SSTL has taken delivery of a Search and Rescue Antenna (SARANT) for use to support the development of the fully operational satellites that will power Europe’s new satellite navigation system.

An important milestone, this is the first payload equipment to be delivered to SSTL since it was selected by the European Space Agency to deliver the navigation payloads for the first 14 satellites in the system just over a year ago. SSTL’s partner OHB-System in Germany is prime contractor, building the satellite bus for these satellites.

As part of a Global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), Europe’s new sat-nav service will provide highly accurate, guaranteed global positioning, including specialised rescue services. Consisting of 30 satellites in 56 degrees inclined circular Medium-Earth-Orbits, the baseline is a constellation with 9 equally spaced satellites (plus one spare) per orbit.

The newly delivered Search & Rescue antenna will be used by SSTL in the full engineering model of the payload.

The Search and Rescue Payload on the satellites will relay distress and co-ordination messages from the COSPAS-SARSAT Search and Rescue service. The diagram below shows a fully operational satellite with the SARANT visible on top.

Continue reading "SSTL receives first payload equipment for European Sat-Nav"

A one-day seminar discussing the Galileo Open Service is being organised by the Royal Institute of Navigation (RIN) Space Special Interest Group on the 12th February at the Royal Geographical Society, 1 Kensington Gore in London. Speakers from European organisations, Government, Industry and Users will make this an important event for anyone with an interest in Galileo, the European Global Navigation Satellite System.

If you want to find out more about the Galileo Open Service, whether "one size fits all" and discuss the market for the other Galileo services it's worth booking in.

SSTL's Phil Davies has been involved in Galileo since 2003, following the European global satellite navigation system's development from the outset of GIOVE and the launch to its first SSTL-built satellite GIOVE-A. His presentation is entitled "The cost benefit of simplifying Galileo".

Phil will be joined by fellow expert speakers representing satellite navigation equipment manufacturers and end users who will discuss the interoperability between Police, Fire and Ambulance and the impact of Galileo on Road Safety and separate talks on the closely related road pricing enforcement and inner city congestion charging.

The Galileo Open Service (OS) caters for mass-market applications. Similar to the free service currently provided to civilian GPS users, it provides signals for timing and positioning, without user authentication direct to any user with suitable equipment free of charge. For most purposes, cheap single-frequency receivers will be used, but increased accuracy is possible by utilising up to 3 signals. Galileo's Open Service applications will use a combination of Galileo and GPS signals to significantly improve performance in severe environments such as urban areas and offshore areas.

The Open Service does not offer integrity information, and the determination of the quality of the signals will be left entirely to the users. There will be no service guarantee or liability from the Galileo Operating Company on the Open Service.

For up to date infomrmation, speakers and to register please visit the RIN website.

SSTL’s Group Executive Chairman, Sir Martin Sweeting stated in a press release today that he believes the increased competition resulting from the June proposal by the European Commission to fund the Galileo satellite navigation system through the public sector will reduce the cost and risk involved.

”The increased competition will have significant benefits,” stated SSTL’s Group Executive Chairman, Sir Martin Sweeting. “The public sector will soon be in a position to place contracts that give the European taxpayer better value for money and step up the pace of delivering the system”.

SSTL aims to support the European Commission and European Space Agency (ESA) by building on its experience gained through the successful GIOVE-A mission, to provide best value in the operational phase of Galileo. GIOVE-A was developed under a €28M contract signed with ESA in the second half of 2003. The mission’s primary aim was to broadcast Galileo signals from space so that Europe could claim the frequencies filed for Galileo with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). The satellite was designed, built, tested and launched before the end of 2005 – on-time and on-budget. GIOVE-A has transmitted Galileo signals for over 18 months and remains the only Galileo spacecraft in operation. Following the success of GIOVE-A, ESA placed a further contract with SSTL in March 2007 for a second satellite named GIOVE-A2.

Sir Martin added:

“It’s clear that a second source of operational satellites is needed, both to provide healthy competition and to reduce risk to the schedule of the Galileo system. SSTL has begun discussions with other key European suppliers, with the aim of forming a team capable of supplying a significant portion of Galileo whilst maintaining the winning formula employed on GIOVE-A. We expect these discussions to be finalised in October, in time to provide the public sector with a much needed competitive option”.

Galileo is a joint initiative between ESA and the European Commission. When fully deployed in the early years of the next decade, it will be the first non-military positioning system to offer global coverage.