding program and the application process.
The event will also feature project teams funded during the first Fundamental Elements call, who will share their experiences, best practices and advice for putting together a successful project.
HxGN LIVE Global 2022, taking place this week in Las Vegas, is a cross-industry conference showcasing the latest technologies and innovations from Hexagon.
The first two days brought numerous announcements and demonstrations. Here are a few highlights.
Hexagon unveils mining smart platform
The new Power of One platform is a holistic, life-of-mine smart solution connecting sensors, software, infield apps and cloudware. Available and ready to implement, the technology connects the mine to the boardroom via a single onboard ecosystem. Harnessing data from multiple sensors in a simple and consolidated software architecture, the platform helps mines to become situationally aware, self-learning and autonomously connected in the field and in the cloud.
For the customer, the platform offers an effortless experience with a seamless UI/UX and consistent functionality. Reduced cost of ownership, reduced deployment and training time, reduced supply chain complexity and increased operator adoption are just some of the platform’s many benefits.
“The Power of One platform is a landmark enabler for next-generation autonomy,” said Nick Hare, Hexagon’s Mining Division president. “It offers mines a uniquely intelligent approach based on open architecture to autonomously connect key mining ecosystems, such as exploration, planning, drill and blast, material movement and mine monitoring. “It’s the scalable, platform-agnostic answer to challenges previously addressed by point solutions and multiple vendors.”
HxGN LIVE Global visitors can learn more about the Power of One platform during this week’s Intelligent Mining Summit.
Ola Rollén, president and CEO of Hexagon, delivers the keynote address at HxGN LIVE 2022. (Photo: Hexagon)
Hexagon and Fujitsu announce strategic partnership
Hexagon’s Safety, Infrastructure & Geospatial division and Fujitsu Limited will partner to accelerate the development and promotion of use cases to solve societal challenges and contribute to the realization of the “Trusted Society” — a sustainable, resilient place where people can live together in peace and prosperity.
Hexagon and Fujitsu will work together to provide joint use cases leveraging digital-twin technologies and solutions from both companies, including sensors, data processing, data analysis and advanced data visualization in the cloud and high-performance computing infrastructure. The partners will deploy these technologies to develop joint solutions that deliver richer information and deeper insight to customers in government, the public sector, transportation and utilities to help reduce emissions, increase safety, optimize operations and more.
“Our goal at Fujitsu is to realize our vision for a ‘Trusted Society’,” said Yoshinami Takahashi, EVP and vice head of Global Solution Business Group, Fujitsu. “Partnering with Hexagon will allow us to extend our reach and provide even greater value to cities and regions around the world.”
“Cities are playing a leading role in solving global challenges, from addressing climate change to eliminating traffic fatalities,” said Steven Cost, president, Hexagon’s Safety, Infrastructure & Geospatial division. “Our partnership with Fujitsu can help cities put data to work to solve these pressing problems and meet sustainability and safety goals.”
The new global partnership builds from the companies’ work to solve urban sustainability challenges in Europe, including efforts to better manage and understand the impacts of shared mobility services in Germany, including a project with the City of Munich.
Hex-E, the Hexagon mascot, peruses a map during HxGN LIVE 2022. (Photo: Hexagon)
HxGN EAM asset management software leads in Green Quadrant
HxGN EAM from Hexagon’s Asset Lifecycle Intelligence division was named a leader in the enterprise asset management (EAM) market in the Green Quadrant: Enterprise Asset Management Software 2022 report from Verdantix.
Verdantix is an independent research and advisory firm with expertise in digital strategies.
HxGN EAM received the highest weighted score for the technical capabilities of the platform. The report assessed 14 EAM software vendors across their product functionality, user interface and market momentum.
Verdantix estimates that global spending on EAM will reach $5.4 billion in 2026, compared to $3.6 billion in 2021, and states that acquisitions and funding are reshaping the EAM market. This comes just after Hexagon’s $2.8 billion acquisition of Infor’s EAM software business to form HxGN EAM in 2021.
“HxGN EAM’s growth ambitions align with the market outlook and Hexagon’s vision to be the world leader in digital realities and autonomous solutions,” said Kevin Price, vice president, Enterprise Asset Management Portfolio Segment, Hexagon’s Asset Lifecycle Intelligence division. “Asset visibility is the first step in proactive maintenance and the prevention of the breakdown of critical functions, and we’re proud that HxGN EAM’s wide availability of services matches the growing needs of our customers. It’s an honor to be classified as a leader in the EAM market.”
Hex-E gets excited about his reflection at HxGN LIVE 2022. (Photo: Hexagon)
Hexagon Elite Awards recognize customers
Hexagon’s Asset Lifecycle Intelligence (formerly PPM) division announced the recipients of the 2022 Hexagon Elite Awards, which honor Asset Lifecycle Intelligence division customers who are champions of progress and innovation using Hexagon solutions.
“As we expand our portfolio and capabilities through acquisitions, our customers’ designs and animations using Hexagon solutions for this competition continue to amaze,” said David Cryer, Senior Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer, Hexagon’s Asset Lifecycle Intelligence division. “It’s an honor to recognize this year’s winners and we want to thank all of our customers who submitted entries.”
This year’s awards were presented in six categories:
Best in Design recognizes the most innovative and well-executed uses of Intergraph Smart 3D, Intergraph Smart Review and/or CADWorx: Fandy Maulana, Reformer Petrochemical Plant, PT Rekayasa Industri (Rekind).
Best in Automation rewards the most innovative automation ideas for Intergraph Smart 3D, Intergraph Smart P&ID, Intergraph Smart Electrical and/or Intergraph Smart Instrumentation: Petrobras – Surface Systems Engineering.
Best in Analysis recognizes innovative applications of CAESAR II, PV Elite and/or GT STRUDL that helped successfully complete a project and meet design and engineering goals: Chengwen Wang, Wuhuan Engineering Co. Ltd.
Best in Operations highlights customers who are true champions of progress and continue to move their company and industry forward in digital transformation in the Operations and Maintenance segments: Sudharshan Nambiar, Engineering Data Management – Systems, Petronas.
Best in Project Performance recognizes customers who use Asset Lifecycle Intelligence division and EcoSys solutions to successfully complete a project or improve project performance: Yann Guyot, Cost Control & Risk Management, Technip Energies.
Best in Procurement, Fabrication & Construction Management honors the most innovative and well-executed uses of the Asset Lifecycle Intelligence division’s PF&C solutions to successfully complete a project or move the company and industry forward in digital transformation: Jingwei Zhang and Zhifang Li, Zhengzhou Coal Mining Machinery Shuyun Intelligence Technology Co. Ltd.
Submissions for the 2023 Hexagon Elite Awards competition will be accepted starting Nov. 1.
Photo: Hexagon
Hexagon and Mineral Resources partner on automated road-train solution
Hexagon’s Autonomy & Positioning and Mining divisions announced the development of an automated road-train solution with mining services company Mineral Resources Limited (MRL). To be deployed on MRL’s haulage fleet, the solution integrates drive-by-wire technology with an autonomous management system to orchestrate vehicle movement in road-train haulage.
The automated road-train solution focuses on safety, productivity and sustainability for MRL operations and will be phased in over the next two years. Both companies are confident that progressive automation will profoundly change the safety and economics of mining where macroeconomic challenges, including commodity prices and labor shortages, impact the feasibility of projects.
The automated road-train solution improves the safety of long-range haulage, provides cost-efficiencies and reduces emissions to assist companies in lowering their carbon footprint. Beyond mining, this innovative solution will also benefit bulk haulage in many other off-road primary industries.
“Autonomous vehicles are revolutionizing the way we work today and into the future, and Hexagon is very proud to be part of this revolution,” said Ola Rollén, president and CEO of Hexagon. “Our agreement with MRL further solidifies Hexagon’s commitment to autonomous mobility and fulfilling our customer’s safety and productivity requirements.”
