Genesis and LEO-PNT: Pioneering the way forward for precision navigation
by Erica Marchand
Paris, France (SPX) Mar 20, 2024
In a major leap ahead for world satellite tv for pc navigation, the European Area Company (ESA) has introduced the launch of two groundbreaking missions, Genesis and LEO-PNT, below its FutureNAV programme. With a complete funding of euro 233 million, these missions are poised to raise Europe’s stature within the satellite tv for pc navigation enviornment, catering to the burgeoning demand for extra resilient and exact navigation methods worldwide.
Javier Benedicto, ESA Director of Navigation, expressed enthusiasm in regards to the mission’s potential, stating, “With Genesis and LEO-PNT, we’re catering to the quickly rising wants for enhanced resilience and precision in navigation, thereby cementing Europe’s place on the helm of world satellite tv for pc navigation, a sector that represents the most important downstream house market. Witnessing our trade’s aggressive edge in bringing these missions to fruition is actually exhilarating.”
A consortium of 14 entities led by OHB Italia S.p.A. has been awarded a contract value euro 76.6 million for the Genesis mission. This collaborative effort, supported by Italy, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Hungary, and the UK, is tasked with the event, manufacture, qualification, calibration, launch, and operation of the Genesis satellite tv for pc, encompassing all its payloads. Set for launch in 2028, the Genesis mission is anticipated to usher in a brand new period of scientific exploration, considerably enhancing the Worldwide Terrestrial Reference Body (ITRF) with unparalleled accuracy.
Parallelly, ESA has dedicated euro 156.8 million in the direction of the event of the LEO-PNT mission by means of two separate contracts. This mission will see the creation of two end-to-end low Earth orbit positioning, navigation, and timing (LEO-PNT) in-orbit demonstrators, encompassing the design and growth of satellites and payloads, floor section, take a look at person section, and satellite tv for pc launches. Led by GMV Aerospace and Defence S.A.U. and Thales Alenia Area France S.A.S, these tasks contain over 50 entities from 14 nations, showcasing a mix of seasoned trade veterans and revolutionary new gamers in house know-how.
The LEO-PNT mission, with its first satellite tv for pc anticipated to launch inside 20 months from the initiative’s kick-off, goals to finish its demonstration constellation in orbit earlier than 2027. This formidable mission seeks to validate the advantages of novel alerts and frequency bands for navigation, providing superior resilience, accuracy, and pace. By working in tandem with Galileo and different world navigation satellite tv for pc methods, LEO-PNT will improve sign robustness, prolong service protection to difficult environments equivalent to deep city areas and indoors, and assist a variety of functions from transportation to crucial infrastructure and cell units.
As a part of the FutureNAV programme, these missions underscore ESA’s dedication to sustaining Europe’s aggressive edge in satellite tv for pc navigation know-how. By addressing present developments and future wants in positioning, navigation, and timing, ESA is poised to prepared the ground within the evolution of world satellite tv for pc navigation methods, making certain Europe’s continued management on this crucial area.
Associated Hyperlinks
Navigation at ESA
GPS Functions, Know-how and Suppliers
