We are going to need traffic control with all these satellites zipping around...

The System: GLONASS Happy New YearFeb 1, 2009GPS WorldAs of January 17, GLONASS 727 (Kosmos 2447) in Plane 1, Slot 3, on frequency channel 5 has been set healthy in both the almanac and ephemerides. 727 is the second of three new GLONASS satellites, all launched on December 25, 2008, to reach this status.As of January 16, the L-band transmitters of GLONASS 728 had been activated on its assigned frequencies. GLONASS 728 became active on January 15 and has been added to the broadcast almanac and ephemerides. Both new birds are being tracked by several IGS stations. As this magazine goes to press, GLONASS 729 continues the trek to its designated orbit slot.IIR(M)-20 Launch Scheduled for MarchThe GPS satellite carrying the first payload to transmit the L5 signal, originally slated to launch in June 2008 but hampered by launch vehicle problems, is now scheduled for launch March 24 from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.The delay has begun to concern the GNSS community, because unless a U.S. satellite begins broadcasting on the L5 frequency (1176.45 MHz) by August 26, the U.S. government may lose its International Telecommunications Union allocation for that frequency. Plans for the modernized GPS fleet, including GPS III, call for the use of L5 as a third civilian signal, mainly for safety-of-life applications.But IIR-20(M) has seen a number of launch delays. The three-stage configuration of the Delta II launch vehicle has developed problems with its stage separation mechanism, apparently because of a change in manufacturing methods.IIR-21(M), which has also been delayed by the Delta II fuse problem, is now slated for a summer 2009 launch.Compass Confirms Global Goal 2015China plans to complete its global satellite navigation system by launching 30 more orbiters before 2015, sending 10 navigation satellites into space in 2009 and 2010, said Zhang Xiaojin, director of astronautics department with China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation on January 18.The Chinese plan to establish an independent global navigation system to shake off dependence on foreign systems, Zhang said.China launched the first satellite, Beidou Navigation System, into geostationary orbit in October 2000. The current Beidou system, with five positioning orbiters, provides regional navigation service within China’s territory.Raytheon Makes OCX ProgressThe Raytheon Co.-led team vying for the U.S. Air Force contract for the next-generation GPS control segment (OCX) has completed a segment design review and modernized capability engineering model demonstration.Raytheon and competitor Northrop Grumman are under 18-month Phase A contracts as part of the development program for OCX. The Air Force plans to choose one company later this year to continue the program through development, deployment, and sustainment in Phase B.A comprehensive review by government and military personnel and consultants of the team’s progress in systems engineering, architecture, and program management demonstrates that the design is sufficiently mature and the level of residual risk is acceptable to proceed to the program’s next phase.New PNT ExCom Chair. Prior to his inauguration, President Barack Obama tapped Raytheon executive William J. Lynn III for the position of deputy secretary of defense (DoD); if approved, Lynn would also serve as co-chair of the National Executive Committee for Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing.Lynn served as under secretary of defense from 1997 to 2001 under President Clinton; the under secretary serves as the DoD’s comptroller, acting as the chief financial officer and principal advisor to the secretary of defense for budgetary and fiscal matters. From 1993 to 1997, Lynn was the director of program analysis and evaluation in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, where he oversaw all aspects of the DoD’s strategic planning process.Lynn comes from his most recent post as senior vice president of government operations and strategy at Raytheon. As such, his appointment runs counter to an Obama promise to avoid lobbyists in the new administration; Lynn was previously registered as a lobbyist but deregistered in June 2008.Galileo Open Service: One Size Fits All?A one-day seminar organized by the U.K. Royal Institute of Navigation’s (RIN) Space Special Interest Group takes place February 12 at the Royal Geographical Society in London, with speakers from European organizations, government, industry, and users.Conflicting points of view will be put forward at this meeting, organizers say. The RIN invites everyone to come and join in with their views. Prior registration for the seminar is required.SatNav Summit, Summer School OpenThe Munich Satellite Navigation Summit convenes March 3–5 in Munich, Germany, for concise updates on worldwide system modernization, receiver design, and service creation.GPS World editor Alan Cameron will speak on a March 5 panel: Are GNSS innovations accelerating or slowing down?School. The Third International Summer School on GNSS, July 20–30 in Berchtesgaden near Munich, covers GNSS design, development, and applications. For graduate/ Ph.D. students, researchers, and professionals less than 33 years of age.Targeted Daily GNSS News DeliveryA new website service, GPS World Alert enables readers to choose keywords, topics, or categories of interest, to receive an e-mail alert the minute these articles appear on GPSWorld.com.“Readers can now control the content they receive and the frequency of delivery,” says Kristina Panter, publisher of GPS World. “Sometimes the critical edge for a company is receiving key information or late-breaking news before a competitor does. Bottom-line subscribers only want to read what they want to read, and GPS World Alert provides just that.”GPS World editors continue to post fresh stories on a daily basis to the magazine’s homepage every business day. Stories cover system issues (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and Compass development, modernization, or augmentation) and business and industry matters in eight market sectors.Navigate! With the debut of Alert and the continued service of RSS feed, both providing tailored news on a daily basis, publication of the free Navigate! e-newsletter now shifts to a weekly frequency, appearing every Tuesday.Free monthly newsletters focus on Survey & Construction, Military & Government, Professional OEM, Mass Market OEM, Utilities & Communications, LBS, and System Design and Test.

Geodetic / Global Positioning Systems

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We are going to need traffic control with all these satellites zipping around...

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