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Spirent plans to host two seminars in early 2023 where experts will share PNT developments and provide training on Spirent’s products. Registration for the seminars is free and includes a two-week software license that can be downloaded to provide hands-on training.

Seminar training topics includes fundamentals of GPS/GNSS testing, how to create realistic testing scenarios, GPS/GNSS vulnerabilities like jamming and spoofing, vulnerability mitigation and more.

One session will be held in Huntsville, Alabama, March 8-9 and the other in Los Angeles, California, March 14-15. While registration is free, seats at both seminars are limited.

To register for Spirent’s seminars, click here.

Two women have filed a class-action lawsuit against Apple for privacy concerns as Apple AirTags are being widely used for malicious and criminal purposes.

Both women and their families were tracked and stalked by ex-partners using Apple AirTags hidden in their personal belongings. They are now suing Apple for negligence and privacy violations stating the company failed to protect its customers. They are both seeking damages and are hoping to prevent Apple from continuing to manufacture this product with “design flaws.”

The location device was designed by Apple in 2021 and its intent is to be attached to such items as keys, suitcases and purses to make them trackable. However, the $29 Bluetooth-enabled AirTags can be used as a weapon by abusers, stalkers and traffickers to easily find and track their victims.

In late November, the Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii erupted for the first time since 1984 and is currently in an active volcanic eruption. Scientists are using satellites and helicopters to record and map the flow of lava on the Big Island.

The active eruption is in a remote area on the island, making it difficult to map it and the lava flow. It is critical to have accurate emergency information during the eruption in order to have appropriate resources and have ample time to evacuate, if necessary.

The easiest and most accurate way to map the lava from this eruption is via satellite. Based on satellite observation, scientists have been able to create a mobile app to support helicopter crews in making maps of lava flow that update in real time. This real time evaluation is sent to emergency personnel and geologists tracking the eruption patterns.

Mauna Loa has erupted 33 times, the most recent of which was 38 years ago. The volcano typically averages an eruption every 5 years, making Mauna Loa’s most recent dormant period longer than normal. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), this eruption was caused by an increase in earthquakes below the Mauna Loa Summit, an increase of inflation tracked by GPS stations, and several additional geologic factors.

Live footage of the Mauna Loa eruption can be seen here.

Europe’s regional satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS), EGNOS, has received upgrades to advance the reliability of GNSS positioning information, according to EUSPA.

Historically, EGNOS has provided safe, uninterrupted satellite navigation services to aviators, and some maritime, railroad, and land-based users in Europe. This system upgrade includes extending its service area, adding advanced functionalities, and reinforcing dual-frequency and multi-constellation services.

The EGNOS V242B system upgrade will expand services outside of its service area and enhance availability to users. Additionally, the upgrade ensures aviator access to lifesaving services such as Localizer Performance with Vertical Guidance (LPV)-200. The upgrade also includes more advanced data processing functions to cater to increased issues with peak solar activity and ionospheric phenomena that interfere with EGNOS signals and services.

Dual-frequency and multi-constellation services were also improved in the EGNOS upgrade. The improvements revamped EGNOS Version 2, and reinforced EGNOS services before launching EGNOS Version 3 (V3).

EGNOS delivers two frequencies and has amplified Galileo signals, hence creating a multi-constellation capability. When EGNOS V3 is launched, it will offer additional services and enhance protection against cyberattacks, further advancing EGNOS’ safety-critical applications across Europe.

The private spaceflight company, SpaceX, has undertaken a partner project in addition to its existing space efforts ranging from sending satellites and people to space, to providing a brand of commercial internet connection to remote areas.

The new partner project, Starshield, will join Starlink in providing secure, broadband internet connection to customers. However, there is a stark difference between the partner projects.

Starlink technology has end-to-end user data encryption to secure its network as it was designed for commercial customers. However, the Starshield project is intended for government use in national security efforts. Therefore, it is equipped with an additional high-assurance cryptographic feature to host payloads and process data in a secure way aligning with government national security requirements.

As reported by SpaceX, Starshield has three focus areas including: Earth observation, global communications, and hosted payloads. Starshield’s satellites can integrate with a variety of different payloads and the constellation has a low-Earth orbit (LEO) design making it robust to on-orbit assets.

SpaceX continues to work closely with the United States Department of Defense by providing innovative space technology.

Mapbox, a maps and location platform, has created new products and platform updates to aid developers in making more accurate, data-driven decisions and improving overall user experience with advancement in location technology.

Navigation SDK v2.9 was introduced to provide pre-built navigation applications, compatible with Android and IOS, which will provide all the primary navigation components across a workflow using lines of code instead of starting from square one. The Drop-in UI is customizable to create applications that reflect a developer’s brand, rather than needing to manually develop a full end-to-end application.

Navigation SDK Copilot, a backend analytics tool for CX on navigation applications, was launched and designed by Mapbox to collect trace files of navigation sessions and search analytics data from users. Developers can use this data to gather feedback and collective user data to create touch points with users and improve application experience based on their data-drawn conclusions.

Mapbox’s platform updates and product innovation also include improvements to its Matrix API, which can now support scheduled departure times and provide optimal driving routes creating a more accurate ETA. This innovative location technology is also designed to enhance fuel efficiency and decrease emissions.

As map boundaries are constantly changing, Mapbox has expanded its visualization of map lines to update as frequently as the lines change. The expanded visualization makes updates quicker and improves the ability of Mapbox’s platform to give users the most up-to-date information.

The Ministerial Council of the member states of the European Space Agency (ESA) has pledged 351 euros to ESA’s board of directors for navigation to aid in multiple satellite navigation endeavors.

This funding helps support ESA’s FutureNAV program, the Navigation Innovation and Support Program (NAVISP), and the Moonlight Initiative, developed for lunar telecommunications and navigation coverage and innovation.

The FutureNAV program continues to evaluate satellite navigation trends and design new concepts while applying PNT technology. ESA plans on launching several missions to advance research of the rapidly growing and changing need for accurate satellite navigation.

The first FutureNAV mission includes an in-orbit demonstration, low-Earth-orbit (LEO) navigation satellites, and brief orbit in space. The second mission, GENESIS, is set to map moving contours of Earth, while enhancing the accuracy of the Galileo navigation system.

The expanded funding will also be invested in expanding the NAVISP program. The program has already began working on more than 200 projects relating to satellite navigation, PNT research, and backing member states in research priorities.

Lastly, funding is being delegated to the Moonlight Initiative, a project designed by ESA to extend satellite navigation and telecommunications coverage to the Moon. The advancement and launch of Moonlight infrastructure on the Moon will undertake several missions bolstering future Moon exploration.

TinyMobileRobots’ has introduced TinyLineMaker to the field painting market. TinyLineMaker is designed to accurately paint field lines in stadiums using GPS technology.

When using TinyLineMaker, groundskeepers lay markers around a field to aid the robot in precisely marking the lines. In addition to GPS signals, the robot receives corrections signals from an RTK network in order to accurately trace the markers onto the field.

Base stations that are set up next to stadiums are compatible with TinyLineMaker as well, but it is more reliable when using an RTK network. Even if the GPS signal is disrupted, the numerous RTK network reference stations make it possible for the robot to correct its position and continue painting.

As TinyLineMaker is compatible with handheld tablets, the robot will begin painting in accordance with the markers when it is started from a tablet. Once the robot completes a line marking job, the line pattern can be saved to the cloud and saved for future use. Line patterns can also be updated or changed from a tablet as needed.

This week, Spirent Communications (LSE: SPT) revealed its latest low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellite solution software named SimORBIT, which contains a space-borne receiver developed by SpacePNT. The software is designed to aid developers in determining LEO orbits more accurately for GNSS/PNT lab testing.

SimORBIT calculates LEO orbits, their environments, and intricate characteristics to provide an accurate result to developers for testing. In addition, the software distinctively replicates LEO orbits so that simulations can replicate a realistic environment of a LEO satellite including gravitational and atmospheric impacts the LEO satellite may encounter in space.

As SimORBIT’s software is integrated with SpacePNT, the LEO application testing combined with more accurate GNSS location makes test results precise to developers.

With Spirent’s release of SimORBIT, developers can create non-ICD signals via I/Q injection, or by the Spirent “Flex” feature, generating space-centered PNT signals to be designed by labs as lifelike as possible.

Position Partners has unveiled SmartSurveyor, which facilitates accurate, survey-grade aerial mapping and photogrammetry without the need for a connection between a camera shutter and a GNSS receiver.

The fully compact, handheld, aerial mapping survey rover is compatible with DJI Mavix 2 and 3 series and Phantom 4 Pro drones.

The design is dissimilar to other drone mapping systems in that it works from a drone or smartphone and with two or more ground control points (GCPs) while using an ultra-matching technique.

Once data is captured by SmartSurveyor, all the photos and the GNSS file are uploaded to a PC and analyzed through the Agisoft UltraMatch workflow to confirm their accuracy before they are exported. Data can be managed in the cloud or on a local PC using software designed by MapSender.

Additionally, this mapping tool works in tandem with the AllDayRTK subscription GNSS network service so collected data can be uploaded to Tokara to remotely manage a project.