zprávy

The EGNOS ground segment in Torrejon de Ardoz, Spain and Ciampino, Italy is currently undergoing an important upgrade to ensure further robustness and integrity of services to the users of Europe’s Satellite-Based-Augmentation System (SBAS).

EGNOS, the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service, has been augmenting GPS signal and providing services to users in Europe since June 2005. The provision of EGNOS services is generating tangible benefits to numerous market segments, including road, rail, maritime, geomatics, agriculture and in particular aviation. About to celebrate its 10th Safety of Life (SoL) anniversary, the system is currently replacing its five Central Processing Facilities (CPF) of first generation with new, second generation ones.

The role of CPFs is to process the data received from the network of more than 40 reference stations (RIMS) to elaborate clock and ephemeris corrections for each GPS satellite in view. CPFs generate a model for ionospheric induced delays over the EGNOS service area to compensate for ionospheric perturbations to the navigation signals ensuring the integrity of the broadcast corrections. The second generation CPFs, developed by Thales Alenia Space, come together with the entry into service of a new EGNOS System Release "ESR-242A". 

A step-wise approach

The changes in the EGNOS ground segment were performed in a seamless manner without any interruption from an EGNOS user point of view, and without compromising at any moment the EGNOS performance. The deployment plan ensures the service continuity on the two geostationary satellites, with just few minutes outage in each. A two-month testing period will follow before decommissioning the old CPF, allowing for a rollback in case of need.

"The CPF upgrade is an important building block which will further ensure the uninterrupted and robust provision of service to our diverse group of users that grows daily," says Jean-Marc Piéplu, Head of EGNOS Services Department. "Congratulations to all teams involved, industry, the service provider, ESA and EUSPA teams," Piéplu concludes.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) 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 EUSPA website (http://www.euspa.europa.eu).

Two out of the six challenges included in the #myEUSpace competition are targeting solutions that will power Europe’s efforts to become climate neutral by 2050.

The EU space technology has a fundamental role in the delivery of innovative solutions and #myEUspace competition is the perfect tool at the fingertips of entrepreneurs and visionaries with deeper technical knowledge of EGNSS and/or Copernicus. In the "Our Green Planet" challenge "environmental entrepreneurs" are tasked with developing trailblazing solutions to address environmental challenges, promote sustainable life, consumption and production, but also mitigate climate change, by relying on space services from the EU Space Programme.

Since their inception, the EU’s flagships, Galileo and EGNOS have been contributing to the rollout of sustainable transport modes by reducing emissions, when optimizing routes in the air, on land and at sea. In particular, the use of satellite navigation systems such as Galileo, in road vehicles, can reduce journey times by more than ten per cent, and thus contribute to cutting down emissions. Likewise, geospatial data by Copernicus can also be used to improve site selection of assets such as solar panels or wind turbines. Imagery from the Sentinel satellites offers greater situational awareness and help mitigate risks such as vegetation encroachment on power grids and turbines. 

EUSPA supporting EU Green Deal objectives

The EU Green Deal is a multilayered package of well though-out policies and initiatives aimed not only at reversing climate change but also shifting the European economic model to a new more sustainable path. To do so, significant investment is needed in new digital technologies that will help curb greenhouse gas emissions, support the development of green infrastructure and promote the circular economy model. The two challenges are, to a large extend, interlinked with the objectives of the Deal.

For this particular challenge, EUSPA will rely on the expertise of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) when reviewing the proposals. The ECMWF is a research institute and a 24/7 operational service, producing global numerical weather predictions and other data for our Member and Co-operating States and the broader community. The Centre has one of the largest supercomputer facilities and meteorological data archives in the world. Other strategic activities include delivering advanced training and assisting the WMO in implementing its programmes.

EUSPA has previously founded applications with an eco-friendly approach such as the autonomous robotic solution 10Lines, or ThunderFly, a drone performing atmosphere analyses, leveraging services and data from Galileo and Copernicus.

Farming by Satellite in line with the Farm to Fork Strategy

The aim of the challenge is to promote Galileo, Europe’s Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and Copernicus, the EU Earth Observation (EO) services in agriculture.

Grassland and cropland together make up 39 % of Europe's land cover. Today’s agricultural landscape is facing the challenge of producing enough food to respond to a rapid world population growth, while reducing its environmental footprint in terms of emissions, soil degradation, water consumption, fertilizer and pesticide application. To tackle these challenges more and more farmers and agriculturists across the European Union resort to precision agriculture.

When working in synergy, Galileo, EGNOS and Copernicus contribute to smart and sustainable farming techniques. With around 70% of new GNSS tractors using Galileo and another 97% using EGNOS, the EU space technology is becoming the preferred technology for precision farming in Europe. With Galileo’s capability of combining signals from other constellations (GPS, GLONASS) and with corrections coming from EGNOS coupled with the upcoming Galileo High Accuracy Service, service provision becomes more seamless than ever. EU farmers are able to steer their machinery precisely and, fertilise exactly where needed. Thanks to the joint usage of EU Space assets, it is estimated that EU farmers can save up to 20% of pesticides and fertilisers. 

The "Farming by Satellite" challenge is built around the unlimited opportunities the EU Space Programme components generate to the benefit of agribusiness. Participants are asked to get creative and come up with solutions to manage the variability of agricultural production, improve crop yield, reduce environmental impact and optimize the food chain in line with the EU’s Farm to Fork strategy and Green Deal.

For more information about the competition, the next steps and the evaluation criteria please consult our page here.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) 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 EUSPA website (http://www.euspa.europa.eu).

Two out of the six challenges included in the #myEUSpace competition are targeting solutions that will power Europe’s efforts to become climate neutral by 2050.

The EU space technology has a fundamental role in the delivery of innovative solutions and #myEUspace competition is the perfect tool at the fingertips of entrepreneurs and visionaries with deeper technical knowledge of EGNSS and/or Copernicus. In the "Our Green Planet" challenge "environmental entrepreneurs" are tasked with developing trailblazing solutions to address environmental challenges, promote sustainable life, consumption and production, but also mitigate climate change, by relying on space services from the EU Space Programme.

Since their inception, the EU’s flagships, Galileo and EGNOS have been contributing to the rollout of sustainable transport modes by reducing emissions, when optimizing routes in the air, on land and at sea. In particular, the use of satellite navigation systems such as Galileo, in road vehicles, can reduce journey times by more than ten per cent, and thus contribute to cutting down emissions. Likewise, geospatial data by Copernicus can also be used to improve site selection of assets such as solar panels or wind turbines. Imagery from the Sentinel satellites offers greater situational awareness and help mitigate risks such as vegetation encroachment on power grids and turbines. 

EUSPA supporting EU Green Deal objectives

The EU Green Deal is a multilayered package of well though-out policies and initiatives aimed not only at reversing climate change but also shifting the European economic model to a new more sustainable path. To do so, significant investment is needed in new digital technologies that will help curb greenhouse gas emissions, support the development of green infrastructure and promote the circular economy model. The two challenges are, to a large extend, interlinked with the objectives of the Deal.

EUSPA has previously founded applications with an eco-friendly approach such as the autonomous robotic solution 10Lines, or ThunderFly, a drone performing atmosphere analyses, leveraging services and data from Galileo and Copernicus.

Farming by Satellite in line with the Farm to Fork Strategy

The aim of the challenge is to promote Galileo, Europe’s Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and Copernicus, the EU Earth Observation (EO) services in agriculture.

Grassland and cropland together make up 39 % of Europe's land cover. Today’s agricultural landscape is facing the challenge of producing enough food to respond to a rapid world population growth, while reducing its environmental footprint in terms of emissions, soil degradation, water consumption, fertilizer and pesticide application. To tackle these challenges more and more farmers and agriculturists across the European Union resort to precision agriculture.

When working in synergy, Galileo, EGNOS and Copernicus contribute to smart and sustainable farming techniques. With around 70% of new GNSS tractors using Galileo and another 97% using EGNOS, the EU space technology is becoming the preferred technology for precision farming in Europe. With Galileo’s capability of combining signals from other constellations (GPS, GLONASS) and with corrections coming from EGNOS coupled with the upcoming Galileo High Accuracy Service, service provision becomes more seamless than ever. EU farmers are able to steer their machinery precisely and, fertilise exactly where needed. Thanks to the joint usage of EU Space assets, it is estimated that EU farmers can save up to 20% of pesticides and fertilisers. 

The "Farming by Satellite" challenge is built around the unlimited opportunities the EU Space Programme components generate to the benefit of agribusiness. Participants are asked to get creative and come up with solutions to manage the variability of agricultural production, improve crop yield, reduce environmental impact and optimize the food chain in line with the EU’s Farm to Fork strategy and Green Deal.

For more information about the competition, the next steps and the evaluation criteria please consult our page here

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) 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 EUSPA website (http://www.euspa.europa.eu).

Two out of the six challenges included in the #myEUSpace competition are targeting solutions that will power Europe’s efforts to become climate neutral by 2050.

The EU space technology has a fundamental role in the delivery of innovative solutions and #myEUspace competition is the perfect tool at the fingertips of entrepreneurs and visionaries with deeper technical knowledge of EGNSS and/or Copernicus. In the "Our Green Planet" challenge "environmental entrepreneurs" are tasked with developing trailblazing solutions to address environmental challenges, promote sustainable life, consumption and production, but also mitigate climate change, by relying on space services from the EU Space Programme.

Since their inception, the EU’s flagships, Galileo and EGNOS have been contributing to the rollout of sustainable transport modes by reducing emissions, when optimizing routes in the air, on land and at sea. In particular, the use of satellite navigation systems such as Galileo, in road vehicles, can reduce journey times by more than ten per cent, and thus contribute to cutting down emissions. Likewise, geospatial data by Copernicus can also be used to improve site selection of assets such as solar panels or wind turbines. Imagery from the Sentinel satellites offers greater situational awareness and help mitigate risks such as vegetation encroachment on power grids and turbines. 

EUSPA supporting EU Green Deal objectives

The EU Green Deal is a multilayered package of well though-out policies and initiatives aimed not only at reversing climate change but also shifting the European economic model to a new more sustainable path. To do so, significant investment is needed in new digital technologies that will help curb greenhouse gas emissions, support the development of green infrastructure and promote the circular economy model. The two challenges are, to a large extend, interlinked with the objectives of the Deal.

For this particular challenge, EUSPA will rely on the expertise of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) when reviewing the proposals. The ECMWF is a research institute and a 24/7 operational service, producing global numerical weather predictions and other data for our Member and Co-operating States and the broader community.  ECMWF operates two services from the EU’s Copernicus Earth observation programme, the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) and the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) while it also contributes to the Copernicus Emergency Management Service (CEMS). 

EUSPA has previously founded applications with an eco-friendly approach such as the autonomous robotic solution 10Lines, or ThunderFly, a drone performing atmosphere analyses, leveraging services and data from Galileo and Copernicus.

Farming by Satellite in line with the Farm to Fork Strategy

The aim of the challenge is to promote Galileo, Europe’s Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and Copernicus, the EU Earth Observation (EO) services in agriculture.

Grassland and cropland together make up 39 % of Europe's land cover. Today’s agricultural landscape is facing the challenge of producing enough food to respond to a rapid world population growth, while reducing its environmental footprint in terms of emissions, soil degradation, water consumption, fertilizer and pesticide application. To tackle these challenges more and more farmers and agriculturists across the European Union resort to precision agriculture.

When working in synergy, Galileo, EGNOS and Copernicus contribute to smart and sustainable farming techniques. With around 70% of new GNSS tractors using Galileo and another 97% using EGNOS, the EU space technology is becoming the preferred technology for precision farming in Europe. With Galileo’s capability of combining signals from other constellations (GPS, GLONASS) and with corrections coming from EGNOS coupled with the upcoming Galileo High Accuracy Service, service provision becomes more seamless than ever. EU farmers are able to steer their machinery precisely and, fertilise exactly where needed. Thanks to the joint usage of EU Space assets, it is estimated that EU farmers can save up to 20% of pesticides and fertilisers. 

The "Farming by Satellite" challenge is built around the unlimited opportunities the EU Space Programme components generate to the benefit of agribusiness. Participants are asked to get creative and come up with solutions to manage the variability of agricultural production, improve crop yield, reduce environmental impact and optimize the food chain in line with the EU’s Farm to Fork strategy and Green Deal.

For more information about the competition, the next steps and the evaluation criteria please consult our page here.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) 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 EUSPA website (http://www.euspa.europa.eu).

Safety of life at sea and ocean protection have always been a top priority in the maritime sector. EUSPA is developing space services, tailored to the needs of this sector that generate tangible benefits to end users.

Maritime transportation is the backbone of the worldwide economic growth, representing 80% of the global merchant traffic. Europe is one of the leading maritime centres in the world with 329 key seaports along its coastline. In particular, the EU controls c.a. 30% of the world merchant fleet with five Member States claiming top fifteen positions (1st Greece 17.6%, 7th Germany 4.1%, 10th France 2.7%, 14th Denmark 2%, 15th Belgium 1.5%). 

For Europe to remain a top player in the waterborne transportation, the European Commission is investing in digital technologies that ensure safety of passengers and crew and minimise the environmental impact of maritime operations. Many of these new technologies rely on data and services generated by the EU Space Programme. 

Safety of human life at sea with Galileo SAR-RLS beacons

The launch of the Galileo constellation means a lot more than accurate navigation. The system was set up to also protect EU citizens through various services, one of them being the Galileo Search and Rescue (SAR) service, which in January 2020 announced a breakthrough feature: the Galileo Return Link Service (RLS).

Thanks to Galileo RLS, sailors in distress, with the appropriate beacon, will see a light indicating that their location has been established and the signal has been picked up by the first responders. So far, Galileo is the only constellation to offer such service to end users. The Galileo RLS increases survival rates by giving an important psychological boost to people in distress. Experts of Cospas-Sarsat estimated that the international SAR system, with the contribution of the Galileo Search and Rescue service, saves more than 2000 lives a year. To promote the market uptake of Galileo RLS beacons across the Union, EUSPA funded the HELIOS project, which equips beacons with this new feature. The first beacon with return link capability, the FastFind ReturnLink PLB, became available in Europe in March 2021.

Authentication of Galileo navigation message onboard vessels

Intentional satellite interreference is not a new issue. Lately, however the maritime industry has been increasingly facing GNSS spoofing incidents (Black Sea in 2017, Shanghai 2019, Louisiana 2020). Erroneous data of a vessel’s position, speed and direction poses real threats to its own operations but also to surrounding ships, especially those carrying dangerous goods. From leaving both crew and shipments vulnerable to hijacking and theft to guiding a vessel off course, the implications of falsifying GNSS signals can negatively impact the Union’s blue economy.

To contribute to the detection of GNSS attacks, the EU is currently testing the Galileo OS-NMA service. This forthcoming service is an authentication mechanism that allows GNSS receivers to verify the authenticity of GNSS information, making sure that the data they receive are indeed from Galileo and have not been modified in any way. Such a service will ensure the integrity of Europe’s own positioning system and will make it a pioneer in GNSS spoofing detection. Two projects funded by EUSPA, ASGARD and  Blueblox-Porbeagle are integrating this capability in Galileo DF shipborne receiver for navigation (ASGARD) and for position reporting in fishing vessels (Bluebox-Porbeagle). 

90% of maritime receivers are EGNOS-enabled and 30% Galileo-enabled.

Trusted precision in shallow waterways and heavy marine traffic

Global waterborne trade is on the rise and expected to double by 2030. The addition of new built vessels and their respective increase in size are squeezing shipping lanes. Coupled with the sprouting of wind offshore farms and the designation of new protected aquatic areas, marine traffic now requires new levels of stringent accuracy.

Galileo is the basis of an important layer of accuracy in open waters while the use of EGNOS corrections Europe wide is already making a difference in many inland waterways and ports.

Going one step ahead, EUSPA is currently developing a new EGNOS service dedicated to the maritime users, which will complement and serve as an alternative to the local DGNSS networks currently deployed along the European coasts. Additionally, in the maritime and inland waterways sector, EUSPA is supporting members states with the upgrade of shore station equipment that enables the transmission of EGNOS corrections over IALA Radio beacons and AIS stations. 

Below-meter accuracy provided by the EU Space Programme allows for precise manoeuvring at congested ports or constricted waterways while it also improves safety at sea.

Marine protection goes hand in hand with safety

Satellite images offer valuable input in decision and policy making as well as emergency response. From rapidly tracking oil spills to supporting authorities in managing incidents such as the Suez Canal Obstruction, Copernicus is a decisive resource of the European Union in ocean protection in line with Sustainable Development Goals 13 and 14.

Copernicus services include a Maritime Surveillance component that, in addition to other products, allows for the monitoring of ships and supports authorities in managing maritime traffic emergencies.

Copernicus services include a Maritime Surveillance component that, in addition to other products, allows for the monitoring of ships and supports authorities in managing maritime traffic emergencies.

Also, by combining satellite technologies maritime operators are able to better plan and execute the itineraries of their fleet. For instance, Copernicus can generate precious data on the strength and direction of ocean streams. Combing this knowledge with precise navigation offered by Galileo and EGNOS (in Europe) vessels can optimize their routes, spend less fuel and curb emissions. Prepare-Ships Project funded by EUSPA is developing such an application.

Jotun, for example, a leading manufacturer of antifouling paint and coatings uses data from the Copernicus Marine Service, in order to optimize the application of antifouling paint on the hulls and propellers of vessels and consequently reduce fuel and CO2 emissions.  

‘’The EU Space Programme supports European maritime operators, seafarers and national authorities with tools to enhance safety at sea, optimize navigation performance and protect the oceans. EUSPA, as a user-oriented agency, follows closely the needs of various markets, maritime included, to shape and deliver new space-based services,’’ says Rodrigo da Costa, EUSPA Executive Director. I would like to take this opportunity to wish all seafarers safe journeys, fair winds and following seas,’’ concludes da Costa.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) 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 EUSPA website (http://www.euspa.europa.eu).