NaviGadget

quality of the signals from Galileo are being tested

Mar 29, 2006 gps navigation, misc news

auto-translated from French:

Launched on last 28 December then activated on January 12, 2006 to receive its first signals, the first satellite of test GIOVE-A of the future system of positioning by satellites competitor European of American system GPS, Galileo, is currently in the course of advanced test in England where an immense antenna was laid out 25 meters in diameter making it possible “to listen to” the signals of Galileo.

If until now this satellite of test GIOVE-A, making it possible to develop ahead the viability of the algorithms and the techniques used for its setting, reached successfully the first stages of its use, with a placing in orbit and the sending of first signals GPS at the beginning of year, it is from now on the real quality of the signals received by this satellite which is currently analyzed.

To be done, several means are implemented, of the Laboratory of Navigation of the ESTEC in the Netherlands with antenna ESA of Redu in Belgium with in particular the antenna 25 meters in diameter of the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Chilbolton in the United Kingdom, making it possible “to listen to” the signals of GIOVE to make sure that they emit well according to criteria’s envisaged.

While waiting to have the results of these technical tests, in fact also the first Galileo receivers are tested and which make it possible to check which type of material is necessary to collect Galileo signals. With this occasion, the first Galileo receivers manufactured by the Belgian company Septentrio were installed with the two sites of test on orbit – Redu and Chilbolton like in Guilford at SSTL, the manufacturer of the satellite which ensures of it also control on orbit.