China will finish the construction of the BeiDou-3 Navigation Satellite System (BDS-3), with another two geostationary orbit satellites to be launched before June 2020, said BDS Spokesperson Ran Chengqi on Friday. Friday marks the one-year anniversary of China’s BDS-3 system providing global service. Ran said at a press conference of the State Council Information Office that with the BDS as the core, a more ubiquitous, integrated and intelligent navigation and […]

Company modernize GPS for U.S. Navy and Air Force The U.S. Navy’s Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC Pacific), in partnership with the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC), has awarded Booz Allen Hamilton a $178 million contract to provide technical engineering services toward the modernization of advanced GPS systems. Specifically, Booz Allen’s work will aid in the development and modernization of GPS systems through major programs such as Military GPS User Equipment […]

January 30, 2020 Don Lee, owner of Alaska Floats & Skis flight school in Talkeetna, Alaska, has felt the ground below him shake from the pounding of thousands of caribou hooves. He’s discovered areas so abundant with blueberry bushes, it was impossible to sit down. He’s looked down at water thick with layers of migrating fish. Lee is a flight instructor with decades of experience. He prides himself on running one of the only flight […]

“Seen & Heard” is a monthly feature of GPS World magazine, traveling the world to capture interesting and unusual news stories involving the GNSS/PNT industry. Photo: Karma drone/GoPro Bad karma The GoPro Karma drone has been grounded since the new year began, reports The Verge. Multiple owners say their Karma controllers are flashing errors about not receiving a GPS signal, and that they can’t calibrate the compass. They’re not able to fly the drones even after disabling […]

January 30, 2020 EPISODE 1: The 3,000th inReach SOS Incident Dennis: Last October Guillaume Hullin found himself stuck in the middle of a snowstorm in one of the most remote territories in all of Europe. He was alone. His only hope was to call for help. This is the story of the 3,000th rescue called in from a Garmin inReach handheld device. You’re listening to “Life on the Outside,” a podcast beyond boxes or comfort […]

The 2nd Space Operations Squadron decommissioned Satellite Vehicle Number-36, the second to last Block IIA satellite, Jan. 27. Capt. Collin Dart, 2nd SOPS assistant flight commander of GPS mission engineering, said the disposal of SVN-36 will allow for newer vehicles to take it’s place. “The main reason it was decommissioned was because, at this time, we’re accepting a lot of the new generation GPS IIIs,” he said. “We’re trying to […]

Sapcorda Services GmbH has released its SAPA (Safe And Precise Augmentation) Premium GNSS positioning service. The SAPA service enables mass-market GNSS devices to operate with increased accuracy and reliability across Europe and the continental United States. The service’s technology unlocks advanced performance with instantaneous sub-decimeter position accuracy for devices used in all market applications. SAPA is delivered using the open industry-recognized SPARTN format, which allows efficiently delivery of the correction data via internet and satellite […]

General Podcast January 30, 2020 https://media.blubrry.com/lifeontheoutside/p/content.blubrry.com/lifeontheoutside/Measuring_the_Immeasurable.mp3 Podcast: Play in new window Summary: Dr. Andrew Jacobs is one of the country’s most respected sports psychologists. Called a “pioneer of mental training,” his work focuses on building mental fortitude in athletes as well as the overall psychological aspects and influence on athleticism. Listen in as we attempt to measure the immeasurable side of an athlete. What’s new with Garmin: Keep listening after our feature story for a […]

FAO will bolster the scale and scope of its geospatial monitoring toolkit thanks to collaboration with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) that will expand the capacity of FAO’s accessible platforms for forestry and land-use assessments. A three-year agreement signed last week will enhance the access of FAO member states and other users to JAXA data sets and more “ground-truthing” evidence through FAO’s forest monitoring platforms. “As deforestation and land-use […]

Decawave announced today that Qorvo, a provider of RF solutions, is acquiring the company, as well as Custom MMIC. Financial details have not been disclosed. “This acquisition is by far the biggest in the indoor location industry,” according to Bruce Krulwich, founder of Grizzly Analytics. “While the price is not disclosed, I and others have estimated it at $400-500 million.” “Apple is using their own UWB chips in upcoming iPhones, but their own chips are […]