EGNOS Prepares for 2008 Certification
May 24, 2007 // Published as a news service by IHS
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European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS), a European satellite navigation service that provides vertical guidance to pilots during approach and landing, is regularly being tested to demonstrate the capabilities of the technology.
EGNOS, which was launched by the European Space Agency (ESA), the European Commission (EC) and Eurocontrol, is in pre-operational service and will be certified in 2008 for safety-of-life applications, such as air traffic control.
The Direction Générale de l'Aviation Civile (DGAC - French Civil Aviation Authority) conducted EGNOS tests at the Limoges airport in France using an EGNOS-technology equipped plane.
During the tests, the ATR42 made a number of approaches and landings using the new procedures, in each case aligning itself with the runway's axis and then following a descent path to touchdown.
Inside the plane, normally used for calibration of airport systems in France, the quality of the EGNOS signals was analyzed by comparing the landing phases guided by satellite with landings using traditional means, such as the Instrument Landing System (ILS).
The Limoges trials showed:
- EGNOS signals allow approaches and landings that meet the safety standards that govern international air traffic.
- EGNOS is available everywhere without the need to install ground infrastructure.
- Provides vertical guidance procedures for every runway.
- Offers display technology familiar to pilots since the cockpit data display is the same as for ILS, which means no additional training costs are required.
The system was designed to improve on GPS performance and will provide a precision of better than two meters, compared to 15 to 20 meters for GPS alone. According to ESA, the quality signals also is guaranteed - if a problem is detected, an alarm will be sent to the pilot.
For Europe, EGNOS also is the first step in satellite navigation, paving the way for Galileo, which will be the first civil global system, ESA said. For European civil aviation authorities, the long-term plan is to combine all the existing navigation systems to ensure greater assistance for pilots and the best possible safety of air traffic in Europe and worldwide.
EGNOS-equivalent systems that are set up in the U.S., Japan and India are compatible and interoperable with the EGNOS system. An aircraft with a suitable receiver could operate in any area of these areas - it would always have satellite navigation support available, without changing equipment, EGNOS said.
Source: European Space Agency (ESA).