zprávy

Česká kosmická kancelář bez projektového financování po roce opět umožnila českým studentským týmům zúčastnit se mezinárodního projektu „Citizen science close to space“.

Česká kosmická kancelář bez projektového financování po roce opět umožnila českým studentským týmům zúčastnit se mezinárodního projektu „Citizen science close to space“.

§14, ods.8 len kopíruje zmeny v zákona č.504/2003 Z.z. o nájme poľnohospodárskych pozemkov.

This has been a year of tremendous growth for the GSA, Galileo, EGNOS and the European Space Programme as a whole. We hit the ground running in 2019, buoyed by a wave of optimism following the successful European Space Week, held in in Marseille last December. 

At the end of 2018 we launched the Accuracy Matters campaign to raise awareness among end users and the public about the benefits of Galileo. This campaign continued to run throughout 2019 and has been very effective in raising the public profile of the European space programme in general and of Galileo in particular.

Throughout the year, we stayed true to our mission of putting users at the centre of Galileo service provision and work continued at full speed to prepare for the launch of Full Operational Capability next year. In February, we commissioned a batch of four Galileo satellites, bringing the number of launched satellites to 26. February also saw the launch of the world’s first Galileo-enabled personal location beacon (PLB), with the Return Link Service endorsed by COSPAS-SARSAT towards the end of the year, further consolidating Galileo’s contribution to global search and rescue. 

In aviation, the European space programme continued to make a significant contribution to increased safety and efficiency, and the GSA signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the deployment manager for the Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) on future cooperation to modernise EU air traffic management by leveraging Galileo and EGNOS. 

EGNOS is continuing its evolution towards EGNOS V3, which will augment both GPS and Galileo in the L1 and L5 bands, supported by payload launched this year. Furthermore, following the successful testing of EGNOS corrections in the maritime domain at the end of last year, EGNOS has also been performing well for the maritime community.

There were major developments for the space sector in Europe in April, when the European Parliament endorsed a provisional agreement on the EU Space Programme for 2021-2027. This new EUR 16-billion programme will help maintain and further enhance the EU's leadership in space. The new programme also has major implications for the GSA, which will grow into the European Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) with an expanded mandate to manage the market uptake and communications of the Copernicus Earth observation programme, helping ensure that synergies between Galileo and Copernicus can be exploited to the benefit of European society and business. The Space Programme also introduces the new security-related space initiatives Space and Situational Awareness (SSA) and Governmental Satellite Communication (GOVSATCOM), which will put Europe in a better position to react to ongoing changes in the international space sector.

The skies were not entirely cloud-free this year, however. In July a technical incident related to the Galileo ground infrastructure resulted in a temporary interruption of the Galileo initial navigation and timing services. Following the incident, we worked closely with all our partners to remedy the situation as quickly as possible and an Independent Inquiry Board was set up by the European Commission to identify the root causes of the incident. While this incident was a setback, valuable lessons were learned ahead of reaching Full Operational Capability and I believe that the GSA and the Galileo programme will be stronger as a result.

September was an exciting month. Galileo reached a major milestone, when the estimated number of Galileo-enabled smartphones in use reached 1 billion. At the same time, the GSA celebrated its 15th anniversary, as part of which we signed a cooperation agreement with the European Investment Bank to support investment in the European space-based service economy. This agreement will help ensure that the European space programme is leveraged to the fullest extent to allow Europeans reap the greatest possible benefits in terms of economic growth and job creation.

In October we launched the 6th issue of our GNSS Market Report. Providing comprehensive information on the dynamic global GNSS market along with in-depth analysis of the latest global trends and developments, this report was eagerly awaited by all market stakeholders and was downloaded over 1,000 times in the first 24 hours. The 1-billion smartphones milestone reached in the previous month, and the market uptake figures in the Market Report, particularly in new markets such as drones and New Space, are extremely encouraging and indicate a growing EU share of the market for downstream applications.

The year drew to a close with three successful demos stemming from GSA research and development projects (Horizon 2020 and Fundamental Elements), again clearly showing the tangible benefits and innovation delivered when EU funding, industry and SMEs come together. In the first of these the GSA and its partners successfully performed end-to-end tests on remote beacon activation using the Galileo Return Link Service (RLS), helping to validate the operational concept for a potential new use of Galileo to support fast response in distress situations. Then we had a live demo of the first autonomous vehicle powered by Galileo, during which an electric car was autonomously driven on a track and public roads, in a world first for Galileo. The PRoPART Galileo-based positioning solution for automated trucks and advanced driver assistance systems was also successfully tested at the end of the month.

These are exciting times for the space industry, 2020 will mark a turning point for Europe’s space programmes and for the GSA, with the Galileo programme getting closer to Full Operational Capability and the GSA to take up its expanded responsibilities within the European Agency for the Space Programme. In the 15 years since it was created, the GSA has put together a uniquely talented and interdisciplinary team with a diverse range of skills and expertise. As a result, the GSA has a stronger basis than ever and is ready to tackle the challenges ahead and turn Europe’s investment in space into opportunities for growth.

EUSPA will usher in a new era for the EU space programme. With its expanded mandate, our team will work to maintain our excellent performance in operations management, service delivery and security. We will also open up new markets and applications, create new funding opportunities and reach out to new stakeholders and user communities. Consolidation of the EU space programmes within one agency will make it possible to explore new horizons and create even stronger links between our satellites in space and the needs of users on the ground.

Our core aim will always be to strengthen the European space programme, while at the same time building an Agency that is future-proof, ready to learn and grow and quickly respond to change, because it is only in this way that we can consolidate the EU’s position as a global space power. 

As the year draws to a close, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the GSA staff for their hard work and commitment throughout the year, and to the European GNSS user community for their continued trust and support. It is thanks to this support that European GNSS continues to flourish.

Best wishes for 2020 to all of you!

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

Even though the General Aviation (GA) community undertakes millions of flights on aircraft equipped with GNSS-receivers, it is not taking full advantage of the technology. It is a priority of the European GNSS Agency (GSA) to support GA by facilitating instrument procedures with EGNOS. As a first step the GSA has identified enablers and blocking points along with aviation stakeholders and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

There are currently 660 EGNOS procedures in Europe, most of which are at instrument runways. However, EGNOS can also support general and business aviation on non-instrument runways. The GSA has issued safety promotion material on GNSS-based Instrument Flight Procedures implementation for General Aviation, Uncontrolled Aerodromes and Non-Instrument Runways in an effort to address this and encourage a wider use of EGNOS in general aviation.

The materials draw together the current regulatory analysis supporting EGNOS operations, along with enablers and best practices to support implementation, open issues and, last but not least, use case examples to encourage national authorities to authorise these types of operations in their countries. This includes examples showcasing how these can be implemented at locations where there are currently visual flight rules only.

Read this: EGNSS enabling change in General Aviation

High engagement

This document is aligned with the EASA Roadmap for General Aviation, which identifies simpler, more proportional rules and operations that are cost efficient, flexible and based on existing best practices. It aims to provide a view on the current implementation enablers in different EU countries and highlights the results of EASA RMTs (Rule Making Tasks) which can be relevant for the implementation of IFR for General Aviation.

“The General Aviation community undertakes millions of flights with aircraft equipped with GNSS-receivers without using the full capabilities of this new technology. By developing IFR procedures for situations where the ground infrastructure may not be present at the aerodrome it would enable GA pilots to plan A-to-B flights with more confidence of being able to complete them safely in changing weather conditions, which would have a positive impact on safety. EASA is extremely grateful to EGA for this collaborative effort,” said Dominique Roland, Head of General Aviation & Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems at EASA.

The document will be of interest to General Aviation community, aerodromes, and air traffic control staff and national authorities alike. Publication of this document aims to start a discussion within the General aviation community, trigger future pilot cases and obtain feedback to identify the tools that should be developed to support the implementation of the IFR procedures for general aviation. 

“Engagement from the aviation community has been high - we received more than 320 comments from over 25 contributors, including civil aviation authorities, air navigation service providers and others during preparation of the document. The GSA would like to thank all the contributors and supporters of this initiative, as this support was fundamental to the development of the document,” said GSA head of Market Development department Fiammetta Diani. “Special thanks go to EASA, ESSP, PPL IR, AOPA, EBAA, Austro Control, DFS, IDRF, FOCA Swiss, the Swedish Transport Agency, Europe Air Sports and the European Regional Aerodromes Community,” she said.

Just the beginning

The document will be published as a Safety Promotion material under EASA’s Together4Safety Safety Promotion initiative. This initiative is a key enabler towards reaching the ultimate objectives of the EU Aviation Safety Management Strategy and contributes to the continuous improvement of aviation safety in Europe and worldwide, together with regulations and oversight.

And this: Austro Control and EGNOS – a story of success

Publication of the materials is just the beginning. The GSA is launching a network of pilot cases in 2020 to collect lessons learned and best practices to promote and support future implementation. It is also proof that GNSS/SBAS is ready to support many different types of operations, extending beyond the traditional scope or initial objectives that the technology was designed for. If you would like to be among first to implement LPV at a non-instrument runway, you are more than welcome!

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

When an emergency or a disaster hits a city or region, the priorities are to care for the wounded, restore infrastructure, provide logistics and basic services, and then to restore livelihoods and reconstruct communities. European GNSS – Galileo and EGNOS – supports applications and the delivery of critical services during the four key phases of the disaster management life cycle: preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation.

When it comes to effectively preparing for and managing the consequences of a disaster, it is important to have access to precise and up-to-date information. GNSS-based applications make a significant contribution during the preparation and mitigation phases of disaster management, supporting GNSS monitoring and early warning systems for disasters such as landslide or tsunami. 

For the future, an EGNSS-based Emergency Warning Service is being considered as an additional service to support disaster management. The widespread use of Galileo receivers embedded in mobile phones means that the system can provide truly global early warnings and direct the civilian population in the event of an emergency. 

Response and recovery

During the response and recovery phases of disaster management, rescue teams need guidance to use the routes that are still available to reach the affected areas. This requires detailed mapping and high accuracy navigation and positioning capabilities. High accuracy is especially needed under difficult circumstances that reduce visibility, such as fires, smoke or fog. 

Watch this: EGNOS for Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS)

Here the upcoming Galileo High Accuracy Service (HAS) will make a difference, providing the accuracy needed to navigate drones and to enhance the navigation capability of search and rescue teams, while the Authenticated Open Service (OS-NMA) will provide additional robustness to the Galileo signals, foiling any attempt to disrupt rescue operations. EGNOS enabled PinS also increase access to helipads in poor visibility for Helicopter Emergency and Medical Services (HEMS).

Drones for disaster response

Responding to the need for an effective system for people location that can be used by disaster relief services in difficult terrain, the MOBNET project is designing a system to locate isolated victims in the event of natural or man-made disasters. The system also can help first responder services to find lost people in the mountains. 

Read this: Integrating GNSS in UAVs for faster SAR

The MOBNET solution takes advantage of the ubiquity of mobile phones and the cost and performance gains of using drones in search and rescue operations, while leveraging the high-quality timing synchronisation capabilities provided by Galileo. Taking advantage of these three features, MOBNET uses digital cellular technologies to detect the presence of people, by locating their mobiles, and help rescuers in their search.

Synergies in space

Earth observation such as Copernicus is invaluable to detect fires or to map the extent of a disaster. Depending on the type of emergency, timely meteorological data from satellites and ground monitoring stations are also very useful in coping with the response.

EGNSS works along with Copernicus remote sensing and Earth observation to provide a comprehensive space-based approach to disaster management. Copernicus applications include short and long-term flood forecasting and a fire risk index, early warning alerts, insurance and rapid mapping of disaster areas during an emergency. 

Communications links are also vital to coordinate and direct the rescue teams at a time when transportation infrastructure, including roads and bridges, may be severely damaged or impassable. Satellite communication allows the transfer of data when the usual communication infrastructures are disabled by the disaster event. Working in synergy, Copernicus, EGNSS and satellite communications provide the spatial awareness, connectivity and highly accurate positioning and navigation needed for an effective response.

More success stories 

The GEO-VISION project (GNSS-driven EO and Verifiable Image and Sensor Integration for mission-critical Operational Networks) has developed the RAIDO and AGILE solutions to increase the situational awareness of emergency services and allow first responders to check the integrity of the GNSS signals they receive, increasing the efficiency of the emergency response and helping to save more lives. 

Likewise, the AIOSAT (Autonomous Indoor & Outdoor Safety Tracking System) project is developing a portable system that can be carried by first responders operating in a disaster zone. This system continuously transmits the position of the responders to a Mobile Coordination Centre, allowing them to effectively manage the situation and prevent rescue workers from taking risky actions.

In this way, the application counteracts some of the issues that arise with GNSS use in an emergency situation, such as a fire for example, where GNSS availability, reliability, and accuracy can be affected by the thick smoke, dense forests, rough terrain or the fact that responders are inside buildings.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

GNSS is a key enabler of precision agriculture, allowing farmers to drive their tractors along parallel lines, avoid overlaps and gaps in field cultivation, and reduce their fatigue thanks to satellite-enabled autopilot. GNSS also helps to reduce agriculture’s ecological footprint – a win-win situation for society as a whole. Thanks to Galileo´s dual frequency and authentication capability, it can also help farmers and authorities in the frame of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).  

Speaking at the EGNSS4CAP Workshop, a part of the 25th JRC MARS Conference in Prague on 29 November, European GNSS Agency Executive Director Carlo des Dorides said that for 10 years already EGNOS had been providing farmers with an affordable precision agriculture entry solution, delivering metre-level accuracy over Europe free of charge.

He noted that equipment manufacturers had been quick to realize the benefits of EGNOS, and that over 90% of new tractors in Europe are currently equipped with EGNOS receivers. “Galileo also offers several services that the agriculture community can benefit from – the Open Service is already improving positioning and navigation, especially thanks to dual frequency. It will be complemented by the High Accuracy Service that will provide around 20-cm accuracy free of charge and the Authentication Service that will reduce risks associated with spoofing,” des Dorides said.

Space synergies

On its own, GNSS provides considerable benefits to farmers, but it is when it works in synergy with the EU Earth observation programme Copernicus that the EU space programmes really deliver. “EGNSS and Copernicus are two pillars that play a crucial role in achieving sustainable agriculture,” des Dorides said. “In particular, the satellite programmes play a crucial role in the Common Agricultural Policy, delivering significant added-value for farmers, the institutions involved and society at large,” he said.

Read this: EU Space Week 2019: Sustainability and Space

One application that exploits synergies between EGNSS and Earth observation is EGNSS4CAP. This is an Android smartphone app that enables EU farmers to digitalise procedures related to their reporting requirements under the current and post-2020 CAP. The application will enable farmers to provide geo-tagged photos to support and complement a Copernicus-based monitoring approach to CAP. It uses the Galileo differentiators, Open Service Authentication and dual frequency, and can help authorities and farmers to reduce bureaucratic burden and duplications, as well as improve performance and reliability.

Implementing CAP

“GNSS and Copernicus are the core components in the digital farming ecosystem (Agriculture 4.0) and the main contributors to the modernised CAP,” Fiammetta Diani, the GSA’s Head of Market Development said at the conference.

For example, satellite-based monitoring procedures can reduce the need for On-The-Spot Checks (OTSC) for area-based CAP payments (EU subsidies related to the area and type of crop). The Galileo-based geo-tagged photo application provides the location and timing of the photo, leveraging Galileo’s dual-frequency and authentication features to provide higher accuracy and authentication for reporting to the paying agencies. The application is freely and openly available for any institution or company that would like to integrate it in their own solutions.   

In this way, EGNSS is helping to support efficient operations in one of the key areas of the EU economy. The CAP impacts almost 10 million people working in agriculture and has a proposed budget of EUR 365 billion for 2021-2027, accounting for about one-third of the total EU budget.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

The drone market is booming and is set to outstrip any other GNSS user base in aviation and open up new business opportunities for application developers, according to a White Paper on European Global Navigation Satellite Systems (EGNSS) for drones operations, produced by the European GNSS Agency (GSA).

In light of the upswing on the drone market, European drone service revenues are expected to nearly double from EUR 32 million in 2018 to approximately EUR 60 million by 2020 and are eventually forecast to reach EUR 150 million by 2023. 

GNSS is not an option for drones anymore, but a necessary asset. GNSS is essential for the safe and reliable navigation of drones, and GNSS receivers are implemented on almost all new commercial drones as standard. With increasing demand for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations GNSS, possibly with various augmentations, is the most obvious choice of technology for navigation, although it is not the only one. 

EGNSS for added accuracy

Given the additional accuracy that Galileo offers, it is no surprise that Galileo is already present in more than 30% of the receivers used for drone applications, and many of them also implement EGNOS corrections to increase accuracy. The GSA White paper provides an overview of the added value of EGNOS and Galileo for current and emerging operations, as well as for future U-Space services. 

Read this: Targeting the development of a drone-borne Galileo receiver

The paper provides a market perspective of GNSS for drones, together with a summary of applications powered by EGNSS and the results of testing campaigns that show the benefits of EGNSS vs GPS in different operational contexts. With Galileo satellites in addition to GPS, drones can use signals from more satellites for position determination which improves their accuracy and also increases the availability of received signals. This is particularly important in urban canyons. 

Galileo also offers distinct and unique features that benefit drone operations. For example, Galileo’s authentication will provide additional trust in the position, which is more robust against intentional or unintentional interferences. EGNOS corrections also provide improved robustness over Europe and higher safety of navigation as well as improved accuracy, which is especially relevant in the vertical axis for drones operations. 

Seeking your input

The paper targets drone manufacturers and operators, but also entrepreneurs planning to offer new services with unmanned platforms. The document can serve as a basis to choose navigation solutions based on EGNOS/Galileo that will increase the robustness of their operations thanks to increased navigation performance. 

And this: Performance Cockpit takes overall prize at Galileo Masters 2019

The document is intended to be a living document and we welcome contributions from operators and users who would like to share their experience of using EGNOS and Galileo. Likewise, if you have additional needs that you would like to be met by future evolutions of the EGNSS services, then we would love to hear from you.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

The drone market is booming and is set to outstrip any other GNSS user base in aviation and open up new business opportunities for application developers, according to a White Paper on European Global Navigation Satellite Systems (EGNSS) for drones operations, produced by the European GNSS Agency (GSA).

In light of the upswing on the drone market, European drone service revenues are expected to nearly double from EUR 32 million in 2018 to approximately EUR 60 million by 2020 and are eventually forecast to reach EUR 150 million by 2023. 

GNSS is not an option for drones anymore, but a necessary asset. GNSS is essential for the safe and reliable navigation of drones, and GNSS receivers are implemented on almost all new commercial drones as standard. With increasing demand for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations GNSS, possibly with various augmentations, is the most obvious choice of technology for navigation, although it is not the only one. 

EGNSS for added accuracy

Given the additional accuracy that Galileo offers, it is no surprise that Galileo is already present in more than 30% of the receivers used for drone applications, and many of them also implement EGNOS corrections to increase accuracy. The GSA White paper provides an overview of the added value of EGNOS and Galileo for current and emerging operations, as well as for future U-Space services. 

Read this: Targeting the development of a drone-borne Galileo receiver

The paper provides a market perspective of GNSS for drones, together with a summary of applications powered by EGNSS and the results of testing campaigns that show the benefits of EGNSS vs GPS in different operational contexts. With Galileo satellites in addition to GPS, drones can use signals from more satellites for position determination which improves their accuracy and also increases the availability of received signals. This is particularly important in urban canyons. 

Galileo also offers distinct and unique features that benefit drone operations. For example, Galileo’s authentication will provide additional trust in the position, which is more robust against intentional or unintentional interferences. EGNOS corrections also provide improved robustness over Europe and higher safety of navigation as well as improved accuracy, which is especially relevant in the vertical axis for drones operations. 

Seeking your input

The paper targets drone manufacturers and operators, but also entrepreneurs planning to offer new services with unmanned platforms. The document can serve as a basis to choose navigation solutions based on EGNOS/Galileo that will increase the robustness of their operations thanks to increased navigation performance. 

And this: Performance Cockpit takes overall prize at Galileo Masters 2019

The document is intended to be a living document and we welcome contributions from operators and users who would like to share their experience of using EGNOS and Galileo. Likewise, if you have additional needs that you would like to be met by future evolutions of the EGNSS services, then we would love to hear from you.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

The drone market is booming and is set to outstrip any other GNSS user base in aviation and open up new business opportunities for application developers, according to a White Paper on European Global Navigation Satellite Systems (EGNSS) for drones operations, produced by the European GNSS Agency (GSA).

In light of the upswing on the drone market, European drone service revenues are expected to nearly double from EUR 32 million in 2018 to approximately EUR 60 million by 2020 and are eventually forecast to reach EUR 150 million by 2023. 

GNSS is not an option for drones anymore, but a necessary asset. GNSS is essential for the safe and reliable navigation of drones, and GNSS receivers are implemented on almost all new commercial drones as standard. With increasing demand for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations GNSS, possibly with various augmentations, is the most obvious choice of technology for navigation, although it is not the only one. 

EGNSS for added accuracy

Given the additional accuracy that Galileo offers, it is no surprise that Galileo is already present in more than 30% of the receivers used for drone applications, and many of them also implement EGNOS corrections to increase accuracy. The GSA White paper provides an overview of the added value of EGNOS and Galileo for current and emerging operations, as well as for future U-Space services. 

Read this: Targeting the development of a drone-borne Galileo receiver

The paper provides a market perspective of GNSS for drones, together with a summary of applications powered by EGNSS and the results of testing campaigns that show the benefits of EGNSS vs GPS in different operational contexts. With Galileo satellites in addition to GPS, drones can use signals from more satellites for position determination which improves their accuracy and also increases the availability of received signals. This is particularly important in urban canyons. 

Galileo also offers distinct and unique features that benefit drone operations. For example, Galileo’s authentication will provide additional trust in the position, which is more robust against intentional or unintentional interferences. EGNOS corrections also provide improved robustness over Europe and higher safety of navigation as well as improved accuracy, which is especially relevant in the vertical axis for drones operations. 

Seeking your input

The paper targets drone manufacturers and operators, but also entrepreneurs planning to offer new services with unmanned platforms. The document can serve as a basis to choose navigation solutions based on EGNOS/Galileo that will increase the robustness of their operations thanks to increased navigation performance. 

And this: Performance Cockpit takes overall prize at Galileo Masters 2019

The document is intended to be a living document and we welcome contributions from operators and users who would like to share their experience of using EGNOS and Galileo. Likewise, if you have additional needs that you would like to be met by future evolutions of the EGNSS services, then we would love to hear from you.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

Even though the General Aviation (GA) community undertakes millions of flights on aircraft equipped with GNSS-receivers, it is not taking full advantage of the technology. It is a priority of the European GNSS Agency (GSA) to support GA by facilitating instrument procedures with EGNOS. As a first step the GSA has identified enablers and blocking points along with aviation stakeholders and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

There are currently 660 EGNOS procedures in Europe, most of which are at instrument runways. However, EGNOS can also support general and business aviation on non-instrument runways. The GSA has issued safety promotion material on GNSS-based Instrument Flight Procedures implementation for General Aviation, Uncontrolled Aerodromes and Non-Instrument Runways in an effort to address this and encourage a wider use of EGNOS in general aviation.

The materials draw together the current regulatory analysis supporting EGNOS operations, along with enablers and best practices to support implementation, open issues and, last but not least, use case examples to encourage national authorities to authorise these types of operations in their countries. This includes examples showcasing how these can be implemented at locations where there are currently visual flight rules only.

Read this: EGNSS enabling change in General Aviation

High engagement

This document is aligned with the EASA Roadmap for General Aviation, which identifies simpler, more proportional rules and operations that are cost efficient, flexible and based on existing best practices. It aims to provide a view on the current implementation enablers in different EU countries and highlights the results of EASA RMTs (Rule Making Tasks) which can be relevant for the implementation of IFR for General Aviation.

“The General Aviation community undertakes millions of flights with aircraft equipped with GNSS-receivers without using the full capabilities of this new technology. By developing IFR procedures for situations where the ground infrastructure may not be present at the aerodrome it would enable GA pilots to plan A-to-B flights with more confidence of being able to complete them safely in changing weather conditions, which would have a positive impact on safety. EASA is extremely grateful to EGA for this collaborative effort,” said Dominique Roland, Head of General Aviation & Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems at EASA.

The document will be of interest to General Aviation community, aerodromes, and air traffic control staff and national authorities alike. Publication of this document aims to start a discussion within the General aviation community, trigger future pilot cases and obtain feedback to identify the tools that should be developed to support the implementation of the IFR procedures for general aviation. 

“Engagement from the aviation community has been high - we received more than 320 comments from over 25 contributors, including civil aviation authorities, air navigation service providers and others during preparation of the document. The GSA would like to thank all the contributors and supporters of this initiative, as this support was fundamental to the development of the document,” said GSA head of Market Development department Fiammetta Diani. “Special thanks go to EASA, ESSP, PPL IR, AOPA, EBAA, Austro Control, DFS, IDRF, FOCA Swiss, the Swedish Transport Agency, Europe Air Sports and the European Regional Aerodromes Community,” she said.

Just the beginning

The document will be published as a Safety Promotion material under EASA’s Together4Safety Safety Promotion initiative. This initiative is a key enabler towards reaching the ultimate objectives of the EU Aviation Safety Management Strategy and contributes to the continuous improvement of aviation safety in Europe and worldwide, together with regulations and oversight.

And this: Austro Control and EGNOS – a story of success

Publication of the materials is just the beginning. The GSA is launching a network of pilot cases in 2020 to collect lessons learned and best practices to promote and support future implementation. It is also proof that GNSS/SBAS is ready to support many different types of operations, extending beyond the traditional scope or initial objectives that the technology was designed for. If you would like to be among first to implement LPV at a non-instrument runway, you are more than welcome!

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

The second day of the EU Space Week event in Helsinki opened with an overview of the final tranche of project calls under the Horizon 2020 space programme. The final Horizon 2020 EGNSS (Galileo and EGNOS) calls are now open, with a closing date of 5 March 2020. The session covered research and innovation topics across Copernicus, EGNOS and Galileo programmes and also took a look to the future with Horizon Europe.

The context of the calls, in terms of EGNSS market uptake, was described by Reinhard Blasi from the GSA. “European investments in EGNSS are already making profits, with some EUR 2.8 billion of benefits computed for 2018 alone,” he stated. Currently EGNSS market revenues represent 25% of global sales, with a target of 30% to be achieved by 2025.

Funding downstream research and innovation is an important component of the GSA’s integrated strategy to foster the adoption of EGNSS technologies and boost EU competitiveness.

The H2020-SPACE-EGNSS-2020 call is open until 5 March, has an overall indicative budget of EUR 21 million and covers four topics: EGNSS apps for green, smart transport, EGNSS for mass market digitisation, EGNSS apps for resilience and environmental protection, and EGNSS applications for public authority procurement of research. The last topic is the first attempt to use the Pre-Commercial Procurement (PCP) instrument under Horizon 2020 in the EGNSS domain.

Fundamental work

The GSA’s Fundamental Elements programme has also issued project calls with more to come. The published calls include development of an enhanced GNSS User terminal, emerging EGNSS receiver technologies, development of advanced interference systems, and the development of a drone-borne double frequency receiver. Three more calls to be published in December will cover receivers for rail applications, high precision in the mass market, and a shipborne double frequency, multi-constellation receiver.

Read this: GSA funding: Filling the gaps and emerging technologies

“There is still much to do in 2020 and beyond,” said Blasi. “The GSA has three main objectives: to complete the uptake of EGNSS in more long-term regulated markets, position Galileo as the leader with its differentiating characteristics including authentication and high accuracy, and continue to support the downstream industry.”

Eric Guyader from the European Commission outlined upcoming calls administered through the Commission’s EGNSS Mission and Services (MAS) actions. Two calls are to be published soon on R&D for EGNOS services for payment or liability critical applications in the road sector and EGNSS rail safety services.

And this: Targeting the development of a drone-borne Galileo receiver

In addition, up to eight calls may be published in 2020 under the European Space Agency administered Horizon 2020 Satellite Navigation programme (HSNAV) with some EUR 2 million earmarked for projects relating to EGNSS evolution projects.

STRIKE success

An EGNSS research success story was provided by Zahidul Bhuiyan of the Finnish National Land Survey who described the Strike-3 project funded under Horizon 2020 looking at standardisation of GNSS Interference Threat Monitoring and Receiver Testing. The project had set up an international network to monitor GNSS interference. “GNSS needs protection,” said Bhuiyan. “STRIKE-3 aimed to improve our understanding of the threat scene facing stakeholders in implementing GNSS safety and security.”

The project found that out of over half a million monitored interference events, both unintentional and malicious, only 5% had an impact on the receiver, with the vast majority not actually denying the use of GNSS. The project reinforced the recognition that improved interference detection and mitigation can help the robustness of PNT services, in particular for critical infrastructure, and its receiver testing standard document provides a good initial test standard to ensure that reports from different systems are compatible.

Horizon Europe

Although the budget for the next Framework R&D programme for 2021-2027, Horizon Europe, is still subject to negotiation Mats Ljungqvist of DG GROW gave an overview of the current state of play. The current budget for the EU Space Programme in Horizon Europe is EUR 16 billion with some EUR 9.7 billion allocated to EGNSS topics.

An orientation document on the first strategic plan and work programme for Horizon Europe published at the end of October contains two sections on space research and innovation: 4.8 ‘A globally competitive space sector reinforcing EU sovereignty’ and 4.11 ‘New services from Space for the EU society and economy’.

Within the three pillars of Horizon Europe, Pillar 2 on Global Challenges and Industrial Competitiveness is allocated around half the total budget and includes a cluster (Digital, Industry & Space) that directly addresses space topics. “Pillar 3 on Open Innovation will also be of interest to the space sector,” said Ljungqvist. “An Enhanced European Innovation Council will provide accelerator and pathfinder grants to help bring bright ideas to market.”

Higher innovation funding should also be made available via an enhanced InvestEU programme where a European Union guarantee of some EUR 40 billion is looking to mobilise up to EUR 700 billion of private investment for growth and scale-up.

Together with a new Commission Directorate-General for Defence and Space, starting work at the beginning of 2020, there is a clear focus for space-related strategy and activities in Europe that reflect the growing importance of the space sector.

The GSA and the Commission have also been consulting with GNSS user communities to take their input into consideration when defining EGNSS downstream funding priorities in the new financial perspective. A recent report from the GSA summarises the results of these consultations and outlines future R&I priorities.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

Concrete funding opportunities that are available to space tech start-ups were in focus at the MyGalileoApp competition, held at the European GNSS Agency’s (GSA) headquarters in Prague on 7 November. At an investors panel discussion held as part of the event, start-ups heard about some of the concrete funding opportunities that are available to them.

Kicking-off the panel discussion, Marta Krywanis-Brzostowska, Head of Downstream R&D in the GSA Market Development Department, noted that the Agency currently has a portfolio of over 60 projects worth a total of over EUR 120 million. She said that, through Horizon 2020, the GSA is supporting the development of applications, while the Fundamental Elements mechanism targets the development of hardware, such as chipsets and receivers.

Noting that funding is also made available through aviation grants and smaller initiatives like MyGalileoApp and other prizes such as the Galileo Masters and Farming by Satellite, Krywanis-Brzostowska said that start-ups stand to receive more dedicated support in the future.

Dedicated start-up programme

“We are aware that there is a need to support start-ups, this is why in the new financial framework after 2020 we are planning, along with the European Commission, to define a dedicated programme that will support start-ups,” she said.

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Thierry Chapuis, space applications expert at CNES (Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales) in France spoke about some of the support available through his organisation, in particular the Connect by CNES initiative, which was set up to help private and public actors to develop their applications. CNES is also participating in and funding the ESA Business Incubation Centres at the French national level. CNES is also working at the aviation level and organising hackathons such as Act in Space, the next edition of which will be in April 2020, he said.

Like Krywanis-Brzostowska, Chapuis also noted that start-ups stood to benefit from some dedicated support. “The French government has decided to develop start-ups and a big budget of EUR 400 million has been approved. CNES is responsible for selecting start-ups related to space activities within this programme,” he said.

Advancing to the next stage

João Duarte, responsible for early stage venture capital at Lighthouse Ventures, a EUR 23-million fund based in Prague, said that his company supports early stage start-ups with between 50,000 to 700,000 euros per start-up, with EUR 300,000 being the most typical amount. “We also have an acceleration programme where we invest EUR 20,000 for a couple of months to help a start-up go from the idea stage to having a business plan and some early customers. If they successfully complete the acceleration, then they will be eligible for larger investment to take them to the next stage,” he said.

And this: GSA, EIB sign agreement on investment in space

Representing UP21, an incubator and seed fund based in Prague, Anna Efros informed the participants that, so far her company had carried out 16 investments in two strategies: incubation with up to EUR 30,000 for 3-6 months, and larger investments of up to EUR 500,000 euros. “We are currently setting up a venture capital fund called START21 which will hopefully amount to EUR 25 million, and also we are co-organiser of the Start-up World Cup and Summit, which will be held in April 2020,” she said.

Money to disperse

Unlike other similar agencies, the Italian Space Agency doesn’t have its own research labs. However, Anilkumar Dave, Head of Innovation and Transfer of Technologies at the Agency, said that it has a lot of government money to disburse. “We will launch the first venture capital fund on space in Italy at the end of this year, where we are the cornerstone investor - but we will not invest in early-stage and seed, but rather in SMEs,” he said. 

Marketa Filipenska, International Funding Specialist at the South Moravian Innovation Centre (JIC) noted that her centre had recently opened a European Space Agency BIC where it is helping people with ideas related to space upstream and downstream. “We are providing them with EUR 50,000 and business mentoring, in addition to connecting them to big players in the sector,” she said.

Wrapping up the discussion, Fiammetta Diani, Head of Market Development at the GSA, spoke about a Memorandum of Understanding that the GSA signed with the European Investment Bank (EIB) in September this year, dealing with cooperation on supporting investment in the European space-based service economy. “The MoU aims to give space start-ups a greater portfolio of opportunities and tools to help them to grow,” she said.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).