The Business of Hosted Payloads

EGNOS Performance Navigation on Board Oceanographic Hespérides Vessel

The European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) thanks to geostationary satellites covers an area of whole Europe, including Baltic and North Sea. It allows to fix the coordinates of object position with typical absolute accuracy of 1,5 m. Previous research have shown that relative accuracy is usually higher than absolute one [Nowak A., 2010; Nowak A., 2011], so probably it could be possible to use EGNOS to determine direction in space. The research described in the paper concerned relative accuracy of three homogeneous EGNOS receivers, in context of the ability to determine the ship’s hull spatial orientation. Theoretical basis, the process of the experiment and the results of recorded data analysis were described. The research were conducted in the summer of 2014. Three homogenous Leica Viva series receivers were used. They were configured to receive a differential messages of the EGNOS system. Recorded data were analyzed in context of fixes relative accuracy. On the basis of achieved results, a conclusion about the possibility of construction the measurement system for the automatic determination of the ship’s hull spatial orientation angles in real time was drawn. The further research directions were pointed out, too.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) commissioned a panel of scientists and engineers in 1997 to benchmark the global status of commercial communications satellite technology, markets and regulatory and policy issues. After visiting or interviewing over 60 manufacturing, R&D laboratory, service provider and government institutions in North and South America, Europe and Asia, the review panel concluded as follows: 7.3cm\begin{itemize} \item Many European and Asian governments are increasing their satellite communications R&D programs and supporting demonstrations and space marketing efforts, relative to the US. \item The US is currently the leader in new technology and its insertion into commercial satellite systems, but ambitious foreign efforts threaten this position. \item Global commercial satellite communications is a large and rapidly growing business. \item New technology is being inserted into satellites at an increasingly rapid pace with an increasing number of international participants. \item Aerospace communications companies, worldwide, are consolidating their efforts and are expanding into the end user service business. \item The ‘Direct‐to‐End User’ mass consumer satellite service industry has the potential to be quite large and is changing the way satellites are manufactured and deployed and is creating a potentially large satellite terminal industry. \item Satellite manufacturing is increasingly becoming a design, assembly and test operation with parts and sub‐systems obtained from global suppliers. \end{itemize} 7.3cm \begin{itemize} \item This increased use of satellites for communications services is creating a shortage of spectrum and orbital slots and is resulting in spectrum utilization conflicts with terrestrial wireless service providers. \item Future development of commercial satellite communications is dependent on the resolution of key regulatory, trade, spectrum, inter‐operability and standards issues and government leadership is vitally needed. \item There are opportunities for international cooperation to facilitate the development of satellites technologies, systems, standards and protocols. \end{itemize} There is concern that unless several issues are addressed, particularly an increase in long term oriented R&D and trade and regulatory issues, the US may experience a deterioration of its leading position in the manufacture of satellites for global service providers and the initiation of new services, much in the way that it lost its leading position in the launch of commercial satellites.

The potential for the use of smartphones in GNSSs (Global Navigation Satellite Systems) positioning has increased in recent years due to the emergence of the ability of Android-based devices used to process raw satellite data. This paper presents the results of a study on the use of SBAS data transmitted by the EGNOS (European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service) system in GNSS positioning using a Xiaomi Mi8 smartphone. Raw data recorded at a fixed point were used in post-processing calculations in GPS/EGNOS positioning by determining the coordinates for every second of a session of about 5 h and comparing the results to those obtained with a Septentrio AsteRx2 GNSS receiver operating at the same time at a distance of about 3 m. The calculations were performed using the assumptions of the GNSS/SBAS positioning algorithms, which were modified with carrier-phase smoothed code observations and the content of the corrections transmitted by EGNOS.

Future Global Navigation Satellite systems (GNSS) have significantly improve the performance of current navigation systems, providing new and enhanced capabilities. This enables the implementation of innovative and advanced services and applications more and more close to the user needs. In this framework, the road sector is one of the major potential market for GNSS applications and therefore it is very promising for future European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) and GALILEO related applications. Specifically, a very important commercial opportunity is represented by the tolling-related applications. The paper describes the vehicular remote tolling (VeRT) project sponsored by Galileo Joint Undertaking (GJU) and performed in the frame of the first GJU call under the EC VI Framework Programme, giving attention, in particular, to the communication network issues.

European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) is a satellite navigation system that was developed to assist in the positioning GPS and GLONASS. With precision fed information about the location it can be applied to maritime transport, land and air. In the article analyzed and interpretated were all parameters that describe the operation of EGNOS for two categories of approaches with vertical and horizontal guidance, and for one category of precision approach.

Knowledge of the state of the upper atmosphere, and in particular its ionospheric part, is very important in several applications affected by space weather, especially the communications and navigation systems that rely on radio transmission. To better classify the ionosphere and forecast its disturbances over Europe, a data collection endeavour called the European Digital Upper Atmosphere Server (DIAS) was initiated in 2004 by a consortium formed around several European ionospheric stations that transmit in real-time ionospheric parameters automatically scaled. The DIAS project is a collaborative venture of eight institutions funded by the European Commission eContent Programme. The project seeks to improve access to digital information collected by public European institutes and to expand its use. The main objective of the DIAS project is to develop a pan-European digital data collection describing the state of the upper atmosphere, based on real-time information and historical data collections provided by most of the operating ionospheric stations in Europe. Various groups of users require data specifying upper atmospheric conditions over Europe for nowcasting and forecasting purposes. The DIAS system is designed to distribute such information. The successful operation of DIAS is based on the effective use of observational data in operational applications through the development of new added-value ionospheric products and services that best fit the needs of the market. DIAS is a unique European system, and its continuous operation will efficiently support radio propagation services with the most reliable information. DIAS began providing services to users in August 2006. The Need for Accurate Ionospheric Products Radio frequency communications and satellite positioning and navigation systems are applications most affected by ionospheric disturbances. Such disturbances can cause drastic and large-scale changes in the usable ranges of high frequency (HF) or below HF bands affecting standard ground-to-ground and submarine communication systems. The characteristics of an ionospheric propagation channel, whether it is HF or transionospheric frequencies, are highly variable on timescales ranging from a few seconds to the 11-year solar cycle. Even during its quietest periods, the Sun produces electromagnetic radiation and solar wind, both of which can affect a variety of geomagnetic and ionospheric phenomena, which in turn affect radio waves propagating through the ionosphere. Hence day-to-day and hour-to-hour changes in propagation channel characteristics can occur.

Atmospheric refraction in the troposphere causes the propagation speed of electromagnetic signals to be less than the light speed. This creates a difference between the actual propagation path delay and the distance of the geometrical straight-line path, i.e., a quantity known as the tropospheric delay. As classical imaging algorithms for spaceborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) do not take the tropospheric delay into account, imaging filters are designed based on the assumption of rectilinear propagation with the light speed. Therefore, a residual phase exists in imaging results, which affects focusing quality under the condition of high resolution. In order to compensate for the impact of tropospheric delay on focusing performance, this paper modifies the spaceborne SAR echo model and then proposes an imaging compensation algorithm. The key to this algorithm is to fit a range delay coefficient based on the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service model of zenith delay and Niell mapping function, which projects the zenith delay onto the looking direction. After range compensation, classical imaging, and azimuth compensation, which compose the proposed algorithm, the processed results are well focused.

This study introduces EDU-MAT COPERNICUS, an innovative educational platform that integrates augmented reality (AR) with satellite technologies to support mathematics and geoscience learning among primary school students. The platform features interactive mathematical tasks embedded in a narrative led by the avatar of Nicolaus Copernicus and incorporates real-world data from Earth observation systems such as Copernicus, Galileo, and European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS). Designed using a user-centred approach and grounded in cognitive load theory, the prototype was evaluated through interviews with 10 mathematics tutors, user testing with 30 students, and feedback from parents. Findings suggest that AR-enhanced tasks improve students’ spatial reasoning, engagement, and motivation to learn mathematics. Teachers expressed interest in using AR tools but highlighted the need for training and integration with existing curricula. While the platform aligns with current trends in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education and digital pedagogy, challenges such as unequal access to technology and the small scale of testing remain. Future research should explore broader implementation and assess long-term learning outcomes. EDU-MAT Copernicus demonstrates strong potential as a scalable, interactive learning tool that combines mathematical thinking with space education in both formal and informal learning environments.

Accuracy, integrity, continuity and availability are the basic quality parameters extremely important in satellite navigation. The article presents results of research using the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) that belongs to the group of Satellite Based Augmentation Systems (SBAS). The measurement data adopted for analysis were recorded in years: 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018 in the north-eastern Poland. Results of the analysis showed a significant reduction in the maximum GPS / EGNOS positioning error values from 2014 onwards (compared to results from 2012). In general, values of parameters characterizing accuracy, integrity and availability meet the requirements for EGNOS applications in APV-1 and LPV-200 aviation procedures. It the case of continuity the requirements are not met.

The Global Positioning System (GPS) offers many advantages over conventional methods for the determination of subject speed during biomechanical studies. Recent advances in GPS technology, in particular the implementation of the Wide-Angle Augmentation System and European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (WAAS/EGNOS), mean that small, highly portable units are available offering the potential of superior accuracy in the determination of both position and speed. This study set out to examine the accuracy of a WAAS-enabled GPS unit for the determination of position and speed. Comparison with the new and published data showed significant enhancements in both position and speed accuracy over a non-WAAS system. Position data collected during straight line cycling showed significantly lower sample-to-sample variation (mean absolute deviation from straight line 0.11 vs. 0.78 m) and greater repeatability from trial to trial (mean absolute deviation from actual path 0.37 vs. 4.8 m) for the WAAS-enabled unit compared to the non-WAAS unit. The speed determined by the WAAS-enabled GPS receiver during cycling in a straight line was within 0.2 ms −1 of the actual speed measured for 57% of the values with 82% lying within 0.4 m s −1, however, the data tended towards underestimation of speed during circle cycling, with 65% of values within 0.2 m s −1 and 87% within 0.4 m s −1 of the actual value. Local dGPS and dual frequency techniques are more accurate still, however, traditional differential GPS (dGPS), employing FM radio transmission of correction data to a separate receiver, now offers no advantage over WAAS and appears redundant.

This paper explores the potential of conducting precision approach training by using the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service instead of conventional landing systems. Our method allows flight schools to perform training precision approaches at their base airport, independent of navigation infrastructure only available at larger airports. The usage of a cost-effective satellite- to ground-based augmentation system converter enables aircraft to conduct localizer performance approaches with vertical guidance which are independent of an aircraft's database. To validate the operational concept, three point-in-space precision approach look-alike procedures were developed for Essen/Mühlheim Regional Airport respecting the surrounding complex airspace structure. Subsequently, the designed approaches were evaluated through flight trials using a prototype ground-based augmentation system receiver for general aviation. Results show sufficient performance of the technical equipment as well as the feasibility of the design of the developed procedures for precision approach training.

The paper presents the SafePort project. The aim of the project is the realization of a system close to the market able to provide a safe and efficient control of the transit of all vessels in a port from the port entrance to their berths and out again using the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) Safety of Life (SoL) information. After the description of the basic concepts the system wants to leverage on, an overview of all the modules is provided. The paper is focused on the implementation and tests of the Portable Pilot Unit called SafePilot which exploits EGNOS SoL feature in order to provide to the whole system a reliable information about vessel positioning. Test results for the validation of the SafePilot concept are shown.

Chapter 24 - Recent Geoeffective Space Weather Events and Technological System Impacts

Concerns over accuracy, availability, integrity, and continuity have limited the integration of Global Positioning System (GPS) and Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) for safety-critical applications. More recent augmentation systems, such as the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) and the North American Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) have begun to address these concerns. Augmentation architectures build on the existing GPS/GLONASS infrastructures to support location based services in Safety of Life (SoL) applications. Much of the technical development has been directed by air traffic management requirements, in anticipation of the more extensive support to be offered by GPS III and Galileo. WAAS has already been approved to provide vertical guidance for aviation applications. During the next twelve months, the full certification of EGNOS for SoL applications is expected. This paper discusses similarities and differences between the safety assessment techniques used in Europe and North America.