November 25, 2019 In 2017, Randall Reeves was 8 months into his first sailing attempt of the “Figure 8 Voyage” — a circumnavigation of the Americas and Antarctica in one season — when he hit a severe storm in the Indian Ocean. Waves were breaking 200’ to 300’ in each direction, and his boat got knocked down so intensely his mast was fully submerged, breaking a window in the pilot house and flooding his electronics. […]

Inside the outermost layer of Earth’s atmosphere, billions of negatively charged electrons bounce freely for long periods of time before being tamed by positive ions. The layer, the ionosphere, and its highly variable plasma waves can disrupt GPS signals and other radio-wave-based communication systems. To better understand the ionosphere and pinpoint the forces responsible for its variability, scientists at NASA are sending a specially equipped satellite into space to observe the enigmatic layer. The Ionospheric […]

Illustration: Orolia Resilient positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) company Orolia has nearly tripled new U.S. military orders for specialized resilient PNT solutions in the third quarter of 2019, the company stated in a press release. Orolia said its solutions are helping to meet growing military demand for assured operations in Navigation Warfare (NAVWAR) and GPS-denied environments. In the third quarter, Orolia unveiled its new Simulation and Interference, Detection & Mitigation (IDM) suite, announced the acquisition […]

November 19, 2019 inReach satellite communication devices* have become a staple for outdoor and marine enthusiasts. Backcountry pilots also find the GPS-equipped, two-way communicators useful for off-the-grid destinations. The built-in interactive SOS feature can provide added peace of mind — not only for adventurers but also their loved ones — knowing that in case of emergency, responders will still be within reach. While inReach devices excel in these unique environments, they definitely aren’t limited to […]

With the August 22 launch of Lockheed Martin’s GPS III SV02 satellite aboard the final Delta IV Medium+ (4,2) launch vehicle, the Space and Missile Systems Center’s Launch Enterprise marked the successful completion of a rigorous Summer launch schedule. Launching four critical missions in under 60 days from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, SMC/LE’s “Summer of Launch ’19” campaign showcased several innovative firsts and concluded […]

Photo: Orolia Orolia Maritime has revealed the FastFind ReturnLink PLB with Return Link System (RLS) life-saving beacon system. Orolia worked closely with the European GNSS Agency (GSA) on the Galileo satellite system since the company was selected to lead development of next-generation search-and-rescue (SAR) distress beacons. Earlier this year, Orolia introduced the first Galileo-enabled personal locator beacons (PLBs). Building upon this, the new FastFind ReturnLink transmits the user’s unique ID and GNSS location via the […]

November 22, 2019 On a summer night in July, a 130-pound German shepherd with injured paws was unable to descend a remote trail in the North Cascades Range, and its owner didn’t know what to do. A third-party individual had triggered an SOS on their inReach® satellite communicator to report the situation, and staff at the GEOS International Emergency Response Coordination Center contacted the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office to respond. The Sheriff’s Office knew that the Washington […]

GPS tracking data reveals that the foraging activity of the European nightjar more than doubles during moon-lit nights, and the birds then migrate simultaneously about 10 days after the full moon, according to a study published October 15 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Gabriel Norevik and Anders Hedenstrom of Lund University in Sweden, and colleagues. Every year, billions of seasonal migrants connect continents by transporting nutrients, energy and pathogens between […]

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved two Supplemental Type Certificates (STCs) for CMC Electronics, to help airplanes comply with automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast out (ADS-B Out) requirements. Boeing 737 Next-Generation Aircraft CMA-5024. (Photo: CMC Electronics) The FAA has approved an STC to install the SBAS-capable CMA-5024 GPS on Boeing 737 Next-Generation aircraft to comply with worldwide ADS-B Out mandates as well as SBAS/GPS navigation enabling the first localizer performance with vertical guidance (LPV) approaches for […]

November 20, 2019 With the recent explosive growth of indoor training, the indoor bike trainer is no longer just a last resort for bad weather days or something the pros use while recuperating after a broken collarbone. On the contrary, your indoor bike trainer is the key to endless possibilities. It has everything you need to train according to your needs. That includes ERG mode. ERG is short for ergometer so ERG mode is when […]