GAUSS Project gathers prominent European actors to analyse benefits of Galileo and EGNOS in operations with Unmanned Aircraft Systems
The GAUSS project, a GSA initiative coordinated by everis Aerospace, Defense, and Security (everis ADS), recently organised a workshop at the University of Cranfield (United Kingdom) to analyse the benefits of Galileo and EGNOS in the context of operations involving unmanned systems (UAS) and their air traffic management (in Europe, U-Space). The event gathered relevant European actors in the fields of drone air traffic management and regulation, as well as air navigation service providers (ANSPs), the industry, and research centres.
Representatives of the EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency), EUROCONTROL, and SESAR Joint Undertaking (SESAR JU), among others, took part in the workshop. One of the aims of the event was to define reference operations and relevant scenarios to assess Galileo and EGNOS in real U-Space environments.
This way it will be possible to analyse the advantages of using them and to optimise the performance of satellite navigation systems in European drone operations.
In the words of Marta Krywanis-Brzostowska, Project Officer in the GSA, this workshop provided a great opportunity to discuss the EGNSS benefits for drones. As highlighted by participants, GNSS is essential for safe and reliable navigation of drones. The drone market is booming and future drone-based applications will face more demanding requirements in terms of integrity and accuracy. Here, Galileo and EGNOS can contribute by answering to those requirements, for instance, SBAS will cover the increasingly demanding requirements in terms of robust navigation, continuity, accuracy and availability; the inclusion of Galileo in the multi-constellation concept and integration with other sensors (e.g. inertial, vision) will significantly improve the accuracy, availability, continuity and reliability of drone positioning/navigation; Galileo’s authentication can contribute by minimizing the risk of threats.
Together with the celebration of this workshop, another important milestone of the project was the signing of the EU U-space demonstrator network manifesto during the launch event on October 19th in Antwerp. This network, supported by the EC, EASA, SESAR JU, and Eurocontrol will become a forum to share knowledge on how to keep drone operations safe, secure, and green. It focuses specifically on relevant projects that, with a clear business case, build on mature technologies, but need some further operational and regulatory demonstrations before starting commercial operations.
GAUSS Project
In the context of the H2020 programme, over three years, the GAUSS Project seeks to improve the security and positioning functionalities of unmanned air vehicles (UAV) by means of the capabilities of the Galileo and EGNOS systems.
This is an initiative of the GSA (European Global Navigation Satellite Systems Agency) executed by a consortium coordinated by everis Aerospace, Defense, and Security. The consortium comprises the Institut de Robòtica i Informàtica Industrial (CSIC-UPC), the University of Cranfield, the University of Sevilla, and the companies Rina Consulting, Aratos Systems, and Satways.
Specifically, the goal of the GAUSS Project is to make the most of the functionalities and services of Galileo and EGNOS in the field of UAS for three main purposes: improving the positioning, speed, and guidance of unmanned air vehicles; developing attack detection and mitigation mechanisms based on jamming (satellite signal interference) and spoofing (satellite signal masquerading); and applying these improvements to the air traffic management procedures of unmanned vehicles.
This way, the aim is to enhance navigation performance and security during flight time, and to make it possible for a large amount of UAVs of different types, sizes, and categories to share the same airspace segment below 120 meters (VLL).
About the GSA
The GSA’s mission is to support European Union objectives and achieve the highest return on European GNSS investment, in terms of benefits to users and economic growth and competitiveness, by:
Designing and enabling services that fully respond to user needs, while continuously improving the European GNSS services and Infrastructure;
Managing the provision of quality services that ensure user satisfaction in the most cost-efficient manner;
Engaging market stakeholders to develop innovative and effective applications, value-added services and user technology that promote the achievement of full European GNSS adoption;
Ensuring that European GNSS services and operations are thoroughly secure, safe and accessible.
About everis Aerospace, Defense and Security
everis Aerospace, Defense, and Security is a company of everis Group that provides global solutions for the implementation of critical systems integrating reliable and innovative technologies developed by them, by the SMEs they invest in, or by the technological partners with whom they have strategic alliances.
