GPS World - May 2008 - (Page 27)

THE BUSINESS » SPACE Jules Verne' s Journey GPS can be used for more than terrestrial navigation, as the European Space Agency' s (ESA) first unmanned automatic transfer vehicle, Jules Verne, has proven. The Jules Verne docked with the International Space Station (ISS) on April 3 in a flawless maneuver using GPS and optical signals. The docking marks the beginning of Jules Verne' s main servicing mission to deliver cargo, propellant, water, oxygen, and propulsion capacity to the station, and serves as an important step for the ESA. ª The ATV is so much more than a simple delivery truck, explained Daniel Sacotte, ESA' s Director for Human º Spaceflight, Microgravity and Exploration. ª It is the largest and most complex spacecraft ever developed in Europe and the second in size of all the vehicles visiting the station, after NASA' s space shuttle. With Columbus and the ATV, we have entered the major league of the ISS. º While the vehicle uses optical guidance to navigate near the station, it uses an autonomous trajectory checking system prior to docking maneuvers. That system, developed and operated by Spanish technology company GMV, uses a GPS-based position calculation system; GMV is also responsible for and uses the same system Å THE JULES VERNE approaches the space station (artist' s rendering). The ATV will enable Europe to transport cargo to the ISS. to check Jules Verne' s destination approach and return maneuvers. Once the vehicle is in a position to dock with the space station, it uses a high-precision relative laser positioning system for the final docking maneuver. The ESA launched the Jules Verne via an Ariane 5 rocket on March 9. It is 10.3 meters long, 4.5 meters in diameter, and can carry up to 7 tons of all types of goods: food, .7 clothes, fuel, spare parts, experiments, air, and water. This first vehicle will remain docked for nearly four months at the ISS, using its thrusters to correct station orbit decay. Five missions of this type are slated between now and 2010; the next Jules Verne launch is scheduled for late 2009. applications such as mapping utility infrastructures or municipality assets. The XF100 series has a rugged and maintenance-free smart antenna and Compact Flash adapter Å XF100 for field use. It includes SBAS differential support for sub-meter positioning accuracy, and Hemisphere GPS' COAST technology that maintains accuracy during temporary Å XF101 loss of differential signal. Space Data a $49 million contract for a network to boost battlefield communications. Tests of the system showed that ground-to-ground voice and data communications could be extended from 10 miles to more than 400 miles using Space Data' s balloon-borne payloads. Space Data has conducted more than 15,000 launches since April 1, 2004. Because the balloons are above the weather system, they operated without a hitch during hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Ð TLC » SURVEY & CONSTRUCTION Mapping Handheld Introduced Hemisphere GPS' Crescent technology is now available for handheld mapping. The new XF100 series DGPS receivers for ruggedized handheld computers provide an integrated solution for the collection of position data with greater accuracy than other handheld solutions, claims the company. The XF100 is designed to work with the TDS Recon and Juniper Archer Field PC models, and is intended for entry-level surveying and professional GIS Balloons, cont' d unavailable. ª You could create a mini GPS network, by making a SkySite into a pseudo satellite, and could locate balloons from ranging at ground station. This would be a way to locally reconstitute the GPS constellation. Four of the platforms can be seen from anywhere in Arizona, ª Knoblach said. ª There are a lot of possible applications. ª Health Monitoring. Under a Navajo Nation grant, the Navajo Nation will use SkySite to monitor diabetes on its remote tribal lands starting later this year. Diabetics will enter their glucose readings into a PDA, with the data sent to SkySite, enabling health workers to reach patients sooner if the readings are out of bounds. On the Battlefield. In 2006, the U.S. Air Force awarded www.gpsworld.com MUCH MORE ONLINE In-Depth Coverage Find more details on these stories at gpsworld.com. For the latest GPS news, subscribe to Navigate! daily e-newsletter. May 2008 | GPS World 27 http://gpsworld.com http://www.gpsworld.com

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GPS World - May 2008 Contents Out in Front Letters to the Editor Expert Advice GPS III Contract Award Now a Reality? Near-Space Location Boost RTK Crops Up in Precision Ag Safety Afoot 50+ Leaders to Watch Making a Difference with GPS Product Showcase Advertisers Index & Company Directory Marketplace Classifieds Seen & Heard

GPS World - May 2008

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