Last July 12^th, the company ESSP SAS - European Satellite Services Provider- successfully achieved the Certification as Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP) according to the EC Single European Sky regulation, a preliminary requirement to remove the message type 0 ("don't use for safety applications") from the EGNOS Signal in Space.

The removal of the Message type 0 on August 2^nd means the start of EGNOS Safety Of Life (SoL) operational phase for the Aviation sector. As from that moment, aircrafts equipped with GPS-SBAS receivers will be able to receive the EGNOS signal within its coverage area. This first use is limited, for the moment, to lateral guidance supporting en route, terminal and Non Precision Approach procedures.

After an initial operational period of 3 months, the European Commission will declare beginning of November the EGNOS Safety of Life (SoL) service available to the Aviation community. This service will enable the publication of Precision Approach procedures with vertical and lateral navigation guidance (APV) based on EGNOS.

Last July 12th the French National Supervisory Authority (NSA) gave to the ESSP the Certification of Air Navigation Service Provider, according to the Single European Sky Regulation 2096/2005.  This Certification is a prerequisite for ESSP to provide Navigation Services to airspace users.

Read the whole Certification Press Release

The Certification event was hosted by ESSP President, Dirk Werquin, with the representation of the European Commission, the French NSA (DSAC), the Certification Committee, as well as different ESSP shareholders and other members from the European Space Agency and CNES.

On June 24^th the European Commission (EC) and the ESSP held a public EGNOS Service Provision Meeting in Brussels, during which ESSP presented an up-to-date status on EGNOS performances, on the Company Certification Process and on the plan towards the Safety-of-life Service Declaration.  All these subjects are stated in the ESSP EGNOS Service Provision Yearly Report.

Main guests of this Meeting were European ANSPs (Air Navigation Service Provider) such as the German DFS, UK NATS, Belgocontrol, French DSNA, Aena from Spain, Austrocontrol, and PANSA from Poland, as well as stakeholders from the Aviation domain:  the GNSS Supervisory Authority (GSA), The European Space Agency (ESA) and Eurocontrol.

To see the slides presented during the meeting, please click here.

During the presentation from the EC and the ESSP several questions arose regarding service extension, the service provision and many other topics related to the start of the EGNOS Safety-of-life Service, foreseen for the beginning of November 2010:

•1.     Are the service area coverage maps shown today in the meeting the same as the ones in the final SoL Service Definition Document?

The reference maps shown today are the performance maps based on current measured performances. The performance commitment to be published in the EGNOS SoL Service Definition Document will be based on Industry commitment performances obtained through simulations and are expected to be similar. In the next coming EGNOS system release (ESR 2.3.1), foreseen for mid 2011, there will be a significant improvement of the coverage area with the implementation of 4 additional RIMS and better robustness of CPF algorithm against Ionospheric effects.

•2.     What is planned to be done in order to mitigate possible GPS failures affecting EGNOS performances?

ESSP teams are aware of the scheduled GPS failures through the information released on GPS official website, therefore the corresponding performance forecast is estimated in advance and will be communicated through our user support website.

•3.     Some GPS satellites are told to be already obsolete. What is the relationship between the performance maps and the number of GPS satellites?

The performance maps shown are based on real data provided by the system for all in view satellites at every given moment. The performance commitment that will be published in the EGNOS SoL SDD will be based on theoretical models (including unforeseen events) which consider the minimum number of GPS satellites or minimum constellation.  

•4.     Will the GEO Satellites always be available for the signal processing?

The ESSP is monitoring not only combined GEO availability but also individual GEO availability.  ESSP objective is to maintain in operational conditions two GEOs 100% of the time. In today's presentation it has been shown that non-availability of one GEO is sporadic, and extremely remote for both GEOs at the same time.

•5.     What is the number of channels assumed for performance computations in receivers?

It depends on the receiver implementation, but is assumed that SBAS receivers have and use all-in-view satellite capability.

•6.     How is ESSP preparing itself to react to possible system degradations?

ESSP teams are constantly controlling and monitoring the system, the signal in space and its performances. In case of a degradation they react fast in accordance to validated working procedures allowing putting in place specific mitigations and corrections if needed.

•7.     What would be the price of the EGNOS Safety-of-Life Service?

EGNOS Services are for free for the time being.        

•8.     What are the next steps after the SoL Declaration for the implementation of Approach procedures in Europe?

Implementation of Approach procedures are under the responsibility of the different ANSPs willing to use EGNOS for optimization of their air space control. They will have to develop flight procedures based on EGNOS and let them be approved by national NSAs. 

Some examples of expected procedures to be published in the short time:

DGAC :            Pau Airport, October 2010
                       Le Bourget, Albert Bray, end 2010
                       Clermont Ferrand, February 2011

NATS :             Alderney, Eastern 2011

•9.     Where can the number of approaches procedures published be found?

The approaches implementation per country are published on the website of Eurocontrol: http://www.ecacnav.com/

•10.  The NPA availability service area presented today can be confusing since it should be understood as the area where EGNOS provides lateral guidance but lateral guidance for NPA operations can be conducted beyond this limit with GPS+RAIM.

Indeed, the presentation should specify EGNOS NPA, EGNOS APV-1 in all the pictures to clearly identify that these areas represent where Lateral and Vertical guidance based on EGNOS is available.

The 2^nd edition of this International Event that took place in Toulouse from June 8^th  to June 11^th , was devoted this year to Applications of Space Technologies.

ESSP participated at the Show Exhibition with a corporte Stand, altogether with other relevant agents and stakeholders as the European Commission and the GSA, and important names of the European and International aeronautical and space Industry.

ESSP also took part of the Show's exhaustive Conference Program, with an oral presentation on Friday 11^th on the subject:

"The ESSP as the provider of EGNOS Safety -of-Life Service".

 The Toulouse Space Show was inaugurated by France's Minister of Research and Education, Mrs. Valérie Pecresse, who mentioned ESSP as one of the relevant companies located in Toulouse.

EDAS ( EGNOS Data Acess Service ) will be provided by ESSP after the successful handover of the EDAS Beta Test Phase from the GNSS Supervisory Authority (GSA) on 1st of April 2010;  and the transfer of ownership of the EDAS system from the GSA to the European Commission.

EDAS is intended to provide access to EGNOS data through alternative means than the Geostationary satellites. This initial service is an intermediate step towards the definition of the EGNOS Commercial Data Distribution Service (CDDS) by the European Commission.

EDAS is nowadays the single point of access for the data collected and generated by the EGNOS infrastructure; providing an opportunity to deliver EGNOS data through a ground-based network to users who cannot always view the EGNOS satellites.

The objective of this consultation is to ensure that the development of the EGNOS service Definition Documents takes into account the views of today's GNSS stakeholders and users. This will subsequently help towards a smooth and rapid rollout of GNSS equipments and applications integrating EGNOS capabilities and the soonest possible delivery of user benefits.

The feedbacks received during those consultation processes will be used by the EC to develop improved versions of the EGNOS Service Definition Document for the Open Service (EGNOS OS SDD); already published on 1st October 2009; and to enhance the SoL Service Definition Document currently in preparation phase.

We kindly invite you to provide your personal and professional feedback on the EGNOS OS SDD by clicking here.