November 17, 2017
Delay Continues for Effort to Add Galileo Signal to U.S. Military Receivers
Though lawmakers have made clear their interest in having U.S. military receivers incorporate European navigation signals, an agreement to use the encrypted Galileo signal remains elusive and the normal military requirements process could substantially delay implementation. ( more)
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There are three mission-focused criteria designers use when choosing a navigation, positioning, and guidance system for unmanned or autonomous platforms. Duration, environment, and accuracy requirements determine, to a considerable extent, the design of the optimal sensor fusion solution. The solution must also meet specifications based on a platform's size, weight, power requirements and price. Read the e-Bookabout how sensor fusion is leading the way: "Unmanned Technology Challenges: Teaching Machines to Operate Like Humans."" Download the e-Book. 

Industry Trial of Australian SBAS Officially Launched 
Another milestone has been reached in efforts to showcase the many benefits improved satellite positioning can have on industries as the Australian Government launched a trial of Satellite-Based Augmentation System (SBAS) for the Australasian region at an event at CQUniversity Australia's Rockhampton campus. ( more)
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VectorNav's VN-200 GPS-Aided Inertial Navigation System (GPS/INS) relied on by Skytech for critical position and attitude data to minimize antenna pointing error.  Uptime and bandwidth are the critical performance metrics of Satcom On The Move SOTM systems and relate to the ability of the system to efficiently transmit and receive large amounts of data. To ensure a high percentage of uptime, it is necessary that the SOTM terminal is pointed directly at the target satellite. 

Lawmakers Begin Moving Military Space Management Out of the Air Force 
House and Senate authorizers are forcing a reorganization of the Pentagon's management of military space programs, giving authority to a soon-to-be-named official to prioritize space budgets across services and setting planning in motion for a possible new department. They also approved spending the full amounts requested for the military GPS programs and mandated that defense officials both test a backup to GPS and look at incorporating European and Japanese GNSS signals into military user equipment. ( more )
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Piksi Multi supports GPS L1/L2 and now GLONASS G1/G2. Its dual-frequency operation offers RTK convergence times measured in seconds and delivers centimeter-level results needed for robotics and autonomous driving applications. At $595, Piksi Multi embraces Swift Navigation's foundation for unmatched affordability, to enable rapid prototyping and integration. 

Harris Completes Development of Fully Digital Navigation Payload for Future GPS III Satellites
Harris Corporation has completed development of the company's fully digital Mission Data Unit (MDU), which is at the heart of its navigation payload for Lockheed Martin's GPS III satellites 11 and beyond. (more)
China Launches Two BeiDou-3 Satellites Featuring Accurate Rubidium Atomic Clocks 
According to reports out of China, new, very accurate rubidium atomic clocks onboard two BeiDou-3 satellites launched into space on November 5 have greatly improved the accuracy of the system.  ( more )