A state-of-the-art satellite navigation system has been launched in the UK to provide highly accurate location data for aircraft, ships, and autonomous vehicles. This comes after Brexit resulted in the UK losing access to the European alternative.
Inmarsat, a leading satellite company, has unveiled the UK Space-Based Augmentation System (UKSBAS), which offers improved security and precision compared to the public GPS commonly used on smartphones and car navigations systems. Since Brexit, the UK no longer has access to the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) and cannot utilize the secure encrypted signal from the wider European Galileo system.
Due to increasing reliance on satellite navigation and concerns over GPS vulnerability, the introduction of UKSBAS is seen as a significant advancement. Notably, Russia’s signal interference through using jamming technology has further underscored the need for a secure and accurate positioning system.
UKSBAS works by supplementing the existing GPS signal provided by the US government, making it less susceptible to interference and offering enhanced precision, down to a few centimeters instead of several meters.
Significantly, UKSBAS is expected to play a crucial role in aircraft take-off and landing procedures, as well as aiding ships in navigating narrow channels.
Todd McDonell, Inmarsat’s government business director, explained that the signal will now undergo monitoring before being tested on aircraft, with broader application expected by 2024. McDonell highlighted the growing global trend of governments developing their own positioning systems.
“The demand for this technology will continue to rise as the world recognizes the advantages of national accuracy and reliability,” McDonell explained. “As autonomous aircraft, ships, land vehicles, and other technologies become more prevalent, the reliability and precision of navigation systems will become increasingly critical.”
In collaboration with the Goonhilly Earth Station in Cornwall and software company GMVNSL, Inmarsat has developed the UKSBAS, with funding provided by the UK Space Agency. Meanwhile, a similar test in Australia has already progressed to real-world trials of the service.
In 2017, former Prime Minister Theresa May initiated a project to create a British equivalent to GPS. However, the high anticipated costs led to the cancellation of the program. Nevertheless, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has suggested that OneWeb, a satellite internet company partially funded by the taxpayer, could potentially serve as the foundation for a fully independent positioning system detached from GPS.
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