UK SATNAV signal boosts efforts toward sovereign PNT capabilities

The signal, broadcast in coordination with the US Federal Aviation Administration, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Union Space Programme Agency (EUSPA), is said to be stable and operational, which will allow on-going testing and validation by industry, regulators, and users. 

Inmarsat and partners Goonhilly Earth Station Limited and GMVNSL Limited, is delivering the UK Space Agency-funded tests with the European Space Agency via the latter’s Navigation Innovation and Support Program (NAVISP). 

According to Inmarsat, UKSBAS – UK Space-Based Augmentation System – generates an overlay test signal to the US Global Positioning System (GPS). This enables the assessment of more precise, resilient and high integrity navigation for maritime and aviation users in UK waters and airspace. It increases accuracy in positioning to a few centimetres compared to the few metres provided by standard GPS.

Since leaving the EU the UK is no longer part of the Galileo satnav system and cannot use the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) safety of life (SOL) services, which enable the use of GPS for airport approach and landing.