Monthly Archives: November 2016

VA233. Ariane 5 launch campaign

galileo-satellites-lowered-into-position-for-installation-atop-the-central-core

Galileo satellites lowered into position for installation atop the central core

Antonianna, Lisa, Kimberley and Tijmen – the latest Galileo spacecraft for Europe’s satellite navigation constellation – have been integrated with their Ariane 5 launcher in French Guiana for a November 17 Arianespace mission.

The four 715 kg satellites – named for winners of a European children’s drawing contest – were attached to their dispenser as a combined ‘upper composite’ and transported to the final assembly building on 31 October.

The next step saw them put on top of the upper stage of their customised launcher. Finally, on 3 November, the quartet was enclosed within a protective fairing – the last time they were seen by human eyes – to protect them from the onrushing atmosphere during ascent.

Arianespace previously has lofted 14 Full Operational Capability (FOC) and In-Orbit Validation (IOV) satellites for Galileo from French Guiana with seven missions utilizing its medium-lift Soyuz vehicle, along with two other Soyuz flights from the Baikonur Cosmodrome that deployed the GIOVE-A and GIOVE-B experimental satellites.

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[vid] Galileo System status

Next Thursday 17 November at 10.06 Kourou Time/14.06 CET an Ariane 5 will launch Galileo satellites for the first time. Equipped with a specially designed dispenser, the European launcher will deploy four satellites: Galileo Sat 15, 16, 17 and 18. This video explains the current status of the Galileo system.

 

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Four new satellites to join Galileo constellation

VA 233. Quad satellites see spaceOn 17 November at 13:06 GMT (14:06 CET), a single Ariane 5 rocket is set to propel four Galileo satellites into orbit for the navigation constellation’s first-ever quadruple launch. Mission controllers are training intensively for the complex space delivery.

Ariane 5 will use a new payload dispenser to release four identical satellites into orbit in one go.

This will be the eighth Galileo launch, and will bring the number of satellites in space to 18. Once complete, the system will sport 24 operational satellites and a ground network to provide positioning, navigation and timing services. Read more…

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Sweden gets set for Galileo

sweden-gets-set-for-galileoIn an effort to promote the benefits of Galileo and the imminent declaration of Initial Services to the broader GNSS user community in Sweden, the Swedish Board of Radio Navigation (RNN) recently held a seminar in Stockholm with the participation of the European GNSS Agency (GSA). Entitled How can Galileo contribute to more cost-effective production applications in the PNT field?, the seminar provided an overview of how Sweden is preparing to implement Galileo signals into professional Positioning, Navigation and Time (PNT) applications.

The event brought together over 60 chipset and receiver manufacturers, government authorities and end users who discussed such topics as: the efforts and requirements for implementing Galileo into GNSS-equipment and Network Real Time Kinetic (RTK) platforms, testing and needs, status of Sweden’s national GNSS infrastructure, and an overview of how Galileo is set to enhance PNT services in Sweden. Read more…

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H2020 Applications in Satellite Navigation – Galileo – 2017 Call now open

To maximise the adoption of Galileo and EGNOS, the third Horizon 2020 call focuses on the development of user-oriented, downstream applications. Priority is also given to projects capable of stimulating the competitiveness of the European GNSS downstream industry.

Specifically, the call addresses four European GNSS topics, three within Innovation Action (IA) and the fourth in Coordination and Support Actions (CSA). Read more…

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2016 GNSS User Technology Report

2016-gnss-user-technology-reportThe 2016 GNSS User Technology Report is the go-to source for comprehensive knowledge and information on the dynamic, global GNSS user technology industry and the latest trends. The publication takes an in-depth look at the latest in state-of-the-art GNSS receiver technology, along with providing expert analysis on the evolutionary trends that are set to redefine the global GNSS landscape.

The report focuses on three key macrosegments:

  • mass market solutions
  • transport safety and liability-critical solutions
  • high precision, timing and asset management solutions

DOWNLOAD the 2016 GNSS user technology report.

The 2016 GSA GNSS User Technology Report begins with a comprehensive overview of GNSS user technology. This is followed by a macrosegment analysis that focuses on receiver design, innovative signal processing techniques, changes that have an impact on antennas, and GNSS vulnerabilities – and how to mitigate them. Read more…

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First Galileo Hackathon

Didactic disco

Didactic Disco team

The first ever European GNSS Agency (GSA) Galileo Hackathon brought together teams of passionate coders and geo enthusiasts from around the world to compete for some impressive prizes. The venue was Berlin’s Beuth University of Applied Sciences on 3 and 4 November during the sixth WhereCamp ‘unconference’ dedicated to geolocation enthusiasts and professionals. All the Hackathon competitors received a Galileo-ready BQ Smartphone and a certificate, while the two winning teams also each collected a €500 cash prize.

WhereCamp Berlin on 3 and 4 November was the place to be for movers and shakers shaping the future of Location Based Services (LBS) and Geo-IoT (Geolocation in Internet of Things). The first Galileo Hackathon was a unique opportunity to showcase coding skills, connect with the Geo-IoT app development community, and to gain a competitive insight on what Galileo LBS will be bringing to the smartphone in your pocket in the very near future. Read more…

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