Author: Tracy Cozzens

Galileo Control Segment upgrade ready for next launch

Galileo Control Centre in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany. (Photo: ESA)

News from the European Space Agency (ESA)

The 11th launch of Galileo satellites, planned for Dec. 1, marks an important program milestone. With an upgrade of the Galileo Control Segment (GCS), this will be the first launch where the satellites’ first steps into space will be overseen from the Galileo Control Centre in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany.

Up until now, the Launch and Early Operations Phase (LEOP) of Galileo satellites has been overseen from an external mission control site — either ESA’s ESOC control centre in Darmstadt, Germany, or French space agency CNES’s site in Toulouse, France.

The demanding upgrade of the GCS to Version 3.0 was performed by an industrial consortium led by GMV in Spain. The control segment encompasses the two Galileo Control Centres in Oberpfaffenhofen in Germany and Fucino in Italy, as well as six Telemetry, Tracking and Control (TT&C) ground stations used to monitor and command the 26 Galileo satellites in orbit.

As well as increasing overall reliability and cybersecurity, the new upgrade opens the way to significant expansion of the Galileo constellation, enabling oversight of up to 38 satellites.

Over the last three years, a complete technological refresh of the GCS software and hardware was done, including porting of software modules corresponding to several million lines of code, the deployment of equipment at many Galileo sites, and the execution of a rigorous level of testing throughout all elements comprising the system.

Commencing in mid-2018, the upgrade had to contend with the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic midway through its lifetime, but the team pushed on to conclude at the end of July. Since Aug. 4, it has been used to nominally operate all the satellites in the constellation.

The project was overseen by ESA in its System Prime role managing Galileo’s design, development, qualification and deployment of future upgrades on behalf of the European Commission, Galileo’s owner.

October 25, 2021
Orolia to acquire Seven Solutions for resilient PNT

Merger to deliver high-end performance and ultra-accurate timing and frequency products for commercial, critical infrastructure and defense markets worldwide

Orolia has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Seven Solutions, a global innovator in White Rabbit sub-nanosecond time transfer and synchronization technology. This transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and approvals required by the Spanish government and is expected to close before the end of the year.

This is Orolia’s 11th acquisition in the past seven years.

The merger with Seven Solutions, based in Granada, will enhance Orolia’s portfolio for defense, aerospace, data centers, telecom, financial services, smart grids and other critical infrastructure industries, and will enable the next-generation applications dependent on ultra-precise, resilient timing and frequency technology.

GPS World published an article about Seven Solutions and its White Rabbit technology in its October issue.

“Orolia and Seven Solutions under one umbrella will combine our world-leading technologies to draw a new frontier in network timing to sub-nanosecond levels, delivering the most robust and accurate resilient PNT solutions for our customers,” said Orolia CEO Jean-Yves Courtois. “Seven Solutions’ long history of delivering cutting-edge time distribution solutions to sectors like telecommunications, smart grids, aerospace, defense and scientific facilities aligns perfectly with Orolia’s DNA.”

Orolia and Seven Solutions will integrate global sales, marketing, product development and operations.

Orolia’s full-scale, modular approach to resilient PNT includes atomic clocks with a combination of GNSS signals protected with interference detection and mitigation technology, together with low-Earth-orbit secure alternative signals. The addition of Seven Solutions’ products will deliver terrestrial sub-nanosecond time distribution from distant and potentially redundant locations.

“We believe the union of our companies will produce the future of time transfer and frequency distribution solutions in terms of accuracy, reliability and interoperability,” said Rafael Rodriguez, chief technology officer and co-founder of Seven Solutions. “Finance, 5G telecommunications, data centers and hyperscalers have new and upgraded functionalities requiring ultra-accurate time distribution accuracy. To maximize interoperability, our solution for time transfer is based on the White Rabbit concept that has been pushed over the last decade to become the basis of the standard high accuracy time transfer profile (within the recent release of IEEE 1588 of precision time protocol).”

Orolia and Seven Solutions are members of the Open PNT Industry Alliance. The international organization focuses on market concepts that strengthen economic and national security by supporting government efforts to implement resilient PNT capabilities for critical infrastructure.

October 25, 2021
STMicroelectronics introduces automotive-qualified GNSS module

Photo: STMicroelectronics

STMicroelectronics has introduced the Teseo-VIC3DA, the latest member of the Teseo module family, designed for vehicle positioning.

Teseo-VIC3DA combines ST’s high-performing Automotive Teseo III GNSS IC with the automotive 6-axis MEMS inertial measurement unit (IMU) and dead reckoning software to create a convenient, automotive-qualified navigation module. The module enables competitively priced in-car navigation, fleet-management, and insurance-monitoring applications.

The automotive Teseo III GNSS IC at the heart of the system is proven in high-end systems and is already highly regarded for its accuracy and efficiency. With multi-constellation awareness, Teseo III offers robust positioning capabilities by simultaneously receiving signals from GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, BeiDou and QZSS constellations.

The ST 6-axis automotive-grade MEMS IC introduces super-high-resolution motion tracking in advanced vehicle navigation and telematics applications.

With the combination of ST’s Teseo III, IMU and dead reckoning, the Teseo-VIC3DA ensures extremely accurate positioning performance in critical environments such as tunnels, beneath structures such as bridges or multi-level highways, in covered areas such as underground parking lots, and in urban canyons between tall buildings.

The Teseo-VIC3DA module operates from 3.3V, helping to simplify system integration, and has a standby mode that draws just 17 µA to minimize demand on the vehicle’s electrical supply. Containing a highly accurate integrated temperature compensated crystal oscillator, the module achieves excellent accuracy of 1.5 m circular error probability for typical automotive use cases. In addition, a dedicated real-time clock oscillator helps ensure fast time to first fix.

Coming with firmware pre-loaded onto built-in flash memory, the Teseo-VIC3DA can be updated with new firmware as necessary using the free Teseo-Suite software. Teseo-VIC3DA can provide up to 30Hz dead-reckoning fix-rate and has very low latency to reduce the UART-channel jitter. Teseo-VIC3DA can autonomously work with and without odometer information.

The Teseo-VIC3DA is tested and certified by ST according to the EU’s Radio Equipment Directive, applicable ETSI standards, and EN safety standards, helping customers achieve mandatory product-level approvals quickly and efficiently. A standalone, USB-powered evaluation platform, EVB-VIC3DA, is available to jump-start development.

The Teseo-VIC3DA is in production now and supplied in a 16 x 12.2 x 2.42 mm 24-pin LCC package.

October 25, 2021
TUM Autonomous Motorsport wins Indy Autonomous Challenge

TUM Autonomous Motorsport preps its autonomous vehicle. (Photo: Indy Autonomous Challenge)

TUM Autonomous Motorsport from the Technische Universität München (TUM) won on Saturday the Indy Autonomous Challenge Powered by Cisco, the first autonomous racecar competition at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

TUM competed in a field of nine teams from 21 universities to win the $1 million grand prize.

Rules of the IAC competition required each team to compete in a fastest-lap competition that included an obstacle avoidance component. The winning team recorded the fastest two-lap average speed of 135.944 mph on the famed oval track.

“Participating in the Indy Autonomous Challenge allowed our team to advance autonomous driving technologies, and being able to take first place after two years of hard work acknowledges that we had an outstanding team,” said Alex Wischnewski, team leader of TUM Autonomous Motorsport. “Our next goal is to win a high-speed autonomous head-to-head race.”

Organized by Energy Systems Network and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the primary goal of the IAC is to advance technology that can speed the commercialization of fully autonomous vehicles and deployments of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS).

These enhancements will lead to increased safety and performance in motorsports, as well as all modes of commercial transportation. The competition also serves as a platform for students to excel in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and inspire the next generation of innovators.

In addition to thousands of attendees at the IMS, and more than 20,000 viewers on the AWS livestream, the IAC hosted 350 high school STEM students representing more than 50 urban, rural and suburban school districts across Indiana.

October 25, 2021
US Coast Guard Nav Center warns of GPS rollover concern

Image: Infadel/
iStock/Getty Images Plus/Getty Images

The U.S. Coast Guard has issued a statement on a possible GPS software bug that could send systems back to 2002.

The potential vulnerability may cause an event of the “GPS Week Number Rollover” type to occur within systems utilizing Network Timing Protocol Daemon (NTPD) and GPS Daemon (GPSD) software.

On Oct. 24, a bug in older versions of the software may trigger the system date to roll back to sometime in March 2002. All systems running the most recent software update, version 3.23.1 (released Sept. 21) should be unaffected.

While this is not a problem with GPS, this has the potential to cause significant impact, the Coast Guard stated. All networks operating are encouraged to verify that they are using the most recent version (3.23.1) and report any problems to the Navigation Center watch by phone 703-313-5900 or by email at [email protected].

October 25, 2021
CGI to develop 5G for UAV positioning for ESA

Image: KENGKAT/iStock/Getty Images Plus/Getty Images

CGI has been awarded a contract by the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop a proof of concept to enhance the navigational capabilities of airspace users in areas where traditional navigation systems alone cannot provide sufficient performance.

Future aircraft, such as UAVs and innovative air mobility solutions, will need to safely operate beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) within cities and other built-up areas, where GNSS signals are often disrupted.

The concept being developed by CGI and its partners leverages 5G networks, alongside traditional navigation systems, to provide hybrid-positioning solutions. In addition to secure communications for command and control of vehicles, and delivery of high-quality streaming video for BVLOS operations, 5G networks can also be used as a source for navigational data that will improve the accuracy, integrity and availability beyond that which satellite navigation systems alone can provide. The service will also offer greater resilience against natural or intentional disruption of positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) services.

“The UK is a leading innovator in aerospace and GNSS technology. It’s great to see the team developing resilient PNT solutions for aerospace leveraging existing communication infrastructure,” said Andy Proctor, UK Lead Delegate to the ESA Programme Board for Navigation & PNT Innovation lead at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). “The 5G-PNT project will enable and promote future aviation applications in the UK and globally, especially in the fast-growing future air mobility sector that will enable wider economic growth in many key sectors.”

“This exciting project brings together PNT and mission-critical systems integration expertise to advance the enabling technologies for future navigation applications,” John Hanley, Senior Vice President for UK & Australia Secure and Assured Space Solutions at CGI said. “The challenges posed by PNT service disruption have become a significant concern for operators and regulators and this project will help improve navigation capabilities to support both this challenge and further development of the aerospace sector.”

CGI will work with ESA, u-blox, the Advanced Communication, Mobile Technology and IoT (ACMI) Research Centre at the University of Sussex and air navigation service provider NATS, to define use cases and system requirements for a 5G-based complement to existing GNSS receivers. This hybrid navigation solution will be targeted at installation on any air vehicles intended to operate within the coverage of commercial 5G networks.

The project will culminate in a real-world demonstration of the technology, comparing its performance to that offered by GNSS alone.

October 25, 2021
Indy Autonomous Challenge livestreams Saturday

Photo: IAC

Autonomous racecar competition takes place at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

The Indy Autonomous Challenge will be livestreamed on Oct. 23 through Amazon Web Services for viewers worldwide. Teams from 21 universities from nine countries will compete for the $1 million grand prize, which will be used to advance the education and research missions of the winning universities.

Livestreaming begins at 1 p.m. EDT and can be viewed on the IAC website homepage and on Twitch @IndyAChallenge.

“Due to the generous support of Amazon Web Services (AWS), we will have a global audience for the first autonomous high-speed competition at the Racing Capital of the World — the Indianapolis Motor Speedway,” said Paul Mitchell, president and CEO, Energy Systems Network, co-organizer of the IAC. “This is critically important as the IAC is a global competition having involved at its inception 41 universities from around the world.”

Organized by Energy Systems Network and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the primary goal of the IAC is to advance technologies that can speed the commercialization of fully autonomous vehicles and deployments of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS). These enhancements will lead to increased safety and performance in motorsports as well as all modes of transportation.

In addition, the competition is a platform for students to excel in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and inspire the next generation of innovators.

October 21, 2021
Video celebrates 10 years of Galileo

A new video celebrates the first decade of Europe’s satellite navigation system Galileo, which celebrates its 10-year anniversary on Oct. 21.

Galileo delivers meter-level accuracy anywhere on Earth. It is also saving lives, by relaying distress calls for search and rescue. Today, 26 Galileo satellites orbit 23,222 km above the Earth. The first was launched on Oct. 21, 2011; nine more launches followed to create the constellation.

The satellites in space are supported by a globe-spanning ground segment. The system as a whole is set to grow, with the first dozen Batch 3 about to join the current satellites in orbit and Galileo Second Generation satellites in development.

Galileo is financed by the European Union and developed by the European Space Agency. Services are delivered by the EU Agency for the Space Programme.

Illustration: Thales Alenia Space

October 21, 2021
Speakers, program announced for Geo Week conference
125+ speakers and 50+ sessions are confirmed for the 2022 edition of Geo Week in Denver

Organizers of Geo Week, which brings together geospatial technologies and the built world, have announced its conference sessions and speakers for the 2022 event, which will take place Feb. 6-8 in Denver, Colorado.

The conference program features more than 125 speakers across 50 sessions with content that explores best practices in 3D capture, working in the built environment, gaining return on investment (ROI) from building information management (BIM), defining what’s possible now with lidar, and more.

The coming together of AEC Next Technology Expo & Conference, International Lidar Mapping Forum, and SPAR 3D Expo & Conference to form Geo Week reflects the increased integration between the built environment, advanced airborne/terrestrial technologies, and commercial 3D technologies.

Partner events taking place in conjunction with Geo Week include ASPRS Annual Conference, MAPPS Winter Meeting and USIBD Annual Symposium, ensuring the presence of geospatial and built-world industry experts in one place.

Presenters represent Autodesk, Esri, USGS, The Beck Group, Hexagon Geosystems, GM, Caltrans, Velodyne Lidar, Draper, MLB and NASA. These experts will share their expertise on a range of topics. Sessions include:
Geo Week will have multiple tracks with content clearly identified as relevant to one or more of the audience groups feeding into Geo Week.
- The International Lidar Mapping Forum (ILMF) audience has historically been comprised of precision measurement professionals in surveying and mapping who use airborne and terrestrial lidar and related remote sensing technologies.
- The AEC Next audience has historically been comprised of professionals in architecture, engineering and construction that use technologies such as reality capture, automation, artificial intelligence and XR to bid and manage projects and improve workflows.
- The SPAR 3D audience has historically been comprised of professionals who use 3D capture, scanning, visualization and modeling technologies across a variety of verticals.
“We’ve witnessed the growing convergence between geospatial and the built world,” said Lee Corkhill, group event director at Diversified Communications, organizer of Geo Week. “We believe the market is ready and eager for this next step of leveraging the confluence of technologies for improved collaboration, increased efficiency, and better outcomes. Much of the conference content and technology being showcased will reflect and support this increasing integration. At the same time, we recognize that individuals and organizations are at differing levels of adoption, and so there will be ample content more focused on what were traditional AEC Next, ILMF and SPAR 3D topics.”

Geo Week will provide education, technology and resources for professionals in industries including AEC, asset and facility management, disaster and emergency response, Earth observation and satellite applications, energy and utilities, infrastructure and transportation, land and natural resource management, mining and aggregates, surveying and mapping, and urban planning and smart cities.

More than 80 companies have confirmed booths on the Exhibition Floor with additional companies being confirmed every week and more than 100 associations and media companies are signed on as supporters.

Geo Week takes place Feb. 6-8, 2022, with conference programming and exhibits all three days. Additional features of the programming are vendor-delivered product reviews, exhibition theaters, workshops and programming hosted by ASPRS, MAPPS and USIBD. Visit www.geo-week.com for more information on attending or exhibiting. Register before Dec, 10 for early bird rates.
October 21, 2021
QZSS successor satellite set to launch Tuesday

UPDATE: Because of bad weather, the launch is now scheduled for Oct. 26 (Oct. 25, 18:45 p.m. PT).

The launch of the “QZS-1R”, the replacement for QZS-1 by H-IIA No. 44 scheduled for Oct. 25 is postponed as a result of weather assessment. New launch date is Oct. 26. #H2AF44

— MHI Launch Services (@MHI_LS) October 23, 2021

A successor to the first Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) satellite is planned for launch from the Tanegashima Space Center on Monday, Oct. 25, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Japan Standard Time (2-3 a.m. UTC).

Michibiki Unit 1 was launched on Sept. 11, 2010, and entered its quasi-zenith orbit 10 days later. QZSS began service in November 2018 with four satellites. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) plans to have seven satellites aloft by 2023.

The satellite, designated QZS-1R, will be carried aboard H-IIA rocket No. 44. The QZSS launch will be streamed live. The broadcast program will begin at 10:35 a.m. JST.

Local launch times

Houston: Sunday, October 24, 21:00
New York: Sunday, October 24, 22:00
London: Monday, October 25, 03:00
UAE: Monday, October 25, 06:00
Singapore: Monday, October 25, 10:00

More information on the launch is available at the QZSS site and rocket maker Mitubishi Heavy Industries site.

To follow upcoming GNSS satellite launches, see our launch table, provided by Innovation editor Richard Langley.

H-IIA Launch Vehicle No. 44 at the Yoshinobu Vehicle Assembly Building, JAXA Tanegashima Space Center. in preparation for launch of the successor to the Michibiki Unit 1 on Oct. 25. (Photo: MHI)

Shinichi Nakasuka, professor at the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Engineering and member of the Cabinet Office Space Policy Committee, released the following statement about the upcoming launch.

“Three years after the full operation of the four-machine Michibiki started in 2018, as the chairman of the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System Business Promotion Committee of the Cabinet Office, we strive to ensure the reliable operation and expansion of the use of this world-class system.

“I feel that high-precision positioning and two-way communication services in the event of a disaster, which cannot be achieved by GPS alone, are gradually taking root as social infrastructure. In modern society, the provision of highly accurate position and time is exactly the infrastructure that is indispensable as the ‘nerve network’ of society.

“To make that more reliable, the successor to the first machine, which pioneered this system, is about to be launched. We pray for the success of the launch and satellite operation, and hope that the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System will become more and more established in society, and that many people will be able to use this system for various purposes, including business.”

October 20, 2021
Senate proposes $15M to develop GPS alternatives
This week Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released that body’s version of nine different appropriations bills. The accompanying report for the bill to fund the Transportation Department (DOT) outlines the Senate’s intentions and way forward for establishing alternatives to GPS.

The report provides $15 million for the fiscal year that began on the first of October “to establish a program that leads to wide adoption of multiple technologies that provide the necessary GPS backup and complementary PNT as identified by the Department’s report.”

The department report referenced was on a demonstration project that examined GPS backup and complementary technologies from 11 different vendors. That DOT report found, based on the technologies demonstrated, a combination of signals delivered from space, terrestrial low frequency (LF) and ultra-high frequency (UHF) broadcasts, and fiber would best meet the nation’s needs.

The Senate report accompanying the funding bill outlines components of the GPS alternatives program, including:
- development of safety-critical PNT requirements and standards,
- user adoption models to facilitate responsible use of resilient PNT, and
- procurement of services deemed appropriate by the department.
The Senate Committee report can be found here. Relevant provisions are on page 12.

Services Contracts

While not setting a deadline for issuance of a Request for Proposal, the mention of procuring services is seen by many as a strong indication that Congress expects more than just additional studies.

Services contracts, as opposed to the government building its own system, have long been advocated by numerous members of industry and by the Resilient Navigation and Timing Foundation. Contracting for services with commercial providers is a better model, they have argued, as the needed technologies are mature and commercially available. Also, issuing one or more services contracts would avoid the need for the huge funding lines and lengthy delays inherent in a government major systems acquisition.

Many have suggested that services contracts would also be a much more economical approach for the government. They say commercial interests can operate their systems more efficiently, and that they could offer additional services to other customers, potentially reducing costs to the government.

ADS-B Sets Example

Such an approach was used by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the ADS-B air traffic safety and management system. The FAA needed to monitor and use signals from ADS-B equipment aboard a wide variety of aircraft flying in U.S. airspace. Rather than building a nation-wide ground infrastructure, the FAA issued a long-term service contract for a company to collect and provide the signals. The awardee, Exelis (now L3Harris), won the contract, built the infrastructure, and now provides ADS-B information to the FAA and others on a subscription basis.

Most observers expect the portions of the Senate bill and report about the GPS alternatives program to be adopted in conference with the House and then enacted into law.

How far the Department of Transportation will be able to develop the program this fiscal year remains to be seen. The Senate provisions do require DOT to report on its progress in a year’s time. Earlier informal reports and updates to the committee are likely to inform funding and other legislation on this effort for fiscal year 2023.

Dana A. Goward is President of the Resilient Navigation and Timing Foundation
October 20, 2021
RUAG Space partners with UAE’s MBRSC on satnav services

The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center builds and operates Earth observation satellites. (Photo: MBRSC)

The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center (MBRSC) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will use a RUAG Space GNSS navigation receiver to determine the position of its new satellite. Founded in 2006, MBRSC is home to the UAE National Space Program.

RUAG Space’s LEORIX receiver will precisely determine the satellite’s position in orbit, with an accuracy of about 1 meter. The high accuracy is achieved through simultaneously processing of multi-frequency signals from GPS and Galileo satellites.

The LEORIX receiver from RUAG Space. (Photo: RUAG Space)

Based in Switzerland, RUAG Space offers three types of space-hardened navigation receivers. The LEORIX for low Earth orbit, the GEORIX for geostationary Earth orbit and the PODRIX for precise orbit determination are all based on the European Space Agency’s latest GNSS processing technology.

The PODRIX receiver had its maiden flight to space in November 2020 and precisely determines the position of the European environmental satellite Sentinel-6. The LEORIX receiver flew for the first time in space in March 2021. In total, more than 80 receivers of the latest receiver generation (LEORIX, GEORIX and PODRIX) have been ordered by customers in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the United States. They will be launched for different low-Earth and geostationary orbit missions within the next months and years.

The MBRSC builds and operates Earth observation satellites, offering imaging and data analysis services to clients around the world. The center launched the first Emirati-made satellite, KhalifaSat, in 2018, and the DubaiSat-1 and DubaiSat-2 satellites in 2009 and 2013 respectively. MBRSC is also responsible for the Emirates Mars Mission Hope probe, the first Arab interplanetary mission, which is collecting data from the Red Planet.

October 19, 2021