The United States Space Force (USSF) and the Space and the Missile Systems Center achieved another major GPS milestone on July 27 when the GPS III Space Vehicle (SV) 03 received USSF’s Operational Acceptance approval. This marks the third GPS III satellite to receive operational acceptance in less than a year. GPS III SV-03 satellite packed prior to shipment to Cape Canaveral. (Photo: Lockheed Martin) The GPS III satellites are the newest generation built by […]

Designers of China’s Beidou Navigation Satellite System will keep upgrading software on Beidou satellites to improve their capabilities and maintain technological advantages, according to a key figure in this program. Lin Baojun, a chief designer of Beidou’s third-generation satellite, said at a news conference in Beijing on Monday that once a satellite is launched, it is virtually impossible for its hardware to be modified, so designers and engineers need to optimize its […]

Photo: PhonlamaiPhoto/iStock / Getty Images Plus/Getty Images The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has awarded $3.3 million in research, education and training grants to universities that comprise the FAA’s Air Transportation Center of Excellence (COE) for Unmanned Aircraft Systems, also known as the Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence (ASSURE). “These grants will help develop a greater array of innovative strategies to more effectively deploy drones during emergency response situations,” said U.S. Transportation […]

Although launched more than one month ago, the official operation of the 55th and last satellite of the Beidou-3 Navigation Satellite System was formally announced by President Xi Jinping at a ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday. Which makes the BDS system one of the four global navigation systems providing global navigation and positioning services; the other three are the United States’ GPS, Russia’s Glonass-M and […]

The U.S. Space Force Space and Missile Systems Center on July 14 delivered the fourth GPS III satellite to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. The satellite is scheduled for launch on Sept. 30. GPS III Space Vehicle (SV) 04 was safely transported from the Lockheed Martin facility in Waterton, Colorado to Space Coast Regional Airport in Titusville, Florida. The satellite was carried aboard a C-17 Globemaster III originating from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. The […]

August 3, 2020 OFFICIAL RULES NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN.  MUST BE 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER TO ENTER.  VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.  ELIGIBILITY:  The Sweepstakes is open only to individuals who are legal residents of the 50 United States (excluding Puerto Rico residents) or the District of Columbia, are 18 years of age or older at the time of entry. Employees and their immediate families of Garmin International, Inc. (“Garmin”) […]

President Xi Jinping announced on Friday that China’s Beidou Navigation Satellite System has been completed and has started providing full-scale global services that day. Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, declared the commissioning of the global navigation and positioning system’s third-generation network at a ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. General […]

News from Schriever Air Force Base On July 23, the 2nd Space Operations Squadron (2 SOPS) gained Satellite Control Authority of GPS satellite vehicle number 76 — also known as GPS III SV03 — which was launched on June 30. This handover was special: for the first time, a crew of eight women space operators took control of the satellite. Schriever’s 2 SOPS, the providers of GPS signals to billions of users worldwide, made history […]

August 3, 2020 Garmin Autoland is now European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certified in the Daher TBM 940 — the first EASA certification and second FAA certification for the revolutionary technology. It is available as part of the G3000 integrated flight deck and is capable of taking control and landing the aircraft without human intervention in the event the pilot is unable to fly. “Garmin Autoland continues to gain the […]

China declared the official commissioning of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) on Friday, marking the formal opening of the newly completed BDS-3 system for global users. The BDS system involves efforts of more than 400 agencies and 300,000 research personnel and technicians. The China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), developer of the satellites, has gathered leading experts and manufacturers from around the country, and integrated the most advanced technologies and high-quality […]