DARPA's new drone wants to cover the sea with air support

Next step: making sure the TERN turns out okay Terns are a family of shorebirds that can nest in marginal conditions and thrive everywhere from beaches to wetlands to rivers to inlets. TERN, or the Tactically Exploited Reconnaissance Node, is a drone developed by Northrop Grumman for both the DAR...

http://flip.it/jt1S4P

How NASA is planning to touch the sun

A look behind the scenes of NASA's advanced solar probe Our sun might not seem as enigmatic as more exotic, distant stars, but it's still a marvelously mysterious miasma of incandescent plasma. And it's certainly worthy of our scientific attention: Curiosity aside, a violent solar event could dis...

http://flip.it/ty7TaW

The United Arab Emirates wants to build a city on Mars

Look out, Elon Musk A little more than 40 years ago, Dubai was a tiny pearl-fishing village lined with dirt roads. Now it's the largest and most futuristic city in the world, the jewel of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). From manmade, palm tree-shaped archipelagos to jetpack-wearing firefighters a...

http://flip.it/Jwgm1I

NASA wants to put astronauts on the very first launch of its new mega-rocket

The Space Launch System could carry astronauts as soon as 2019 Rumors are circulating on Twitter that NASA is shaking up its schedule for the Space Launch System. According to the scuttlebutt, the rocket's maiden launch may carry astronauts onboard. Popular Science has confirmed with Stuart McClu...

http://flip.it/sMZptR

This Weird Little Company Wants to Build the Next A-10 [feedly]

Stavatti thinks it can wrap a new plane around the Warthog's gun

Continue reading on War Is Boring »

The unmanned wingman: high-speed drones to support fighter aircraft - Airforce Technology

Airforce Technology

The unmanned wingman: high-speed drones to support fighter aircraft Airforce Technology The company will work with a non-traditional defence contractor to explore new and innovative unmanned aerial system (UAS) interface concepts that enable control of multiple high-performance UAS simultaneously. Work on the $12.6m contract will centre ...

http://www.airforce-technology.com/features/featurethe-unmanned-wingman-high--speed-drones-to-support-fighter-aircraft-5731459/

Airbus Streamlines Ground Vibration Testing for A350-1000 - ENGINEERING.com

ENGINEERING.com

Airbus Streamlines Ground Vibration Testing for A350-1000 ENGINEERING.com Case in point, Airbus announced that it was able to complete ground vibration testing on the A350-1000 in only two days. In comparison, testing for the A350-900 takes nine days, and previous Airbus jetliners have required over a month. To achieve this ... Airbus to use shortened vibration-test method on A330neoFlightglobal los 2 artículos informativos

http://www.engineering.com/AdvancedManufacturing/ArticleID/14310/Airbus-Streamlines-Ground-Vibration-Testing-for-A350-1000.aspx

​AERO INDIA: Saab talks up Gripen industrial opportunity

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/aero-india-saab-talks-up-gripen-industrial-opportu-434213/

Russia working on pact with India to modernise Sukhoi fighters - Hindu Business Line

Sputnik International

Russia working on pact with India to modernise Sukhoi fighters Hindu Business Line The Russian government is negotiating an agreement with India to jointly modernise and develop the multirole fighter jet Sukhoi Su-3MKI. "All the necessary contract documents related to the modernisation of Su-30MKI aircraft have been prepared. We are ... Indian Air Force Su-30MKIs to Get Su-35 Engines After ModernizationSputnik International

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/russia-working-on-pact-with-india-to/article9545038.ece

Pacific Aerospace delivers first P-750 to Thailand

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/pacific-aerospace-delivers-first-p-750-to-thailand-434163/

Boeing confirms 737 Max 10 spec's amidst frenetic activity

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/boeing-confirms-737-max-10-specs-amidst-frenetic-ac-434157/

Bad weather slows MRJ90 flight testing

https://leehamnews.com/2017/02/14/bad-weather-slows-mrj90-flight-testing/

Two Different Flying Cars Reach the Market

PAL-V of the Netherlands has unveiled its first production flying car, the Liberty, while U.S. company SkyRunner has begun sales of an off-road vehicle that can fly using a ram-air parafoil wing and pusher propeller.

read more

http://aviationweek.com/awin-only/two-different-flying-cars-reach-market

New Player at the UAV Jet Engine Industry - i-HLS - Israel Homeland Security

i-HLS - Israel Homeland Security

New Player at the UAV Jet Engine Industry i-HLS - Israel Homeland Security An Indian company has developed a UAV jet engine. Intech DMLS, a metal 3D printing provider and metal additive manufacturing establishment in the Indian aviation sector, has launched first indigenously developed jet engine series for Unmanned Aerial ...

 http://i-hls.com/2017/02/new-player-uav-jet-engine-industry/

IAI teams with India's Dynamatic on mini-drones - Globes

http://www.globes.co.il/en/article-iai-teams-with-indias-dynamatic-on-mini-drones-1001177089

Globes

IAI teams with India's Dynamatic on mini-drones Globes The agreement is for the transfer of technology and production capabilities from IAI to DTL to enable the indigenous capability for mini UAV systems for the benefit of Indian end-users and in support of the Indian government's "Make in India" initiative. Israel Aerospace Industries, Dynamatic Technologies Limited ink ...Business Standard Aero India 2017: IAI signs agreements with Indian partnersAir & Cosmos - International (press release) (registration) Dynamatic Technologies inks cooperation agreement with Israel ...Mint Market Info Daijiworld.com los 7 artículos informativos »

Graphene foam gets big and tough as it can support more than 3,000 times its own weight

PR



Graphene foam gets big and toughRice University’s nanotube-reinforced material can be shaped, is highly conductive

https://youtu.be/rp8OJOfjbec

HOUSTON – (Feb. 13, 2017) – A chunk of conductive graphene foam reinforced by carbon nanotubes can support more than 3,000 times its own weight and easily bounce back to its original height, according to Rice University scientists.

Better yet, it can be made in just about any shape and size, they reported, demonstrating a screw-shaped piece of the highly conductive foam.

The Rice lab of chemist James Tour tested its new “rebar graphene” as a highly porous, conductive electrode in lithium ion capacitors and found it to be mechanically and chemically stable.

The research appears in the American Chemical Society journal ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces.

Carbon in the form of atom-thin graphene is among the strongest materials known and is highly conductive; multiwalled carbon nanotubes are widely used as conductive reinforcements in metals, polymers and carbon matrix composites. The Tour lab had already used nanotubes to reinforce two-dimensional sheets of graphene. Extending the concept to macroscale materials made sense, Tour said.

“We developed graphene foam, but it wasn’t tough enough for the kind of applications we had in mind, so using carbon nanotubes to reinforce it was a natural next step,” Tour said.

The three-dimensional structures were created from a powdered nickel catalyst, surfactant-wrapped multiwall nanotubes and sugar as a carbon source. The materials were mixed and the water evaporated; the resulting pellets were pressed into a steel die and then heated in a chemical vapor deposition furnace, which turned the available carbon into graphene. After further processing to remove remnants of nickel, the result was an all-carbon foam in the shape of the die, in this case a screw. Tour said the method will be easy to scale up.

Electron microscope images of the foam showed partially unzipped outer layers of the nanotubes had bonded to the graphene, which accounted for its strength and resilience. Graphene foam produced without the rebar could support only about 150 times its own weight while retaining the ability to rapidly return to its full height. But rebar graphene irreversibly deformed by about 25 percent when loaded with more than 8,500 times its weight.

Junwei Sha, a visiting graduate student at Rice and a graduate student at Tianjin University, China, is lead author of the paper. Co-authors from Rice are postdoctoral researchers Rodrigo Salvatierra, Pei Dong and Yongsung Ji; graduate students Yilun Li, Tuo Wang, Chenhao Zhang and Jibo Zhang; former postdoctoral researcher Seoung-Ki Lee; Pulickel Ajayan, chair of the Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, the Benjamin M. and Mary Greenwood Anderson Professor in Engineering and a professor of chemistry; and Jun Lou, a professor of materials science and nanoengineering. Naiqin Zhao, a professor at Tianjin University and a researcher at the Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin, is also a co-author. Tour is the T.T. and W.F. Chao Chair in Chemistry as well as a professor of computer science and of materials science and nanoengineering at Rice.

The Air Force Office of Scientific Research and its Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative supported the research.

Graphene foam invented at Rice University is reinforced with carbon nanotubes. It can hold thousands of times its own weight and still bounce back to its full height. (Credit: Tour Group/Rice University) 

Read the abstract at http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acsami.6b12503

This news release can be found online at http://news.rice.edu/2017/02/13/graphene-foam-gets-big-and-tough/

Related materials:

Rebar strengthens case for graphene: http://news.rice.edu/2014/04/04/rebar-strengthens-case-for-graphene/

The Tour Group: http://tournas.rice.edu/website/

Rice Department of Chemistry: http://www.chem.rice.edu

Wiess School of Natural Sciences: http://natsci.rice.edu- See more at: http://news.rice.edu/2017/02/13/graphene-foam-gets-big-and-tough/#sthash.3Kxm5AOH.dpuf

Norway’s Widerøe to be the E190-E2 Launch Operator

PR



São José dos Campos, Brazil, February 14, 2017 – Widerøe, the largest regional airline in Scandinavia, will be the first airline in the world to receive the brand-new E190-E2 jet, the first member of the E-Jets E2, the second generation of the E-Jets family of commercial aircraft. As the launch operator of the model, Widerøe will receive their first aircraft in

the first half of 2018.

Widerøe has a contract with Embraer for up to 15 E2 family jets consisting of three firm orders for the E190-E2 and purchase rights for 12 further E2 family aircraft. The order has a potential list price value of up to USD 873 million, with all orders being exercised.

“The market is keen to know the identity of the E190-E2 launch operator, and we’re pleased to end that suspense on this Valentine's Day - Widerøe is the ‘perfect match’. The airline has a special place in our hearts; Widerøe are proven pioneers in their field who have achieved major success and still remain hugely ambitious, similar in many ways to the path taken by Embraer”, said John Slattery, President & CEO, Embraer Commercial Aviation. “The E2 program remains on target with technical specification guidance, on time and on budget. Our team remains focused on a successful delivery to Widerøe in the first half of next year.”

Widerøe is configuring the E190-E2s in a comfortable single-class layout with 114 seats. With the Norway’s airline order, the E-Jets E2 backlog has 275 firm orders plus Letters of Intent, options and purchase rights covering another 415 aircraft giving a total of 690 commitments from airlines and leasing companies.

Stein Nilsen, Chief Executive Officer of Widerøe, said, “We are very proud we will be the first airline in the world to operate the E190-E2. Knowing the hard-work Embraer is doing in the certification campaign, especially in terms of maturity, we have every confidence in a smooth entry into service. The E190-E2 will be a big leap in Widerøe’s history, and our planning for the first deliveries is now well underway.”

Embraer is the world’s leading manufacturer of commercial jets with up to 130+ seats. The Company has 100 customers from all over the world operating the ERJ and the E-Jet families of aircraft. For the E-Jets program alone, Embraer has logged more than 1,700 orders and over 1,300 deliveries, redefining the traditional concept of regional aircraft by operating across a range of business applications.

Follow us on Twitter: @Embraer

About Widerøe

Widerøe is the largest regional airline in Scandina via, with a staff of 3,000 and a turnover of NOK 4.4 billion. The company carries close to 3 million passengers annually and flies to 46 domestic and international destinations.

Widerøe operates more than 450 flights every day and operates to more than twice as many airports in Norway than any other airline. Today our network consists of 60% commercial routes, and 40% PSO routes (Public Services Obligations).


About Embraer


Embraer is a global company headquartered in Brazil with businesses in commercial and executive aviation, defense & security. The company designs, develops, manufactures and markets aircraft and systems, providing customer support and services.

Since it was founded in 1969, Embraer has delivered more than 8,000 aircraft. About every 10 seconds an aircraft manufactured by Embraer takes off somewhere in the world, transporting over 145 million passengers a year.

Embraer is the leading manufacturer of commercial jets up to 130 seats. The company maintains industrial units, offices, service and parts distribution centers, among other activities, across the Americas, Africa, Asia and Europe

Chinese one thousand drone swarm smashes Intel record.

Russia Today has posted video of a 1000 drone swarm. I’m still busy trying to count them. GhostDrone 2’s by eHang were the platform used. The quadcopters destroyed the previous swarm record of 500 drones flown by Intel last year.

It also diminishes somewhat Lady Gaga’s 300 from the Super Bowl.

https://www.suasnews.com/2017/02/chinese-one-thousand-drone-swarm-smashes-intel-record/?mc_cid=b24ba414d2&mc_eid=097302a6a9

Pictures: http://www.ehang.com/cn/news/228.html

Oracle's new America's Cup yacht flies on Airbus technology [feedly]

The America's Cup might be a sailing race, but now that all the competitors actually ride out of the water on foils, it has become more akin to a flying competition. So when Airbus' head of business development Pierre-Marie Belleau and Ian "Fresh" Burns from Oracle Team USA (OTUSA) were together at an event a few years ago, a logical idea was born. Why not apply Airbus' engineering know-how to OTUSA's yacht? The partnership was officially announced in 2014 and today, the resulting rocket of a sailboat was unveiled to the world in Bermuda, where New Atlas was on-hand.

.. Continue Reading Oracle's new America's Cup yacht flies on Airbus technology
http://newatlas.com/oracle-airbus-americas-cup-2017/47914/

India smashes satellite launch record [feedly]

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has set a new record for the number of satellites delivered into orbit from a single rocket. On Wednesday at 9.28 am local time, the PSLV C37/Cartosat-2 Series Mission was launched from the spaceport at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh and delivered 104 satellites into orbit, beating the previous record for a single mission of 37 satellites set by Russia in 2014.

.. Continue Reading India smashes satellite launch record
http://newatlas.com/india-isro-satellite-launch-record/47919/

 -- via my feedly newsfeed

Irkut Corporation expands Su-30MKI Program

PR

Irkut Corporation (a member of UAC) participates in AERO INDIA 2017 Air Show (Bangalore, 14-18 February). The corporate products are represented in models of Su-30MKI, Yak-130, MC-21, and Yak-152 aircraft at the stand of UAC.

Su-30MKI multirole fighters are the exceptional exhibits of AERO INDIA 2017. These aircraft constitute the backbone of the Indian Air Force. Traditionally, Su-30MKIs are presented at static display and in the flight program of the air show.

Su-30MKI program comprising development, deliveries, establishment of licence manufacturing, has become one the most successful Russia's military-technical cooperation programmes. While participating in numerous international exercises, the pilots of Indian Air Force flying Su-30MKI fighters have been repeatedly winning combat training engagements against modern fighter aircraft of various types. Currently, Indian enterprises are building up Su-30MKI overhaul infrastructure. The presentation on Su-30MKI program status is available at the official web-site of Irkut Corporation.

ANTONOV Company presents its modern programmes in India

Within a period between the 14th and 19th of February 2017, ANTONOV Company’s delegation takes part in AERO INDIA – 2017 exhibition held in Bangalore, India. ANTONOV has been cooperating with this country for about 50 years.

This year, ANTONOV Company presents advanced aviation programmes based on the enterprise’s experience in development of transport, regional passenger aircraft and special purpose airplanes. The ANTONOV aircraft proved their efficiency being operated under adverse climatic conditions of India and other countries of the region as well as at different alpine airfields, including mountain terrains. At present, cooperation on

Advanced ANTONOV projects can become a basis for further mutually beneficial cooperation between Ukraine and India in aviation field. At present, cooperation on deep modernization of the AN−32 fleet of IAF is in progress. In accordance with the contract signed between Ukraine and India, the Ukrainian enterprises reequipped 40 AN−32s into upgraded AN−32RE version and delivered them to the customer. Nowadays, ANTONOV together with IAF work on extension of service life of 65 other airplanes airplanes from 25 to 40 years. The Company has also presented its proposals as for joint creation of the D level flight simulator for the AN−32RE. ANTONOV has vast experience in this sphere, because development of the research pilot stands (RPS) and flight simulators is an integral part of the aircraft development.

ANTONOV in cooperation with its partners from Kingdom of Saudi Arabia suggests to aircraft operators of India the new generation AN−132 multipurpose transport with payload up to 9.2 t. This programme is realized under participation of the leading companies of the world aircraft industry. Besides, while the AN−132 designing, ANTONOV’s specialists have taken into account requirements of Indian AF as for airplanes to replace the AVRO aircraft.

AN−178 transport with payload up to 16 t being under certification tests can be a basis for launch and joint fulfillment of the medium transport aircraft program in accordance with Indian customers’ requests.

One more direction of further interaction on creation of aircraft of different purposes on the single platform can be developed using experience of the AN−148/AN−158 family. The newest aircraft of the family is the AN−148−301MP intended for maritime patrol. It has high speed typical for jet aircraft. Owing to this, it flies to a patrol zone faster and patrols much bigger area of water as compared to the turboprop airplanes. So, the patrol tasks can be performed by less number of the airplanes.

In 2017 the AN−2 biplane, the first ANTONOV aircraft, will celebrate the 70th anniversary

PR

In 2017 ANTONOV Company will celebrate the 70th anniversary of maiden flight of the world well−known biplane AN−2, which is the first in the family of all the ANTONOV airplanes. Oleg Antonov said: «АN−2 is my greatest success». All these years many characteristics of this aircraft remain unsurpassed.

Many versions of the AN−2 performed wide spectrum of various tasks. They were actively used in agricultural works and geological surveyance operations, applied to carry people, animals as well as various cargoes. Thousands of pilots were trained at these airplanes. They often performed paradropping missions. The AN−2 became a really successful multipurpose aircraft. It is difficult to calculate the total number of its missions and, of course, impossible to tell about them in details. This airplane was an irreplaceable assistant in development of many sectors of the national economy. AN−2s flew to different destinations, including places inaccessible for other transports.

One more record of the AN−2, which is the world biggest biplane, is its many−year series production. More than 17000 such airplanes were manufactured.

To celebrate this glorious toiler’s anniversary, ANTONOV Company intends to conduct several actions during 2017.

Transport, passenger, multipurpose ANTONOV aircraft, the AN−2’s successors, inherited its best features. The world biggest AN−225 transport became a real star of informational space in 2016. According to Flightradar24 service, which provides actual data about aircraft flights, hundred thousands people followed the Mriya’s routes. Flights from Czech to Australia, visited by the AN−225 for the first time, and from Brazil to Chile, where the aircraft carried a monocargo weighting 182 t, became the most popular events.

At the end of 2016, attention of the aviation community was directed to appearance of a new AN−132 transport aircraft. On December 20, AN−132D, the first prototype of this aircraft was presented to public. It was designed and constructed during a year and a half only. It was a significant result of hard and effective work of dozens of leading enterprises of the world aircraft industry.

The year of the AN−2’s jubilee will become a “year of programs” for ANTONOV Company. The enterprise will work on development of its current projects including AN−148/AN−158 family, AN−178 and AN−132 transports.

Romanian Aviation Academy choose Tecnam

Tecnam announced today that the Romanian Aviation Academy (RAA) has selected the P2006T twin as part of its training fleet expansion plans.


The decision came out after a very detailed aircraft comparison and evaluation by George Barbu, General Manager of the Romanian Aviation Academy and his team.

Based in Bucharest, RAA is Romania’s largest Air Training Organisation and is supported both by its national government and the Transport Ministry. The Romanian aviation Academy has already successfully trained and graduated of 4,000 pilots and operates a fleet of 12 fixed-wings and 4 helicopters.

Typical course duration is just 18 months, with students starting with PPL, then progressing onto Visual Flight Rating (VFR), ATPL theory, Night Rating, Instruments Flight Rating (IFR), and then completing a Multi-Engine and Multi Crew Cooperation module. Fees are approximately € 40 000 for the modular program and € 43.500 for integrated ATPL.

The Tecnam P2006T Next-Generation twin is in a class of its own, bringing affordable multi-engine flying to aero-clubs, flying schools, syndicates and private aircraft owners around the world. The P2006T offers unbeatable value, coupled with low operating and ownership costs, innovative design and Italian styling. The Rotax ‘912S’ allows the Tecnam P2006T to lead with respect to the environment too. With both a remarkable fuel saving offering and much lower noise emissions, it is redefining both the flight training and aircraft ownership experience in one step.

George Barbu, GM, Romanian Aviation Academy commented: “We have chosen Tecnam for our fleet renewal both for its modern design and low operational costs. This enable s us to offer the latest technology to our students at a very reasonable hourly rate. This acquisition is the first in the cycle of our ambitious fleet renewal programme. We are committed to offering even better value for money for our flight programs and we are targeting a 20% reduction in our fees.”

Paolo Pascale, Managing Director Tecnam, “We were delighted to be invited to participate in Romanian Aviation Academy’s rigorous selection process and especially as following an intensive evaluation, that we were selected above a number of other competitors. RAA not only valued the overall benefits the P2006T will bring to their fleet but particularly appreciated the on-going services and support that Tecnam have firmly established a great reputation for”.

The Tecnam P2006T and many other Tecnam aircraft will be showcased at AERO 2017, Friedrichshafen, Germany from April 4th to 8th.

More info on the P2006T:
http://www.tecnam.com/aircraft/p2006t/

Scoala Superioara de Aviatie Civila
http://www.aviationacademy.ro

Lockheed Martin Rolls Out First LM-100J Super Hercules Commercial Freighter

PR




MARIETTA, Ga., Feb. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) today officially introduced the world to the latest member of the C-130J Super Hercules family: the LM-100J commercial freighter.




Employees who designed and built the aircraft celebrated this new Super Hercules with a traditional "rollout" ceremony held at the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics facility located here. Team members walked this LM-100J out of the building that is home to the Super Hercules production line. The next stop for this milestone Super Hercules is the flightline, where it will prepare for its first flight this spring.

Lockheed Martin announced its intent to manufacture and market the LM-100J in February 2014. Lockheed Martin has filed for an FAA civil type certificate update and this first LM-100J will participate in flight test activity to support this process.

"Today's rollout not only marks another accomplishment for Super Hercules, but it also reflects the aircraft's capability to evolve to meet customer requirements. The LM-100J program has exceeded all expectations in moving from an idea to a reality," said George Shultz, vice president and general manager, Air Mobility & Maritime Missions at Lockheed Martin. "We are at this point thanks to hard work and dedication of Lockheed Martin employees and suppliers, who have literally designed and built this new chapter of Super Hercules operations. The FAA has been an essential partner in this aircraft's production and we look forward to continuing to work together as we move into the LM-100J's critical flight test phase. "

The LM-100J incorporates technological developments and improvements that result from years of military C-130J operational experience, including more than 1.5 million flight hours achieved by operators in 16 nations. This experience and advancement translates to an aircraft that will deliver reliable service in a multi-role platform for decades to come. The LM-100J is the ninth production version of the Super Hercules aircraft and its commercial capabilities have the distinction of being the 17th different mission capability supported by the C-130J.

Like its multi-tasking military counterpart, the LM-100J will support a variety of tasks, including: oversized cargo transport; oil dispersion/aerial spray; oil and gas exploration; mining logistics operations; aerial fire fighting; aerial delivery; medevac/air ambulance; humanitarian relief operations; personnel transport; austere field operations; and search and rescue.

The LM-100J is the updated version of the L-100 Hercules, which was built by Lockheed Martin from 1964-1992. More than 100 L-100s were delivered to both global commercial and government operators, supporting cargo delivery requirements in almost every operating environment in the world.

For more information about the LM-100J, visit: http://www.lockheedmartin.com/lm100j

Geoscience Australia and Lockheed Martin Begin Collaborative Research Project For Second-Generation Satellite-Based Augmentation System (SBAS)

PR

CANBERRA, Australia, Feb. 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals are critical tools for industries requiring exact precision and high confidence. Now, Geoscience Australia, an agency of the Commonwealth of Australia, and Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) have entered into a collaborative research project to show how augmenting signals from multiple GNSS constellations can enhance positioning, navigation, and timing for a range of applications.

This innovative research project aims to demonstrate how a second-generation Satellite-Based Augmentation System (SBAS) testbed can – for the first time – use signals from both the Global Positioning System (GPS) and the Galileo constellation, and dual frequencies, to achieve even greater GNSS integrity and accuracy. Over two years, the testbed will validate applications in nine industry sectors: agriculture, aviation, construction, maritime, mining, rail, road, spatial, and utilities.

"Many industries rely on GNSS signals for accurate, safe navigation. Users must be confident in the position solutions calculated by GNSS receivers. The term 'integrity' defines the confidence in the position solutions provided by GNSS," explained Lockheed Martin Australia and New Zealand Chief Executive Vince Di Pietro. "Industries where safety-of-life navigation is crucial want assured GNSS integrity."

Ultimately, the second-generation SBAS testbed will broaden understanding of how this technology can benefit safety, productivity, efficiency and innovation in Australia's industrial and research sectors.

"We are excited to have an opportunity to work with Geoscience Australia and Australian industry to demonstrate the best possible GNSS performance and proud that Australia will be leading the way to enhance space-based navigation and industry safety," Di Pietro added.

Basic GNSS signals are accurate enough for many civil positioning, navigation and timing users. However, these signals require augmentation to meet higher safety-of-life navigation requirements. The second-generation SBAS will mitigate that issue.

Once the SBAS testbed is operational, basic GNSS signals will be monitored by widely-distributed reference stations operated by Geoscience Australia. An SBAS testbed master station, installed by teammate GMV, of Spain, will collect that reference station data, compute corrections and integrity bounds for each GNSS satellite signal, and generate augmentation messages.

"A Lockheed Martin uplink antenna at Uralla, New South Wales will send these augmentation messages to an SBAS payload hosted aboard a geostationary Earth orbit satellite, owned by Inmarsat," explains Rod Drury, Director, International Strategy and Business Development for Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company. "This satellite rebroadcasts the augmentation messages containing corrections and integrity data to the end users. The whole process takes less than six seconds."

By augmenting signals from multiple GNSS constellations – both Galileo and GPS – second-generation SBAS is not dependent on just one GNSS. It will also use signals on two frequencies – the L1 and L5 GPS signals, and their companion E1 and E5a Galileo signals – to provide integrity data and enhanced accuracy for industries that need it the most.

Partners in this collaborative research project include the government of Australia. Lockheed Martin will provide systems integration expertise in addition to the Uralla radio frequency uplink. GMV-Spain will provide their 'magicGNSS' processors. Inmarsat will provide the navigation payload hosted on the 4F1 geostationary satellite. The Australia and New Zealand Cooperative Research Centre for Spatial Information will coordinate the demonstrator projects that test the SBAS infrastructure.

Lockheed Martin has significant experience with space-based navigation systems. The company developed and produced 20 GPS IIR and IIR-M satellites. It also maintains the GPS Architecture Evolution Plan ground control system, which operates the entire 31-satellite constellation.

For additional GPS information, photos and video visit: www.lockheedmartin.com/gps.

About Lockheed Martin
Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 97,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.