Global Navigation Satellite Systems Engineering, Policy, and Design
At a special presentation hosted by the European Space Agency (ESA), the Road Sounder project, led by Italian company ARPsoft, unveiled its new road assessment system – a smart, low-cost network designed to continuously monitor road pavement conditions.
By Peter Gutierrez
The Defense Innovation Unit’s (DIU’s) Transition of Quantum Sensing (TQS) program will demonstrate the military utility of quantum sensors to address strategic Joint Force competencies like positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT), as well as anomaly detection.
By Inside GNSS
Adtran has announced that the Turin and Piedmont Internet Exchange (TOP-IX) has launched Italy’s first time-as-a-service (TaaS) solution using Adtran Oscilloquartz technology. Delivered in collaboration with Italy’s National Institute of Metrological Research and other strategic partners, the service leverages Oscilloquartz edge grandmaster devices deployed across TOP-IX’s dedicated fiber network.
By Inside GNSS
The European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) has awarded GMV a new framework contract for the evolution of the Galileo Reference Centre (GRC). The mission of the GRC is to carry out independent monitoring of the Galileo system, providing EUSPA with reports on its operation, the quality of navigation signals transmitted, and the performance of the services obtained at user level.
By Inside GNSS
Xona Space Systems, a provider of advanced commercial satellite navigation solutions announces a new collaboration with Trimble, a global leader in construction, transportation and geospatial technology. Xona and Trimble are pursuing the integration of Trimble correction services with Xona’s PULSAR™ high-performance navigation service.
By Inside GNSS
Collins Aerospace has received approval for Full Rate Production of the Mounted Assured Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) Generation II system (MAPS GEN II).
By Inside GNSS
Quectel Wireless Solutions has launched the LG580P, a multi-constellation, multi-band GNSS module supporting multi-band signals across L1, L2, L5, and L6. This enables real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning and integrates a dual antenna heading algorithm for enhanced accuracy and reliability.
By Inside GNSS
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has issued a draft Notice of Inquiry (NOI) that, if adopted, will seek input on the development of alternative Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) technologies to complement GPS.
By Inside GNSS
Fixposition, a Swiss company specializing in high-precision global positioning solutions, combines computer vision techniques with satellite navigation to deliver accuracy in both open fields and GNSS-challenged environments.
By Inside GNSS
The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) Program Office and Integrated Solutions for Systems (IS4S), in collaboration with AEVEX Aerospace, announce the successful completion of Alternative Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) flight tests for the Resilient-Embedded GPS/INS (R-EGI) Modular Open Systems Architecture (MOSA).
By Inside GNSS
Hexagon | NovAtel announced it will enhance its SPAN GNSS+INS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems + Inertial Navigation System) solution by adding ground-penetrating radar sensors. To do so, NovAtel signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Massachusetts-based GPR, Inc. to integrate GPR’s WaveSense ground-penetrating radar technology.
By Inside GNSS
Project Manager Positioning, Navigation and Timing’s (PM PNT’s) Mounted PNT product office has received full-rate production (FRP) approval of its Mounted Assured, Positioning, Navigation and Timing System (MAPS) Generation (GEN) II from Program Executive Office Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors (PEO IEW&S).
By Inside GNSS
Quectel Wireless Solutions, a provider of IoT and GNSS technology, has announced the launch of the LG680P, a multi-constellation, quad-band GNSS module designed to deliver high-precision positioning across a wide range of applications including precision agriculture, intelligent robots and surveying.
By Inside GNSS
STMicroelectronics, a global semiconductor company serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, has introduced the Teseo VI family of global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receivers aimed at high-volume precise positioning use cases.
By Inside GNSS
NextNav has announced the successful completion of lab and field demonstrations of its Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) solution based on Positioning Reference Signal (PRS) standards in 5G waveforms.
By Inside GNSS
This year, the Multi-GNSS Asia Annual Conference is to be held on 4th-7th March in Phuket, Thailand, and will feature Lunar PNT and LEO PNT panel sessions, welcoming leading experts in the field.
By Inside GNSS
GEODNET Foundation, the primary steward of GEODNET, the world’s largest precision positioning network, has announced an $8M strategic round led by Multicoin Capital with participation from ParaFi and DACM, bringing the project’s total financing to date to $15M.
By Inside GNSS
Xona Space Systems, a developer of a high-performance complementary alternative to GPS, announced that it has secured a contract with Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) to demonstrate and mature resilient commercial PNT (Positioning, Navigation and Timing) solutions for DoD missions.
By Inside GNSS
Editor’s Note: Jon Damush, uAvionix CEO, provides context on existing technological safeguards that can help prevent aircraft collisions like the one near Washington, DC on Jan 29.
By Jon Damush
Taoglas, a provider of antennas and IoT components, announced the expansion of its TFM series of multi-band GNSS front-end modules. Building upon the existing product range, the expanded series offers design engineers more options for simplifying and accelerating product development for high-precision GNSS applications.
By Inside GNSS
SBG Systems has announced the New Ellipse upgrade for their Ellipse product line. For both the AHRS or INS version, this firmware upgrade transforms existing hardware into a more accurate, reliable, and versatile solution ready to tackle even the most demanding applications.
By Inside GNSS
Topcon Positioning Systems has announced the launch of the HiPer XR, its latest GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver for surveying, mapping, and construction applications. The new receiver is designed to benefit a wide variety of users.
By Inside GNSS
Microchip Technology has announced its second generation Low-Noise Chip-Scale Atomic Clock (LN-CSAC), model SA65-LN, in a lower profile height and designed to operate in a wider temperature range, enabling low phase noise and atomic clock stability in demanding conditions.
By Inside GNSS
Adtran has launched its Enhanced Short-Term Unit (ESTU) precision timing module, a new addition to its OSA 3300 High-Performance (OSA 3300 HP) and OSA 3300 Super High-Performance (OSA 3300 SHP) optical cesium clocks.
By Inside GNSS
Topcon Positioning Systems has announced a significant expansion of its Topnet Live reference station network, introducing 200 new geodetic stations strategically positioned across the United States. This comprehensive network upgrade expands the availability of advanced centimeter-level accuracy for precision-critical industries, including engineering, surveying, construction, and agricultural sectors.
By Inside GNSS
The mosaic-G5 range of GNSS modules will extend the established mosaic family, recognized for its positioning performance and reliability, focusing on new use cases within UAVs, robotics and other applications that require an even smaller module.
By Inside GNSS
TRX Systems is developing the next generation of its Dismounted Assured Positioning, Navigation, and Timing System (DAPS GEN III) for the U.S. Army, ensuring soldiers can maintain reliable PNT, even in contested environments where GNSS signals are compromised.
By Inside GNSS
Partners in the European Space Agency (ESA)-funded HydroGNSS project, led by Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL), will use GNSS reflectometry to provide measurements of key hydrological climate variables, including soil moisture, freeze–thaw state over permafrost, inundation and wetlands, and above-ground biomass.
By Peter Gutierrez
The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), the Telecom R&D centre of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Government of India has signed an agreement with Silizium Circuits Pvt Ltd a fabless Semiconductor IP & SoC Startup under FABCI (Fabless Chip Design Incubator) for the “Design and Development of LEO Satellite Components and GNSS RF Front End ASIC”.
By Inside GNSS
The UBX-M10150-CC combines efficient performance and upgradable firmware in a chip measuring 2.39 x 2.39 x 0.55 mm, enabling the creation of more compact and slimmer wearable technologies that are easily updated and last longer.
By Inside GNSS
Hexagon | NovAtel has announced its lowest SWaP (size, weight and power) GNSS Anti-Jam Technology (GAJT) with the launch of the GAJT-310. The GAJT line is a battle-proven solution for assured positioning, navigation and timing (A-PNT) that protects against hostile radio frequency interference on land, at sea and in the air.
By Inside GNSS
With support from the European Space Agency (ESA), Switzerland-based Luxtelligence has demonstrated prototyping capabilities in a novel photonic platform. The platform is based on thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN), suited for the development of high-speed electro-optic modulators. Such modulators could, in turn, be used in positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) technologies.
By Peter Gutierrez
Silicon Sensing Systems Ltd has been contracted by the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) to supply 2 miniature Pinpoint (CRM200) gyros for use in the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission, which will travel to Mars and survey the two moons orbiting Mars.
By Inside GNSS
Partners SpacePNT and European Engineering and Consultancy (EECL) have delivered the final presentation of the European Space Agency (ESA)-funded ‘Earth Moon GNSS Spaceborne Receiver For In-Orbit Demonstration’ project, the aim of which was to develop and qualify a GNSS spaceborne receiver called NaviMoon for lunar applications.
By Peter Gutierrez
Aerodata AG has announced that it has been granted a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for its advanced GPS Anti-Jamming and Anti-Spoofing solution. This certification applies to installations integrated with Garmin 5000 avionics in a Cessna Citation Latitude jet.
By Inside GNSS
The National Standards Authority of Ireland’s National Metrology Laboratory (NSAI NML) has announced the launch of a verified GPS/GNSS Data Stream (VGDS) service, an extension to the National Timing Grid of Ireland.
By Inside GNSS
BitPath is putting Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) base stations in high-power TV broadcast centers—giving users access to accurate, continuous RTK corrections data without a mobile data connection.
By Renee Knight
Knowing precisely which way is north can be crucial in the mining industry, in oil and gas surveying, and for a variety of autonomous vehicle applications. “We have a new, north-seeking MEMS [micro-electromechanical system] gyro, with a completely revised MEMS design,” said Tronics Product Marketing Manager Pierre Gazull, speaking at InterGEO 2024 in Stuttgart.
By Peter Gutierrez
The impact Ignacio Fernández Hernández, Galileo Authentication and High Accuracy Manager for the European Commission, has had on the EGNOS and Galileo programs, as he does his part to advance GNSS.
By Peter Gutierrez
The Institute of Navigation recognizes Dr. John Raquet with prestigious Johannes Kepler Award at the ION GNSS+ 2024 Conference.
By Inside GNSS
Steve Woolven’s early experience running his family’s resort coupled with his ambitious academic pursuits helped lay the groundwork for a successful career in the PNT industry and his current role as President of Trimble Applanix.
By Peter Gutierrez
Topcon Positioning Systems has announced that Ray O’Connor, president and chief executive officer, will retire in September 2025 after over three decades of exceptional leadership. O’Connor will transition to the role of Chairman of the Topcon Positioning Systems Board of Directors effective September 1, 2024, providing guidance and support to the executive leadership team during this important year of transition.
By Inside GNSS
Silicon Sensing is to open its first US office, with a dedicated in-country team lead by the new head of sales – Americas, Kevin Swain. This new facility will help ensure the company efficiently supports the growing demand for their rugged, high performance inertial products across North and South America.
By Inside GNSS
At Xponential 2024 in San Diego, Inside GNSS sat down with Jamie Marraccini, CEO of Inertial Labs, to discuss the company’s advanced solutions for GNSS vulnerability and their role in enhancing navigation for UAS operations in GNSS-denied environments.
By Inside GNSS
Speaking to Inside GNSS at the recent InterGEO conference in Berlin, Olivier Casabianca, Vice President of Trimble Positioning Services, said “If you look at the way we work today, GNSS is still the key component, serving all of what we would consider the central geospatial industries, meaning construction, agriculture, transportation, etcetera. People talk about making a digital version of the world, and we understand that starts with knowing where you are, before, during and after, whatever job you’re doing. Precise positioning is fundamental.”
By Peter Gutierrez
Industry veteran Mariam Sorond has taken over as the CEO of NextNav.
By Inside GNSS
Dr Mark Marshall takes on role as emerging inertial sensing technologies open new market opportunities.
Dr Mark Marshall has been appointed as Chief Engineer of Silicon Sensing Systems Ltd. Dr Marshall joined Silicon Sensing in 2017 as the lead engineer on numerous inertial programmes. Immediately prior to commencing as Chief Engineer he was the company’s Consultant Engineer and Electronics Discipline Manager. In this role he was responsible for the electronics and mechanical design of the company’s latest generation, tactical grade inertial measurement unit (IMU) – the DMU41.
By Inside GNSS
Cheryl Gramling knew early on what she wanted to do in life. Today, she is assistant chief for technology, mission engineering and systems analysis division, at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, and she’s playing a key role in getting us back to the Moon.
By Peter Gutierrez
Helix is pleased to announce the appointment of Tom Beese as Chairman of its Board of Directors.
By Inside GNSS
Rx Networks announced today that Michael Longinotti, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, will retire from the company at the end of 2022, then continue to serve as a board member. John Carley, VP of Sales and Marketing, has been appointed by the Board of Directors to succeed Longinotti as Chief Executive Officer on January 1, 2023.
By Inside GNSS
The Institute of Navigation’s (ION) Satellite Division presented Dr. Boris Pervan with its Johannes Kepler Award September 23, 2022 during the ION GNSS+ Conference held September 19-23, at the Hyatt Regency Denver At Colorado Convention Center.
By Inside GNSS
The Institute of Navigation (ION) announced the recipients of the 2022 Fellow membership during the ION International Technical Meeting (ITM) and Precise Time and Time Interval Systems and Applications (PTTI) meeting held January 25- 27, 2022 at the Hyatt Regency Long Beach in Long Beach, California.
By Inside GNSS
FocalPoint Positioning, founded in 2015, is, as they say, very happening. Its Supercorrelation is a chipset-level software product for mobiles, wearables and vehicles that is changing the positioning game in urban environments. Interesting and energetic, FocalPoint founder Ramsey Faragher came out of the defense industry and has a risen rapidly in the GNSS firmament.
By Peter Gutierrez
As CEO Jean-Yves Courtois puts it, Orolia is focused on solving the hard problems. To do that, the France-based company, a global provider of resilient positioning, navigation and timing (RPNT) solutions, has become a technology integrator.
By Inside GNSS
Industry veteran Simon Baksh is joining JAVAD GNSS as Head of Product Development. Baksh trained as a chartered surveyor and first applied his land and hydrographic survey expertise to optimize oil exploration working for Schlumberger internationally.
By Inside GNSS
Zak Kassas, associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at the University of California-Irvine, has receuved the Young Investigator Research Program (YIP) award from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR). Kassas was one of 36 scientists and engineers from 30 institutions in the country to earn the recognition for 2022.
By Inside GNSS
Javier Benedicto, for nearly 14 years the Head of the Galileo Programme Department within the Directorate of Navigation at the European Space Agency (ESA), has been appointed Director of Navigation at the agency.
By Inside GNSS
At a special presentation hosted by the European Space Agency (ESA), the Road Sounder project, led by Italian company ARPsoft, unveiled its new road assessment system – a smart, low-cost network designed to continuously monitor road pavement conditions.
By Peter Gutierrez
Adtran has announced that the Turin and Piedmont Internet Exchange (TOP-IX) has launched Italy’s first time-as-a-service (TaaS) solution using Adtran Oscilloquartz technology. Delivered in collaboration with Italy’s National Institute of Metrological Research and other strategic partners, the service leverages Oscilloquartz edge grandmaster devices deployed across TOP-IX’s dedicated fiber network.
By Inside GNSS
Taoglas, a provider of antennas and IoT components, announced the expansion of its TFM series of multi-band GNSS front-end modules. Building upon the existing product range, the expanded series offers design engineers more options for simplifying and accelerating product development for high-precision GNSS applications.
By Inside GNSS
Collins Aerospace has received approval for Full Rate Production of the Mounted Assured Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) Generation II system (MAPS GEN II).
By Inside GNSS
Quectel Wireless Solutions has launched the LG580P, a multi-constellation, multi-band GNSS module supporting multi-band signals across L1, L2, L5, and L6. This enables real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning and integrates a dual antenna heading algorithm for enhanced accuracy and reliability.
By Inside GNSS
In 2024, u-blox partnered with Topcon’s Topnet Live, gaining access to Topcon’s global network of real-time kinematic (RTK) correction stations. The partnership enhances u-blox’s positioning technology by building in a robust, high-accuracy positioning solution for mass-market applications.
By Inside GNSS
Fixposition, a Swiss company specializing in high-precision global positioning solutions, combines computer vision techniques with satellite navigation to deliver accuracy in both open fields and GNSS-challenged environments.
By Inside GNSS
Hexagon | NovAtel announced it will enhance its SPAN GNSS+INS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems + Inertial Navigation System) solution by adding ground-penetrating radar sensors. To do so, NovAtel signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Massachusetts-based GPR, Inc. to integrate GPR’s WaveSense ground-penetrating radar technology.
By Inside GNSS
Quectel Wireless Solutions, a provider of IoT and GNSS technology, has announced the launch of the LG680P, a multi-constellation, quad-band GNSS module designed to deliver high-precision positioning across a wide range of applications including precision agriculture, intelligent robots and surveying.
By Inside GNSS
STMicroelectronics, a global semiconductor company serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, has introduced the Teseo VI family of global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receivers aimed at high-volume precise positioning use cases.
By Inside GNSS
NextNav has announced the successful completion of lab and field demonstrations of its Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) solution based on Positioning Reference Signal (PRS) standards in 5G waveforms.
By Inside GNSS
GEODNET Foundation, the primary steward of GEODNET, the world’s largest precision positioning network, has announced an $8M strategic round led by Multicoin Capital with participation from ParaFi and DACM, bringing the project’s total financing to date to $15M.
By Inside GNSS
Zephr.xyz, a provider of augmented position, navigation, and timing (AugPNT) technologies, has been awarded a $1.74 million Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Direct-to-Phase II contract from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to develop real-time detection of GNSS jamming and spoofing in contested domains while geolocating the sources of these attacks.
By Inside GNSS
VIAVI Solutions Inc. has launched EdgeGM 7000, a highly resilient Edge Grandmaster Clock building on the SecurePNT portfolio. EdgeGM 7000 offers up to 25G Precision Time Protocol (PTP) and multi-orbit SecureTime altGNSS for assurance of Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) services used in critical infrastructure operations worldwide.
By Inside GNSS
Topcon Positioning Systems and Pix4D have announced a strategic agreement that combines their expertise in geopositioning and photogrammetry solutions. The collaboration includes Topcon becoming an authorized distributor of Pix4D’s photogrammetry software portfolio, which offers their customers even greater access to high-precision positioning and 3D mapping technologies.
By Inside GNSS
Topcon Positioning Systems has announced the launch of the HiPer XR, its latest GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver for surveying, mapping, and construction applications. The new receiver is designed to benefit a wide variety of users.
By Inside GNSS
Xairos Systems, Inc. has been selected by SpaceWERX for a Direct-to-Phase II contract, in the amount of $1.9M, focused on demonstrating a fusion PNT (position, navigation and timing) of quantum and optical synchronization of clock ensembles to address the most pressing challenges in the Department of the Air Force (DAF).
By Inside GNSS
Northrop Grumman Corporation is advancing the U.S. Navy’s airborne navigation capabilities with implementation of the LN-251M, the next-generation upgrade of the LN-251 Inertial Navigation System/Global Positioning System (INS/GPS).
By Inside GNSS
Microchip Technology has announced its second generation Low-Noise Chip-Scale Atomic Clock (LN-CSAC), model SA65-LN, in a lower profile height and designed to operate in a wider temperature range, enabling low phase noise and atomic clock stability in demanding conditions.
By Inside GNSS
Editor’s Note: Jon Damush, uAvionix CEO, provides context on existing technological safeguards that can help prevent aircraft collisions like the one near Washington, DC on Jan 29.
By Jon Damush
Leveraging Galileo and introducing new GNSS measurements to the current network enables Korea Augmentation Satellite System (KASS) availability below the vertical limit.
By Inside GNSS
This follow-up to a 2007 Inside GNSS article looking at the potential future role for C-band in navigation details how, nearly 20 years later, it’s moved from an interesting idea to critical for resilient position, navigation and timing (PNT).
By Inside GNSS
