GPS World, May 2009

GNSS LEADERS TO WATCH Lt Col DeAnna M Burt Commander 2nd Space Operations Squadron We just completed the launch of IIR 20 with the new L5 signal demonstrator The L5 capability allows first use of the signal frequency and future development of a civilian emergencyresponse GPS signal Over the summer of 2009 we are finalizing the install and check out of our baseline Ground Control System Architecture Evolution Plan 55 that will allow us to control the next generation of GPS satellites the IIF at our Master Control Station at Schriever Air Force Base and our Alternate Control Station at Vandenberg Air Force Base In August 2009 we will launch the final IIR M IIR 21 This will complete the fly out of the IIR satellite series Finally we will end 2009 with the launch of our first IIF satellite in late fall 2010 will hold a second IIF launch in late spring and my change of command in the summer of 2010 Suneel I Sheikh CEO Chief Research Scientist ASTER Labs Inc Sheikh investigates augmentation of existing spacecraft position and velocity determination methods with new technologies for example the use of celestial X ray pulsars to compute accurate position and timing solutions for remote space vehicles in orbit above GNSS constellations signals which in turn may aid future generation GNSS vehicle operation I am excited about these distant pulsating stars potential to create a navigational system that could perform functions similar to our GNSS about Earth in regions throughout our solar system and eventually beyond Our company also researches indoor personal navigation for emergency first responders and medical patients where GNSS signals are limited Ian Mallett Head of Aerodromes and CNS ATM Section Civil Aviation Safety Authority Australia Since the early 1990s Australia has actively pursued the approval of GNSS for aviation and now 85 percent of all flights use some form of satellite navigation The current focus is on adoption and implementation of performance based navigation PBN and approaches with vertical guidance APV as per International Civil Aviation Organization directives as well as expanding the ADS B network and examining the GNSS augmentation alternatives for Australia TECHNOLOGY TO WATCH SOFTWARE RECEIVERS Flexible software receivers can offer superior performance in weak signal and interference environments for dynamic platforms and can be better integrated with other sensor measurements If computational speed and power continue to progress as they have in the past the implementation processor platform will not be an important issue for software receivers The ultimate performance of the GNSS receiver will be driven by the signal processing strategies Software receiver architecture has received increasing attention because of its potential to operate with multi GNSS signals and because of its relatively low development costs and a short product development cycle Although processing speed and power consumption as compared to ASIC implementations are still major disadvantages the gap is narrowing Commercial software receivers have been developed for special embedded applications Software GNSS receivers will ultimately penetrate the embedded mass market and also succeed as generic highend receivers Much of the future innovation in receiver design navigation sensor integration techniques and applications will be directly linked to software receiver architecture Jade Morton Professor of electrical engineering Miami University www gpsworld com May 2009 GPS World 37