GPS World

Tag: European Union Agency for the Space Programme

  • Thales Alenia Space secures contract to extend EGNOS service life

    Thales Alenia Space secures contract to extend EGNOS service life

    Thales Alenia Space — a joint venture between Thales and Leonardo — has secured a €51 million ($56 million) contract from the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) to extend the operational life of the European Satellite-Based Augmentation System (EGNOS).

    Named Life Extension Phase 1 (LIFEX), this contract will ensure that EGNOS V2 continues to provide reliable, secure and high-performance navigation services for Europe’s aviation, maritime, land transport, mapping and agricultural sectors beyond 2028.

    EGNOS system is designed to enhance the accuracy, reliability and integrity of positioning signals by improving the performance of GNSS, such as GPS and, in the future, Galileo. As part of this contract, Thales Alenia Space will address EGNOS V2 critical system upgrades and infrastructure improvements, reinforcing the system’s resilience and operational durability. These updates will focus on enhancing security measures, modernizing components, and ensuring the ongoing reliability of EGNOS’s Safety of Life Service, which plays a key role in aviation, enabling accurate approaches at European airports without requiring ground guidance systems. Operational since 2011, this service has significantly improved operational safety and efficiency for the greater benefit of European operators.

  • Orolia Skydel will support Galileo OSNMA

    Orolia Skydel will support Galileo OSNMA

     

    Image: Orolia
    Image: Orolia

    Orolia, a Safran Electronics and Defense company, announced its Skydel GNSS simulation engine will support Galileo Open Service Navigation Message Authentication (OSNMA) simulation in the form of two-phased and separate solutions. These solutions will be available to users who have purchased simulation access to the Galileo constellation, which will be available in the next few months.

    OSNMA is an emerging authentication service that allows GNSS receivers to verify the authenticity of received data to protect against potential jamming or spoofing attacks that can result in service disruptions, denial incidents and more.

    The first solution is well-suited for most receiver integrators that want to test the OSNMA capability of a GNSS receiver with the official test vectors from the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA). This solution will support the available official test vectors sample data, which supports the verification of OSNMA functionality implementation.

    The second option will provide full flexibility in the configuration of the scenario as well as the OSNMA authentication parameters. It will be suitable for advanced users that test receivers in a wide range of edge and corner cases.

    Available later in 2023, this phase will include the following elements in Skydel: authentication of the Galileo E1 OS navigation message, a new Skydel engine supporting OSNMA SIS ICD 1.0, support for the timed efficient stream loss-tolerant authentication protocol, and useful crypto material for running user-programmable simulation test scenarios.

    This feature will be ready for future software updates in accordance with the next phases recommended by EUPSA.

  • Eos Positioning Systems GNSS receiver supports Galileo HAS

    Eos Positioning Systems GNSS receiver supports Galileo HAS

    Image: Eos Positioning Systems
    Image: Eos Positioning Systems

    Eos Positioning Systems has released its Arrow Gold+ GNSS receiver, which supports the Galileo high-accuracy service (HAS). Arrow Gold+ enables users to achieve better than 20 cm accuracy with 95% confidence using Galileo HAS.

    The Arrow Gold+ is one of the first high-accuracy GNSS receivers that supports Galileo HAS and is designed specifically for the geographic information systems market. Additional signal support for Arrow Gold+ includes: the concurrent use of the BeiDou B3 and GPS L5 signals as well as GLONASS, BeiDou, QZSS and IRNSS signals.

    Galileo HAS is a differential correction service from the European Space Agency and European Union Agency for the Space Programme. The service became available on January 24, and it is the first global differential correction service to provide sub-meter accuracy to compatible GNSS receivers anywhere in the world.

    For more information on the Arrow Gold+ click here.

  • GMV to develop Galileo second-gen test bed

    GMV to develop Galileo second-gen test bed

    Image: GMV
    Image: GMV

    GMV has been selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) to develop the Galileo second-generation system test bed (G2STB). The G2STB will provide ESA with a key system verification and validation facility in support of its role as Galileo system development prime, enabling a wide range of Galileo system monitoring, troubleshooting, prototyping and experimentation activities.

    GMV will deliver four G2STB versions over five years. Among these modules, the G2 high accuracy service (HAS) data generator and monitor aims to improve the Galileo HAS that was declared operational in January.

    Other early capabilities of the G2STB include an upgraded orbit determination and time synchronization facility — capable of processing inter-satellite link data, a time service monitoring module, an integrity support message generator, a signal authentication service, an authentication validation module, an emergency warning service module, an ISL simulator and a G2G message composer.

    The G2STB project aims for a smooth transition from the Galileo first-generation to the second-generation, building onto the G1G legacy system tools. The G2STB is one of the key infrastructure elements that ESA is developing for the correct functioning of the Galileo second-generation satellites.

    The G2STB will eventually replace and upgrade the capabilities of the two first-generation facilities, the Galileo system evaluation equipment and the time and geodetic validation facility (TGVF-X). The latter, developed and operated by GMV over the last decade, has played a key role in monitoring the Galileo signals and system validation activities during the Galileo exploitation phase. The TGVF-X is also contributing to the early validation of new capabilities and elements being rolled out in recent and upcoming Galileo System updates.

    In parallel to the development phase, the G2STB will help upgrade the network of Galileo experimental sensor stations to process new signals and capabilities to ensure the availability of a G2-capable, worldwide, multi-constellation network of receivers and bit-grabbers — independent from the operational Galileo sensor stations.

  • Galileo signal component successfully tested for IoT use

    Galileo signal component successfully tested for IoT use

    One Galileo satellite has been reconfigured to emit a new signal component optimized to serve low-end receiver devices and internet of things (IoT) applications. According to the European Space Agency (ESA), GSAT0202, in elliptical orbit, was reconfigured in January to transmit the new signal, also known as the G1 E5 Quasi Pilot.

    The G1 E5 Quasi Pilot in the E5 band lies along a narrow part of the overall Galileo signal, intended to enable streamlined positioning fixes requiring less calculation — without affecting the E1 and E6 signal bands, on which Galileo also transmits. The initial receiver test showed that the signal component has the potential to reduce the signal acquisition time by a factor of three compared to the current GPS L5 or Galileo E5a signals.

    Image: ESA
    Image: ESA

    Once GSAT0202 was reconfigured, signal measurements were collected using the high-gain antenna installations from the Galileo in-orbit test facility, which confirmed the stability of the augmented signal. After G1 E5 Quasi Pilot was broadcast, it was successfully acquired and tracked by a set of receivers.

    Airbus Defense and Space, Thales Alenia Space Italy, the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), the European Commission, and Spaceopal supported this test.

    The other elliptical Galileo satellite, GSAT0201, will also be reconfigured after further testing. Selected chipset manufacturers will be involved in the testing under supervision of EUSPA. The test results will be evaluated at the Galileo Programme level, to eventually introduce G1 E5 Quasi Pilot into the constellation.

    Image: ESA
    Image: ESA

  • Thales wins €100M EGNOS maintenance contract

    Thales wins €100M EGNOS maintenance contract

    Fabian Gysel/iStock/Getty Images Plus/Getty Images
    Fabian Gysel/iStock/Getty Images Plus/Getty Images

    Thales Alenia Space has signed a contract worth more than €100 million with the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) to provide maintenance for version 2 of EGNOS (European Geostationary Navigation Overlay System) for four years.

    Thales Alenia Space is a joint company between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%).

    EGNOS enhances the accuracy, reliability and integrity of positioning signals by improving the performance of GNSS. For instance, the EGNOS safety-of-life service is used in aviation for landings, enabling precision approaches at European airports without requiring ground guidance systems. The service has significantly improved operational safety and efficiency for European aviation.

    Thales Alenia Space will build on its expertise in engineering, development, testing and maintenance of the existing EGNOS, along with its current development of EGNOS V2, to provide maintenance of the EGNOS V2 system for EUSPA and the European Union satellite navigation community from 2023 to 2026.

    Thales Alenia Space will provide operational support and servicing in case of incidents — especially hardware and software troubleshooting and repairs — to deliver optimal 24/7 support for EGNOS. In addition, it will provide the upgraded or modified versions needed to ensure safety-of-life service.

  • EUSPA’s 2nd Horizon Call seeks projects for GNSS, Earth observation

    EUSPA’s 2nd Horizon Call seeks projects for GNSS, Earth observation

    EUSPA logoEurope’s 2nd Horizon Europe call has been launched for European GNSS, Galileo and Earth observation projects, offering total funding of €48.1 million.

    The Horizon program is managed by the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA). It funds research and innovation by small and mid-size enterprises, academia, public actors and others that will stimulate development of space applications and solutions using EUSPA data and services.

    The 2nd call aims to to strengthen downstream capabilities and modernize the EU public sector by offering cutting-edge solutions based on Galileo, Copernicus, EGNOS and GOVSATCOM.

    Funding is being offered for projects that make use of Galileo and EGNOS in smart mobility applications. Other projects fuse Copernicus data with artificial intelligence to boost the European economy and help modernize the public sector. For the first time, the call seeks to deliver satellite communication use cases based on the forthcoming GOVSATCOM system.

    Below is a breakdown of the funds’ distribution per thematic area.

    Visit the EU’s funding & tender opportunities portal for detailed information about the EUSPA call and the topics available. The deadline for applications is March 2, 2023.

  • SANGENE project uses GNSS passive radar for obstacle detection

    SANGENE project uses GNSS passive radar for obstacle detection

    M3 Systems logo

    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.

  • EUSPA releases Info Note on Galileo authentication service

    EUSPA releases Info Note on Galileo authentication service

    An Info Note has been published with analytical information on the Galileo Open Service – Navigation Message Authentication (OSNMA). The note is available on the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) website or through the European GNSS Service Centre. To contribute to the detection of GNSS jamming and spoofing attacks, EUSPA together with the European Commission is testing OSNMA.

    This forthcoming service is an authentication mechanism that allows Open Service users to verify the authenticity of GNSS information, making sure that the data they receive is indeed from Galileo and has not been modified in any way.

    OSNMA is authenticating data for geolocation information from the Open Service through the Navigation Message (I/NAV) broadcast on the E1-B signal component. This is realized by transmitting authentication-specific data in previously reserved fields of the E1 I/NAV message. By using these previously reserved fields, OSNMA does not introduce any overlay to the system, thus the OS navigation performance remains untouched.

    Authentication is set to further strengthen service robustness by increasing the capability of detecting spoofing events. However, it should be kept in mind that authentication does not prevent the occurrence of such an event, and does not protect against jamming. Nonetheless, this added layer of protection proposes to be one step ahead of evolving technological trends by amplifying the service’s overall robustness and resilience.