GPS World

Tag: EUSPA

  • GMV to oversee GOVSATCOM hub for EU satellite communications initiative

    GMV to oversee GOVSATCOM hub for EU satellite communications initiative

    Photo: GMV
    Photo: GMV

    The European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) has awarded a contract to a consortium led by GMV to design, develop and deploy the communications hub for the Governmental Satellite Communications (GOVSATCOM) programme. This contract, valued at up to €107 million ($119 million), is a critical component of the European Union (EU) satellite communications initiative.

    GOVSATCOM is one of the five main components of the EU Space Programme, alongside Copernicus, Galileo, EGNOS and Space Situational Awareness. Its primary objective is to provide secure and cost-efficient satellite communication services to authorized governmental users in EU Member States.

    The program aims to support various scenarios, including crisis management, border and maritime surveillance, critical infrastructure management and security operations in polar regions.

    The communications hub is a critical element of the GOVSATCOM architecture. Its main functions include:

    • Ensuring optimal delivery of satellite communication services
    • Meeting the demand for operational services from EU Member State users
    • Planning for predefined medium-term communication needs
    • Handling dynamic and urgent requests from unforeseen scenarios
    • Operating under strict security and resilience requirements

    The hub will manage satellite communication resources from EU Member States and services provided by the EU’s future multi-orbital secure communications constellation, IRIS2.

    The consortium led by GMV includes Indra and Hisdesat. The contract was awarded following a competitive bidding process involving pre-selection consortia and execution of parallel contracts for preliminary design and capability demonstrations.

  • New Galileo satellites declared operational

    New Galileo satellites declared operational

    Galileo satellites 29 and 30 have reached their target positions at an altitude of 23,222 km and are now fully operational three months after being launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, by SpaceX. These new additions to the Galileo constellation are now active and provide navigation signals to users.

    Both satellites have been positioned on the same orbital plane, one of three that comprise the Galileo constellation. With this latest addition, two of the three Galileo orbital planes are fully populated, bringing the constellation close to completion. The next Galileo launch is planned in the coming weeks from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida onboard a SpaceX Falcon 9.

    The Galileo Service Operator, supported by a team of approximately 30 satellite experts from the European Space Agency (ESA) and satellite manufacturer OHB, conducted early operations at the Galileo Control Centre in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany, under supervision from the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA). Following the initial operations, the satellites entered a drift phase, during which ground teams guided them to their final positions, which was reached on June 24.

    On August 21, 2024, ESA, OHB and payload manufacturer SSTL evaluated the in-orbit test results, confirming that the satellites had not experienced any degradation during launch. ESA, in collaboration with EUSPA, then validated the satellites’ performance at the system level.

  • Galileo prepares for upcoming OSNMA operational declaration

    Galileo prepares for upcoming OSNMA operational declaration

    Photo: EUSPA
    Photo: EUSPA

    The European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) has completed the testing of the Galileo Open Service Navigation Message Authentication (OSNMA) and is now gearing up for its operational launch.

    Galileo, similar to any other GNSS, is used by many critical applications in transportation, finance, telecommunications, information technology, energy, utilities, manufacturing, health services, emergency services and law enforcement.

    However, the rise in spoofing attacks, which can disrupt these services, has prompted the development of OSNMA. This capability, integrated into the Galileo infrastructure by EUSPA, the European Commission (EC), and the European Space Agency (ESA), aims to enhance the security of GNSS signals.

    The OSNMA Public Observation phase began in November 2021, supported by the release of the Signal in Space Interface Control Document (SIS ICD) and the Receiver Guidelines, which facilitated early testing of OSNMA receivers worldwide. Since then, users have reported that the OSNMA signal has been transmitted by Galileo satellites with high stability and performance.

    In December 2022, EUSPA and the EC published the OSNMA SIS ICD and Receiver Guidelines for the service phase, with further updates released between October 2023 and January 2024. Additionally, the OSNMA Internet Data Distribution (IDD) ICD was published in July 2023 and updated in January 2024, alongside the operational cryptographic material. The OSNMA signal has been transmitted following these specifications since August 2023.

    According to EUSPA, Testing activities by industry and public actors have confirmed the readiness of the service, with the latest cryptographic material published by EUSPA in January 2024. This material and necessary certificates are available through the EUSPA and GSC websites for the Initial Service provision phase.

    The testing activities concluded in early June 2024 with the execution of cryptographic keychain renewal and revocation processes. The program is now preparing for the OSNMA Initial Service declaration, which will include an EC communication, the publication of the OSNMA Service Definition Document (SDD) and the transition of the OSNMA Status Flag from “test” to “operational” following a process similar to that used in 2023 for the Galileo High Accuracy Service (HAS) Declaration. According to EUSPA, a dedicated Galileo Service Notice will soon be published to announce the conclusion of the testing activities of the Public Observation Phase.

  • SpaceX successfully launches Galileo GNSS satellites

    SpaceX successfully launches Galileo GNSS satellites

    Photo: SpaceX
    Photo: SpaceX

    On April 27, 2024 the SpaceX Falcon 9 medium-lift launch vehicle launched into orbit Galileo satellites GM25 and FM27 from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This was Falcon 9’s 20th and final launch.

    The EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) confirmed in a statement that it is now in the Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP) stage of the two new L12 Galileo satellites. They will join the current Galileo operational fleet in the upcoming months. The latest batch of Galileo satellites are being operated by EUSPA and the Galileo Service Operator for the Early Orbit Phase (EOP).

    The EUSPA operations team, through its Galileo Service Operations provider, took over the satellite operations as the satellites were separated from the launch vehicle and their automated initialization sequence started. Telemetry has been successfully acquired, their solar panels deployed and the batteries are charging, bringing the satellites to what is called the Holding Point, according to EUSPA.

    The EOP is a vital step in a space mission, running through the gradual activation and testing of platform satellite components, once in orbit. From the Galileo Control Centre in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany, the dedicated LEOP team will navigate the satellites to their designated orbit within the coming days. Following rigorous in-orbit testing and commissioning, the satellites will integrate into Galileo’s operational constellation at 23,220 km.

    The mission is a collaboration between the European Commission, which lead the management of Galileo; EUSPA, which manages operations and services with the support of the Galileo service operator (SpaceOpal); and the European Space Agency (ESA), which serves as the design authority, responsible for development.

  • EUSPA launches EGNOS Safety of Life Assisted Service

    EUSPA launches EGNOS Safety of Life Assisted Service

    Image: EUSPA
    Image: EUSPA

    The European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS), Europe’s regional satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS), has added Safety of Life Assisted Service (ESMAS) for maritime users. 

     Designed to complement ground-based augmented signals, ESMAS aims to add a layer of protection against GNSS signal errors while increasing signal accuracy and ensuring integrity. 

     While GNSS remains the primary means of obtaining positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) information while at sea, users in the maritime realm generally employ augmentation services provided by ground-based technologies such as Differential Global Navigation Satellite System (DGNSS), which correct GNSS errors to provide more accurate positioning information. 

    ESMAS is delivered via existing EGNOS space-based and ground-based facilities and does not require any additional infrastructure. It is well-positioned to support navigation on the open sea and in coastal waters, covering harbor approaches and entrances. 

     ESMAS is provided openly and is accessible without any direct charge. It is available via all satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS) enabled GNSS receivers developed following International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards. With such a receiver, users can navigate with increased accuracy and get GNSS error warnings. 

    EGNOS also interfaces with NAVAREA coordinators to provide timely maritime safety information (MSI), including navigation warnings and other urgent safety-related messages that are broadcast to ships through conventional channels. 

    According to Rodrigo da CostaDa Costa, EUSPA executive director, ESMAS is targeted towards aiding merchant vessels, but it is also available to all other SOLAS-conforming vessels from EU Member member States states and EGNOS contributing countries, including Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. Unlike other EGNOS services — which are delivered by European Satellite Services Provider (ESSP) under contract with EUSPA, ESMAS is to be delivered directly by EUSPA. 

  • EU to launch Galileo-based emergency alert system

    EU to launch Galileo-based emergency alert system

    Image: EUSPA
    Image: EUSPA

    The European Union Agency for the Space Program (EUSPA) has published a technical document detailing the main characteristics of the new Galileo Emergency Warning Satellite Service (EWSS).

    According to the document, Galileo satellites will transmit emergency warning messages directly to Galileo-enabled smartphones and other navigation devices. The satellites will offer information related to the hazard, such as type, severity, expected onset and duration, as well as the location of the affected area and instructions to follow. The alert content will be generated by national authorities and transmitted to Galileo for broadcast.

    “With this new document, some of our key stakeholders can already start to work with this new service,” said Fiametta Diani, head of market, downstream and innovation at EUSPA. “Civil protection authorities in the member states can start to prepare for how they will manage the alert messages they will send via Galileo. The same goes for the receiver and chipset communities, who will have to process this message.”

    In 2023, EUSPA began testing the EWSS in different locations in Europe. “We have run trials in Toulouse and in Germany, specifically with a simulated explosion,” Diani said, “like what you might see with an industrial accident. We have also tested a tsunami alert in Cyprus.” The Union is developing the tsunami application together with Japanese partners. EUSPA has also finished flood testing in Belgium and Luxembourg.

    EUSPA plans to launch the new EWSS in 2025, Diani said. “As for the receivers, we are working to get our chipset and receiver industry ready,” she said, adding that this process is also supported by the Fundamental Elements program.

    Fundamental Elements is an EU funding mechanism that supports the research and development of European GNSS-enabled chipsets, receivers and antennas. The projects are part of the overall strategy for European GNSS market uptake, said EUSPA.

    The member states and the correlating national civil protection authorities will initiate warnings, according to Ignacio Alcantarilla Medina of the European Commission.

    “[Authorities] will send a message to the Galileo system, and then Galileo will transmit that message through its satellite signals to the users,” he said.

    According to EUSPA, the service is designed to be used worldwide to serve as a backup to the already existing mobile network warning systems.

  • Korea’s KASS now certified and operational

    Korea’s KASS now certified and operational

    Image: imaginima/ iStock / Getty Images Plus/ Getty Images
    Image: imaginima/ iStock / Getty Images Plus/ Getty Images

    The Korea Augmentation Satellite System (KASS), designed and implemented by Thales Alenia Space, has been officially certified by Korean national authorities and has entered operational service. The system was developed in partnership with the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) on behalf of the Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT).

    The project has received support from various international and European entities, including the European Commission, the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), the European Space Agency (ESA), the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the French Space Agency (CNES).

    KASS, operational via the MEASAT-3d geostationary satellite launched in 2022, will soon be enhanced by the addition of KOREASAT 6A. It is currently under development by Thales Alenia Space for KT SAT Corporation, South Korea’s leading satellite communications operator.

    The addition of KOREASAT 6A — equipped with a satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS) payload by Thales Alenia Space — aims to improve the system’s service continuity and operational availability.

    Designed to meet international standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), KASS will initially prioritize aircraft applications and focus on Safety of Life services critical during flight phases, including landing. This focus is intended to enhance flight safety and efficiency while minimizing the environmental impact of aviation. Additionally, KASS is designed to be interoperable with other SBAS satellite navigation systems worldwide to offer seamless flight safety across different zones.

    KASS, the second SBAS system developed by Thales Alenia Space following EGNOS (the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay System), is designed to optimize GPS constellation performance and includes upgrades compatible with the Galileo and Korean Positioning System (KPS) constellations. By enhancing the integrity, availability, continuity of services and positioning accuracy, KASS aims to reduce GPS positioning errors from the current 15 to 33 m to approximately 1 m across Korea.

    Future expansions of the KASS services are anticipated to include public safety, road transport, shipping, and scientific applications.

  • Qualinx, EUSPA partner for GNSS receiver development

    Qualinx, EUSPA partner for GNSS receiver development

    Image: ESA
    Photo: ESA

    Qualinx, a company specializing in ultra-low power wireless tracking and connectivity semiconductors, has announced a partnership with the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA). This collaboration, under the Fundamental Elements EU R&D funding mechanism, aims to develop a consumer-grade, low-power GNSS receiver for EUSPA’s GNSS authentication service.

    The project focuses on the Galileo Open Service Navigation Message Authentication (OSNMA) service, which is designed to verify that users are receiving data from Galileo satellites. This service was introduced in response to an increasing number of spoofing incidents. Qualinx was selected for this project following a six-month selection process conducted by EUSPA.

    Qualinx’s technology, known as digital radio frequency (DRF), transforms most analog functions of a wireless chip into digital circuits, which can be customized for each application through software. This technology is designed to reduce power consumption compared to traditional GNSS receivers. The company aims to provide smaller, more cost-effective solutions while extending the operating life of battery-powered navigation devices.

  • EU publishes new Galileo Open Service Signal in Space Interface Control Document

    EU publishes new Galileo Open Service Signal in Space Interface Control Document

    Image: EUSPA
    Image: EUSPA

    The European Union Agency for the Space Program (EUSPA), in collaboration with the European Commission, has published a new version of the Galileo Open Service Signal in Space Interface Control Document (OS SIS ICD).

    The latest version, denoted v2.1, introduces new elements supporting the improvement and enlargement of the Galileo service portfolio. OS SIS ICD v2.1 is available along with a corresponding new version of the OS Service Definition Document (OS SDD).

    New elements in v2.1 include the definition of OS Extended Operation Mode (EOM) and criteria for identifying when it is activated; description of a new ARAIM Integrity Support Message (ISM), and a new annex detailing a numerical example for the computation of its 32-bit checksum; and a new annex detailing the Galileo PRN Codes Assignment process, including codes belonging to the families E1 B, E1 C, E6 B, E6 C, E5a I, E5a Q, E5b I, E5b Q are now available.

    The annex dealing with the authorization of Galileo trademarks, now obsolete, has been removed.

    The Galileo OS SIS ICD provides the information required by receiver and chipset manufacturers, application developers and service providers to process the open service signals generated by Galileo satellites. It specifies Galileo signal characteristics; characteristics of Galileo spreading codes; Galileo message structure and data contents; and OS Signal in Space flags.

    OS SIS ICD v2.1 pertains to receiver technology developers. The availability of adapted receivers is a key requirement for translating the full range of Galileo signals into useful services, according to EUSPA. The agency added it has been engaged in regular dialogue with advanced chipset and receiver manufacturers, working to see Galileo fully integrated into the latest generation of receivers.

    The previous OS SIS ICD, version 2.0, was published by the European Commission in January 2021. In the modification of the ICD, the principle of backward compatibility for Galileo receivers has, as always, been applied.

  • Rokubun Galileo OSNMA library delivers navigation message authentication

    Rokubun Galileo OSNMA library delivers navigation message authentication

    Image: ESA
    Image: ESA

    According to Rokubun — a Spanish company that designs accurate and scalable navigation solutions based on GNSS — released a library solution for decoding and processing Galileo Open Service Navigation Message Authentication (OSNMA) for embedded platforms.

    The solution is part of the Horizon Europe BANSHEE project, for which Rokubun served as the coordinating, is EU-funded, and is supported by the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA). The goal of the project was to develop a hybrid technology that combines Wi-Fi ranging and satellite navigation (including the Galileo OSNMA) to allow for accurate and seamless indoor-outdoor navigation.

    The upcoming Galileo OSNMA will provide authenticated navigation data message against data-level spoofing attacks. By delivering data authentication, the free-to-use Galileo OSNMA assures users that the received Galileo navigation message comes from the system itself and has not been modified by, for example, a spoofing attack.

    To address this risk, Rokubun’s library enables the Galileo OSNMA in embedded GNSS solutions. The cross-platform, small-footprint library has undergone extensive testing using official EUSPA test vectors, and all OSNMA algorithms have been validated in real conditions at the European Commission’s Galileo testing facilities located at the Joint Research Centre in Ispra, Italy.

    The library is organized to be portable, requiring only a working assembler and C compiler that supports ISO C99. To ensure optimal performance and validate user-specific enhancements, such as the utilization of cryptographic accelerators or other system-on-chip/microcontroller specific resources, Rokubun has implemented a hardware-in-the-loop continuous integration/deployment setup.

    This setup continuously tests the library against several reference MCU targets, assessing its performance and guaranteeing its reliability.

  • ESSP certified as pan-European Iris communication services provider

    ESSP certified as pan-European Iris communication services provider

    Photo: iStock.com/NicoElNino
    Image: iStock.com/NicoElNino

    The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has certified Madrid-based European Satellite Services Provider (EESP) as a pan-European communication services provider for Iris data link services.

    Iris, a project supported by the European Space Agency (ESA) and various European partners, aims to develop a satellite-based air-ground communication system to enhance air traffic management. By 2028, Iris will enable full 4D trajectory management of airspaces globally, making it a crucial means of communication between cockpit crews and controllers.

    The certification of ESSP as an Iris data link services provider comes after more than a year of testing and audits at both ESSP and Inmarsat premises. The certification establishing compliance with relevant regulations and associated industrial standards for data link services.

    Additionally, ESSP recently signed a long-term contract with Viasat/Inmarsat to act as the Service Provider for Iris data link services, powered by Viasat’s SwiftBroadband Safety (SB-S) connectivity. As The European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) service provider, ESSP is already under a long-term contract with the European Agency for the Space Program (EUSPA), where it carries out EGNOS operations and maintenance.

    Iris is scheduled to be fully operational in Europe by 2024, providing services to airlines such as easyJet and ITA Airways. ESSP will lead the commercialization of Iris services, targeting European Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs). The service provision consortium includes ESSP SAS, Inmarsat, and SITA, with other communication network providers expected to join in the future.

  • I/NAV improvements now available to Galileo Open Service users

    I/NAV improvements now available to Galileo Open Service users

    Image: ESA
    Image: ESA

    The Galileo Open Service has been upgraded with three features added to its I/NAV message, one of the four message types broadcast by Galileo satellites. These features are now available to all Galileo Open Service users. 

    The process of upgrading the Galileo Full Operational Capability constellation satellites has been finalized and the I/NAV improvements are openly accessible through the I/NAV message carried by the E1-B signal. If users have experienced delays when turning on a GNSS device, the recent I/NAV improvements may reduce them significantly, reported the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA).   

    The I/NAV message is now faster and offers more robust positioning. The Reed Solomon Outer Forward Error Correction (RS FEC2) increases demodulation robustness, which enhances the sensitivity. It also improves the overall time to retrieve clock and ephemeris data (time to CED) with the broadcasting of additional, redundant CED information while allowing for the device to restore potentially corrupted data autonomously. 

    The Reduced CED (RedCED) enables fast initial positioning, with lower than nominal accuracy, by decoding a single I/NAV word, while waiting to receive the four I/NAV words carrying the full-precision CED.  

    The combination of RS FEC2 and RedCED enables I/NAV to obtain a first course position solution faster and to reduce the time required to obtain a first full accuracy solution (RS FEC2). This translates into a reduced time to first fix (TTFF) for the Open Service users, particularly when operating in harsh environments. 

    Additionally, the improvements benefit applications working in assisted GNSS (A-GNSS) mode, through the Secondary Synchronisation Pattern (SSP). In A-GNSS mode, when navigation data is received from non-GNSS channels and the receiver’s knowledge of the Galileo System Time is affected by a relatively large error, typically in the order of a few seconds, the clock uncertainty must be resolved quickly and stably.  

    With the I/NAV improvements, receivers will be able to do this via the new SSP feature, thus reducing the TTFF, also in A-GNSS mode. 

    For more information, please see the I/NAV Navigation Message Improvements Info Note. 

    While the I/NAV improvements are fully operational, EUSPA will launch a testing campaign open to receiver manufacturers, that will consist of several testing windows. The tests will allow the participants to have a confirmation of the correct implementation of the OS SIS ICD 2.0 — i.e., the right processing of the three I/NAV improvements in their products. 

    The tests will be conducted at the laboratories of the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre in Ispra, Italy, and of the European Space Agency ESA/ESTEC in Noordwijk, The Netherlands.  

    EUSPA will assign each applicant to one of the two laboratories depending on the specific conditions and availability.