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A recent project funded by the European Commission has carried out technical and financial studies aiming at supporting the standardisation process for EGNSS in drones (also known as UAS or RPAS), in line with the Space Strategy for Europe regarding fostering the use of EGNSS in aviation.

As part of the EGNSS4RPAS project, dedicated flight trials were performed to understand how EGNSS can contribute to safer and more efficient drone operations in real-life scenarios in the future U-Space. The outcomes of the trials will contribute to ongoing standardisation efforts, notably by EUROCAE and ASD-STAN.

The first and second trials were organized at the ATLAS drone test facility in Villacarrillo, Spain. The first test involved one X-UAV Clouds fixed-wing drone with a 1.85-metre wingspan and two DJI multicopters performing several operations in visual line of sight (VLOS) conditions. The second test used the same fixed-wing drone which flew various flight plans in VLOS and beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) conditions. Moreover, dynamic geo-fencing and geo-caging demonstrations were performed as well as a scenario where the drone lost the Command & Control link and was required to return autonomously to the Home Point.

Watch the video: EGNSS4RPAS Project demonstration

Citizen safety guaranteed

A third trial took place in the urban environment of Villacarrillo, placing a DJI S1000 multicopter drone in a more challenging environment for the reception of GNSS signals. This trial performed regular use cases such as building inspection or parcel delivery. Remarkably, it was the first experimental drone operation in an urban environment ever approved by the national civil aviation authority AESA, and one of the few examples of real urban operations in Europe. For this reason, a safety analysis following the Specific Operations Risk Assessment (SORA) methodology was undertaken to guarantee the safety of citizens.

Read this: Instrument flying supported by EGNOS for General Aviation

In all the trials, the drones were equipped with a multi-constellation and multi-frequency receiver called MagicUT which was used to compute the EGNSS solutions and the reference trajectory using PPP. Dedicated multi-constellation and multi-frequency antennas tailored for drone missions were also installed.

Galileo improves accuracy

In open visibility conditions, the results clearly show that the use of Galileo in dual constellation with GPS significantly improves accuracy compared to GPS-only for both the horizontal and vertical dimension. The introduction of EGNOS significantly enhances the GPS-only accuracy. Looking at integrity, the protection levels are well below the requirements defined for LPV-200 in manned aviation and the availability and continuity percentages reached very high values for all EGNSS solutions during the missions.

The urban environment poses several challenges to the reception of GNSS signals. Despite having fewer satellites available, the Galileo-only solution still provides significantly better performances than the GPS-only solution. As envisaged, the performances for the combined GPS and Galileo solution yield an even greater improvement versus the GPS-only solution. 

And this: White Paper on EGNSS for drones now available

Performance are in general very stable for the in-flight phase and error glitches correspond to the take-off and landing phases, where the multipath and satellite visibility may impact the navigation solution. It is demonstrated that the combination of Galileo with GPS is a very robust solution for the urban scenario, achieving 100% of availability for all flight plans. For the in-flight phase, protections levels provided by EGNOS are a differentiator vis-à-vis other GNSS solutions and a potential enabler of critical applications requiring high levels of integrity.

European GNSS solutions – EGNOS and Galileo - were demonstrated to be a pivotal element for the safety and efficiency of drone operations even in cities. As such, EGNSS has the capability to boost the drone market and facilitate public acceptance of these new entrants. The European Commission and the GSA will continue to demonstrate the added value of EGNSS for drones and support the uptake of EGNSS-based standards in this user community.

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).

A recent project funded by the European Commission has carried out technical and financial studies aiming at supporting the standardisation process for EGNSS in drones (also known as UAS or RPAS), in line with the Space Strategy for Europe regarding fostering the use of EGNSS in aviation.

As part of the EGNSS4RPAS project, dedicated flight trials were performed to understand how EGNSS can contribute to safer and more efficient drone operations in real-life scenarios in the future U-Space. The outcomes of the trials will contribute to ongoing standardisation efforts, notably by EUROCAE and ASD-STAN.

The first and second trials were organized at the ATLAS drone test facility in Villacarrillo, Spain. The first test involved one X-UAV Clouds fixed-wing drone with a 1.85-metre wingspan and two DJI multicopters performing several operations in visual line of sight (VLOS) conditions. The second test used the same fixed-wing drone which flew various flight plans in VLOS and beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) conditions. Moreover, dynamic geo-fencing and geo-caging demonstrations were performed as well as a scenario where the drone lost the Command & Control link and was required to return autonomously to the Home Point.

Watch the video: EGNSS4RPAS Project demonstration

Citizen safety guaranteed

A third trial took place in the urban environment of Villacarrillo, placing a DJI S1000 multicopter drone in a more challenging environment for the reception of GNSS signals. This trial performed regular use cases such as building inspection or parcel delivery. Remarkably, it was the first experimental drone operation in an urban environment ever approved by the national civil aviation authority AESA, and one of the few examples of real urban operations in Europe. For this reason, a safety analysis following the Specific Operations Risk Assessment (SORA) methodology was undertaken to guarantee the safety of citizens.

Read this: Instrument flying supported by EGNOS for General Aviation

In all the trials, the drones were equipped with a multi-constellation and multi-frequency receiver called MagicUT which was used to compute the EGNSS solutions and the reference trajectory using PPP. Dedicated multi-constellation and multi-frequency antennas tailored for drone missions were also installed.

Galileo improves accuracy

In open visibility conditions, the results clearly show that the use of Galileo in dual constellation with GPS significantly improves accuracy compared to GPS-only for both the horizontal and vertical dimension. The introduction of EGNOS significantly enhances the GPS-only accuracy. Looking at integrity, the protection levels are well below the requirements defined for LPV-200 in manned aviation and the availability and continuity percentages reached very high values for all EGNSS solutions during the missions.

The urban environment poses several challenges to the reception of GNSS signals. Despite having fewer satellites available, the Galileo-only solution still provides significantly better performances than the GPS-only solution. As envisaged, the performances for the combined GPS and Galileo solution yield an even greater improvement versus the GPS-only solution. 

And this: White Paper on EGNSS for drones now available

Performance are in general very stable for the in-flight phase and error glitches correspond to the take-off and landing phases, where the multipath and satellite visibility may impact the navigation solution. It is demonstrated that the combination of Galileo with GPS is a very robust solution for the urban scenario, achieving 100% of availability for all flight plans. For the in-flight phase, protections levels provided by EGNOS are a differentiator vis-à-vis other GNSS solutions and a potential enabler of critical applications requiring high levels of integrity.

European GNSS solutions – EGNOS and Galileo - were demonstrated to be a pivotal element for the safety and efficiency of drone operations even in cities. As such, EGNSS has the capability to boost the drone market and facilitate public acceptance of these new entrants. The European Commission and the GSA will continue to demonstrate the added value of EGNSS for drones and support the uptake of EGNSS-based standards in this user community.

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).

With the declaration of Galileo Initial Services in December 2016, Galileo officially moved to the provision of live services and EGNOS has been operating successfully since 2009, European Global Navigation Satellite Systems (EGNSS) services are now experiencing an unprecedented acceleration in market uptake. During EU Space Week 2019 in Helsinki the European GNSS Agency (GSA) presented the latest developments for both services, and sought feedback from users of position, navigation and time (PNT) solutions and the organisations and institutions involved in the management, service provision and security of EGNSS, to build better services.

The first full day of EU Space Week 2019 on 3 December saw the EGNSS Service Provision Workshop and EGNSS User Assembly. These two sessions reviewed the current status and future plans for Galileo and EGNOS services, market uptake initiatives and an overview of user needs and requirements for EGNSS.

Welcoming participants to the workshop session, Pascal Claudel Chief Operating Officer at the GSA emphasised that “Users are at the centre of the game from the GSA’s point of view.” He also noted that Galileo is central to the provision of current EU policy priorities such as circular economy, smart cities and zero hunger.

Following a review of Galileo services performance and operations during the year from Rodrigo da Costa, Galileo Service Manager at the GSA and Pierluigi Fedele, Galileo Services Delivery Manager of Spaceopal GmbH, the European Commission presented some insights on the future evolution of Galileo and some initial thoughts on possible services that might be offered by Galileo 2nd Generation (G2G). 

A vision document to 2035 was the contextual background for planning. By then there are likely to be over 120 broadcasting GNSS satellites available in medium Earth orbit grouped in four constellations. “GNSS will be the fifth utility,” stated the EC representative “And massive usage will not tolerate and service downtime.” He foresaw emerging new requirements including authentication, indoor capability, and high accuracy for all. A significant new capability would be a robust signal for users in space and remote activation of emergency beacons. The transition to G2G could start as early as 2024 with the first launch of test satellites.

User viewpoint

The EGNSS User Assembly covered an update on user needs and requirements; the results of user satisfaction surveys – the latest of which has just been published; and highlights from the latest GNSS Market Report 2019 that was published in mid-October. Fiammetta Diani, Head of Market Development at GSA described the process for assessing user inputs from the first two User Consultations Platforms held in Madrid and Marseille in 2017 and 2018 respectively. “This is a cyclic process open to all users to voice their needs and future requirements,” she said. “GSA is a pioneer in this type of open consultation - no other GNSS does this.”

The user inputs are used to compile a report on user needs that are then subject to an engineering assessment and fed back to the consultation platform. The second edition of the User Report is now available on the GSA website. Diani announced that the consultation system had been modified to be a bi-annual process with a User Assembly alternating with the full User Consultation Platform.

Carmen Aguilera Rios, Operational Market Development Manager at GSA, said that GSA wanted to hear from users to make Galileo and EGNOS even better. “We want to help you deliver better service and boost your business based on EGNSS,” she said. “We want to know if the performance perceived satisfies your needs. Do we help when you need it? Do you need more from EGNSS?” 

She also announced the launch of the 2019 edition of Galileo and EGNOS User Satisfaction Surveys. These surveys aim to gain a better understanding of the needs and requirements of Galileo and EGNOS end users and to ensure that these needs are taken into consideration in future evolutions of the programmes. To take part in the Galileo survey, click here; and here for the EGNOS survey.

The users presented and shared the latest trends and applications. Their presentations are now available here.

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).

With the declaration of Galileo Initial Services in December 2016, Galileo officially moved to the provision of live services and EGNOS has been operating successfully since 2009, European Global Navigation Satellite Systems (EGNSS) services are now experiencing an unprecedented acceleration in market uptake. During EU Space Week 2019 in Helsinki the European GNSS Agency (GSA) presented the latest developments for both services, and sought feedback from users of position, navigation and time (PNT) solutions and the organisations and institutions involved in the management, service provision and security of EGNSS, to build better services.

The first full day of EU Space Week 2019 on 3 December saw the EGNSS Service Provision Workshop and EGNSS User Assembly. These two sessions reviewed the current status and future plans for Galileo and EGNOS services, market uptake initiatives and an overview of user needs and requirements for EGNSS.

Welcoming participants to the workshop session, Pascal Claudel Chief Operating Officer at the GSA emphasised that “Users are at the centre of the game from the GSA’s point of view.” He also noted that Galileo is central to the provision of current EU policy priorities such as circular economy, smart cities and zero hunger.

Following a review of Galileo services performance and operations during the year from Rodrigo da Costa, Galileo Service Manager at the GSA and Pierluigi Fedele, Galileo Services Delivery Manager of Spaceopal GmbH, the European Commission presented some insights on the future evolution of Galileo and some initial thoughts on possible services that might be offered by Galileo 2nd Generation (G2G). 

A vision document to 2035 was the contextual background for planning. By then there are likely to be over 120 broadcasting GNSS satellites available in medium Earth orbit grouped in four constellations. “GNSS will be the fifth utility,” stated the EC representative “And massive usage will not tolerate and service downtime.” He foresaw emerging new requirements including authentication, indoor capability, and high accuracy for all. A significant new capability would be a robust signal for users in space and remote activation of emergency beacons. The transition to G2G could start as early as 2024 with the first launch of test satellites.

User viewpoint

The EGNSS User Assembly covered an update on user needs and requirements; the results of user satisfaction surveys – the latest of which has just been published; and highlights from the latest GNSS Market Report 2019 that was published in mid-October. Fiammetta Diani, Head of Market Development at GSA described the process for assessing user inputs from the first two User Consultations Platforms held in Madrid and Marseille in 2017 and 2018 respectively. “This is a cyclic process open to all users to voice their needs and future requirements,” she said. “GSA is a pioneer in this type of open consultation - no other GNSS does this.”

The user inputs are used to compile a report on user needs that are then subject to an engineering assessment and fed back to the consultation platform. The second edition of the User Report is now available on the GSA website. Diani announced that the consultation system had been modified to be a bi-annual process with a User Assembly alternating with the full User Consultation Platform.

Carmen Aguilera Rios, Operational Market Development Manager at GSA, said that GSA wanted to hear from users to make Galileo and EGNOS even better. “We want to help you deliver better service and boost your business based on EGNSS,” she said. “We want to know if the performance perceived satisfies your needs. Do we help when you need it? Do you need more from EGNSS?” 

She also announced the launch of the 2019 edition of Galileo and EGNOS User Satisfaction Surveys. These surveys aim to gain a better understanding of the needs and requirements of Galileo and EGNOS end users and to ensure that these needs are taken into consideration in future evolutions of the programmes. To take part in the Galileo survey, click here; and here for the EGNOS survey.

The users presented and shared the latest trends and applications. Their presentations are now available here.

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).

With the declaration of Galileo Initial Services in December 2016, Galileo officially moved to the provision of live services and EGNOS has been operating successfully since 2009, European Global Navigation Satellite Systems (EGNSS) services are now experiencing an unprecedented acceleration in market uptake. During EU Space Week 2019 in Helsinki the European GNSS Agency (GSA) presented the latest developments for both services, and sought feedback from users of position, navigation and time (PNT) solutions and the organisations and institutions involved in the management, service provision and security of EGNSS, to build better services.

The first full day of EU Space Week 2019 on 3 December saw the EGNSS Service Provision Workshop and EGNSS User Assembly. These two sessions reviewed the current status and future plans for Galileo and EGNOS services, market uptake initiatives and an overview of user needs and requirements for EGNSS.

Welcoming participants to the workshop session, Pascal Claudel Chief Operating Officer at the GSA emphasised that “Users are at the centre of the game from the GSA’s point of view.” He also noted that Galileo is central to the provision of current EU policy priorities such as circular economy, smart cities and zero hunger.

Following a review of Galileo services performance and operations during the year from Rodrigo da Costa, Galileo Service Manager at the GSA and Pierluigi Fedele, Galileo Services Delivery Manager of Spaceopal GmbH, the European Commission presented some insights on the future evolution of Galileo and some initial thoughts on possible services that might be offered by Galileo 2nd Generation (G2G). 

A vision document to 2035 was the contextual background for planning. By then there are likely to be over 120 broadcasting GNSS satellites available in medium Earth orbit grouped in four constellations. “GNSS will be the fifth utility,” stated the EC representative “And massive usage will not tolerate and service downtime.” He foresaw emerging new requirements including authentication, indoor capability, and high accuracy for all. A significant new capability would be a robust signal for users in space and remote activation of emergency beacons. The transition to G2G could start as early as 2024 with the first launch of test satellites.

User viewpoint

The EGNSS User Assembly covered an update on user needs and requirements; the results of user satisfaction surveys – the latest of which has just been published; and highlights from the latest GNSS Market Report 2019 that was published in mid-October. Fiammetta Diani, Head of Market Development at GSA described the process for assessing user inputs from the first two User Consultations Platforms held in Madrid and Marseille in 2017 and 2018 respectively. “This is a cyclic process open to all users to voice their needs and future requirements,” she said. “GSA is a pioneer in this type of open consultation - no other GNSS does this.”

The user inputs are used to compile a report on user needs that are then subject to an engineering assessment and fed back to the consultation platform. The second edition of the User Report is now available on the GSA website. Diani announced that the consultation system had been modified to be a bi-annual process with a User Assembly alternating with the full User Consultation Platform.

Carmen Aguilera Rios, Operational Market Development Manager at GSA, said that GSA wanted to hear from users to make Galileo and EGNOS even better. “We want to help you deliver better service and boost your business based on EGNSS,” she said. “We want to know if the performance perceived satisfies your needs. Do we help when you need it? Do you need more from EGNSS?” 

She also announced the launch of the 2019 edition of Galileo and EGNOS User Satisfaction Surveys. These surveys aim to gain a better understanding of the needs and requirements of Galileo and EGNOS end users and to ensure that these needs are taken into consideration in future evolutions of the programmes. To take part in the Galileo survey, click here; and here for the EGNOS survey.

The users presented and shared the latest trends and applications. Their presentations are now available here.

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).