PNT Advisory Board hears reports on GPS, Galileo, QZSS and KPS

The National Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Advisory Board continued its discussions on how best to protect, toughen and augment GPS at its 31st meeting, which took place Dec. 4-5 at the Sonesta Redondo Beach and Marina in Redondo Beach, California. The meeting was convened by James J. Miller, of NASA, who is the board’s executive director, and chaired by retired Adm. Thad Allen of the U.S. Coast Guard.

On the first day, after hearing reports from its six subcommittees, the board heard the following presentations:

• Karen Van Dyke, director, PNT & spectrum management, Department of Transportation (DOT), on DOT’s IDM and complementary PNT work.
• Maj. Christine Bonniksen, retired from the U.S. Air Force, deputy director for flight projects, NASA Langley Research Center, and Shachak Pe’eri, Ph.D., acting director, National Geodetic Survey, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), on NOAA’s implementation of a GDGPS-based GPS High Accuracy and Robustness Service.
• Anh Nguyen, Ph.D., NASA flight opportunities program (Bryce Space and Technology, LLC) and Lisa Valencia, NASA Space Communications and Navigation Program (Overlook Systems Technologies, Inc.) on the SpaceLoft 15 multi-GNSS flight experiment (see the article on p. 16).
• Allison Kealy, Ph.D., director of the Innovative Planet Research Institute, Swinburne University, Australia, on resilient PNT.
• Brad Parkinson, Ph.D., the board’s first vice chair, on a comparison of GPS with the other GNSS.
• Satoshi Kogure, senior chief officer of satellite navigation technology, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency on Japan’s Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS).
• Moon Beom Heo, Ph.D., executive director of KPS R&D Directorate, Korea Aerospace Research Institute on the Korean Positioning System (KPS).
• Matt Higgins, international engagement subcommittee chair on Galileo.
• Cordell DeLaPena, executive officer, MilComm & PNT, Space Systems Command, USSF on the status of the GPS program, including L5, OCX, civil signal monitoring, resilient-GPS and low-Earth orbit PNT.

On the second day, the board held a roundtable discussion, then heard updates from its international members and representatives. For video of the proceedings, go to youtube.com/@nationalpntboardmeetings822/streams.

To celebrate Allen’s long service as this board’s chair, NASA conferred a beautiful plaque to him, bearing the following text:

“PRESENTED TO Admiral Thad Allen
With our deepest gratitude, the NASA community and our many partners are very thankful for the friendship and dedicated leadership you have provided as the Chair of the National Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Advisory Board. Your advocacy on behalf of GPS users worldwide will always be remembered and cherished. December 2024
Kevin Coggins
Deputy Associate Administrator, Space Communications and Navigation
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION”