Positioning Navigation and Timing

Thales Alenia Space, the joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), announced on 5 December 2019 that it has signed a new contract with the European Space Agency (ESA), on behalf of the European Commission, to upgrade Europe’s EGNOS satellite navigation system. Via this contract Thales Alenia Space will …

Globalstar Europe Satellite Services Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Globalstar Inc., and the leader in satellite messaging and emergency notification technologies, today announced the launch of SPOT X two-way satellite messenger with Bluetooth in Europe, Middle East and North Africa. This new model allows users to connect SPOT X to …

The Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, has said that Denmark intends to strengthen its surveillance capabilities over the Arctic Sea and airspace – to include space-based Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) – in response to Russia’s growing and expanded presence there. “We see increasing Russian presence around the Arctic,” Frederiksen said …

When we think of space, we generally think of SciFi shows such as Star Trek, or humanity’s current plans to send manned missions to Mars. Most people don’t think about space as a business enabler, and yet that is exactly what it has become over the years. The convergence of …

The Global Satellite Coalition (GSC), a group of seven trade associations representing the global satellite eco-system, has welcomed the decisions taken at the ITU World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 (WRC-19), Sharm-el-Sheikh, which allow satellite services to continue to bridge digital, education, health and social divides and connect more and more citizens …

In a world where change is the only constant, leadership is more important than ever. European ministers have strongly endorsed ESA to take this lead, increase its organisational agility, effectiveness and efficiency, and reinforce its relationship with the European Union. “We have looked at the future of our activities solely …

Arianespace and MEASAT Global Berhad (MEASAT), the leading Malaysian satellite operator, has announced the signature of a launch services contract for MEASAT-3D. MEASAT-3D, a new multi-mission telecommunications satellite, will be launched into geostationary transfer orbit by an Ariane 5 heavy-lift launch vehicle from the Guiana Space Center, Europe’s Spaceport in …

Germany’s largest private satellite manufacturing company OHB SE intends to start satellite launch services within two years, according to a 15 November 2019 report in Bloomberg Businessweek. OHB SE is well-known for the manufacture of small communications, Earth observation, navigation, and scientific research satellites, as well as spacecraft for space …

The European Union’s (EU) Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) defence technology initiative announced on 12 November 2019 its decision to cooperatively develop several military space projects designed to enhance the defence and security of EU member states. The three military space projects under PESCO include space-based ballistic missile early warning systems, …

The Chinese government has started an initiative to promote greater use of its BeiDou global navigation satellite system (GNSS) in Central Asian countries for applications such as precision farming, transportation, and disaster relief and management. Agreements between China and Central Asian countries were signed at the China-Central Asia Cooperation Forum …