UNSW Surveying

25/09/2026

Unmanned Systems: Without PNT, They’re Not Going Anywhere
Before unmanned systems can realize their full potential, we must know what PNT systems will be available across the nation and how reliable they’ll be.
A small pilotless craft races through the surf and delivers flotation to a swimmer in trouble. Drones inspect and spray cleaning fluid on high tension electrical lines more quickly and safely than a conventional helicopter. Driverless trucks travel farther and safer than when a human is behind the wheel. Unmanned systems have nearly limitless potential to benefit society. But they must know where and when they are.
It’s clear unmanned systems have created a new paradigm. While they support existing, sometimes ancient, modes of transportation and functions, remotely controlled and autonomous systems demand new approaches to ensure safe, secure and efficient operations.
One of the most significant is their need for robust and resilient positioning, navigation and timing (PNT).
Read more in Inside GNSS article.

Before unmanned systems can realize their full potential, we must know what PNT systems will be available across the nation and how reliable they’ll be. A small pilotless craft races through the surf and delivers flotation to a swimmer in trouble. Drones inspect and spray cleaning fluid on high te...

25/09/2026

Dr. Alison Brown Receives Kepler Award
Dr. Alison Brown’s career spans more than 40 years of pioneering contributions to satellite navigation technology and applications. She has developed and demonstrated hardware and software capabilities for military and commercial systems, including WAAS Ground Uplink station equipment and algorithms, GPS jammer location (JLOC) systems, ultra-low power GPS tracking sensors, cooperative networked acquisition techniques to speed acquisition of military P(Y) and M-code signals, and Open Architecture PNT based on signals of opportunity.
In 1991, Dr. Brown and Sturza filed a patent for a “GPS Tracking System,” the basis for TIDGET—a snapshot receiver that periodically captures a “snapshot” of sampled GPS data to be stored and processed locally or published over a data-link for remote processing. TIDGET was optimised for cost-critical and power-limited applications such as radiosondes and sonobuoys. Under Dr. Brown’s leadership, NAVSYS advanced both hardware and software to enable a set of applications, including the first cell phone GPS to support mobile E911 through network assistance; navigation in urban environments; and a demonstration of GPS operation above the constellation on the USAFA Falcon Gold experiment in geo-transfer orbit (1997).
Read more in Inside GNSS article.

The Institute of Navigation recognizes Dr. Alison Brown with prestigious Johannes Kepler Award at the ION GNSS+ 2026 Conference. For her sustained record of pioneering technical innovations, operational deployments, strategic leadership, and PNT community advancement. Dr. Alison Brown’s career spa...

25/09/2026

Trimble has acquired Terasat Japan, one of the largest virtual reference station (VRS) network operators in the country, giving Trimble a direct presence in Japan’s high-precision GNSS corrections market.
Terasat Japan delivers GNSS corrections using data from the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI) Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) network, which spans more than 1,300 stations across the Japanese archipelago. The acquisition gives Trimble immediate access to mandated GSI data streams required for surveying and construction applications in Japan.
Trimble VRS is a real-time network RTK correction service that delivers sub-centimetre to centimetre-level accuracy — typically 2 cm horizontal and 3 cm vertical — via cellular connection, without requiring users to set up or maintain their own base stations. Trimble says the service’s full GNSS constellation tracking supports rapid convergence and reliable performance in challenging environments such as steep terrain, heavy tree canopy and urban canyons.
Read more in GPS World article.

Trimble announced the acquisition of Terasat Japan, one of the largest virtual reference station (VRS) service providers in the Japanese market.

19/09/2026

Jaguar Land Rover Demonstrates Factor-Graph Vehicle Navigation
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has demonstrated a proof-of-concept navigation system based on factor graph optimization (FGO), targeting vehicle localisation in environments where GNSS signals are degraded, obstructed or unavailable.
FGO represents navigation as a graph linking vehicle states with sensor measurements and constraints, which are optimised jointly over a time window rather than processed sequentially as in conventional recursive filtering.
The work was conducted under the European Space Agency NAVISP project ‘Proof-of-concept of advanced navigation algorithms based on factor graph optimisation’. It comprised the development of a complete FGO-Nav unit implementing a factor-graph-based navigation pipeline.
The modular architecture supports GNSS and inertial measurement units (IMUs), with provision for integration of additional sensors including LiDAR, cameras and radar. A sensor abstraction layer (SAL) provides hardware-agnostic sensor integration and supports reproducible offline replay, while an integrated KPI suite and graphical user interface enable configuration, performance analysis and comparison between estimation methods.
Read more in Inside GNSS article.

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has demonstrated a proof-of-concept navigation system based on factor graph optimization (FGO), targeting vehicle localization in environments where GNSS signals are degraded, obstructed or unavailable. FGO represents navigation as a graph linking vehicle states with sensor

19/09/2026

Northrop Grumman Lumberjack’s Un-jammable Quantum-Powered Magnetic Navigation
Northrop Grumman’s jet-powered Group 3 Lumberjack drone—an attritable UAS capable of ISR, electronic warfare and attack missions—has successfully executed a test flight using SandboxAQ’s AQNav magnetic navigation software to accurately navigate under jamming using data from an installed magnetometer. The test, announced by Northrop this Wednesday, also involved recovery and reuse of the aircraft.
“The recent flight demonstration was intended to show both the practicality of magnetic navigation and Lumberjack’s ability to rapidly incorporate advanced partner technologies,” explained Northrop Grumman’s Director of Distributed Systems Michael Bastin said, regarding a test project kicked off just a month earlier.
The flight served “…to evaluate performance in GPS-challenged conditions relevant to the austere and contested environments these systems may face. The key takeaway is that the flight helped validate the promise of quantum-enabled magnetic navigation as a resilient option when traditional positioning signals are degraded or unavailable. “
Read more in Inside GNSS article.

Northrop Grumman’s jet-powered Group 3 Lumberjack drone—an attritable UAS capable of ISR, electronic warfare and attack missions—has successfully executed a test flight using SandboxAQ’s AQNav magnetic navigation software to accurately navigate under jamming using data from an installed magn...

16/09/2026

Trimble has introduced new GNSS receiver technology designed to improve positioning performance and resilience against jamming and spoofing. The new Trimble BD1090, BD1092, BD1092i and BX1092i receiver modules use the company’s Maxwell 8 technology and are intended for OEM integrators serving the geospatial, marine, construction and mining industries.
According to Trimble, the receivers provide increased processing capability, multi-constellation and multi-frequency signal tracking, and new anti-jamming and anti-spoofing capabilities.
The company also introduced Trimble JammerGuard, a technology designed to help receivers detect and mitigate interference and provide protection against spoofed positioning signals.
Trimble said the new technology builds on its existing GNSS positioning and signal-protection technologies, including the Trimble ProPoint positioning engine, IonoGuard technology for mitigating ionospheric disruptions, and RTX-NMA signal authentication technology.
Read more in GPS World article.

New receiver modules using Maxwell 8 technology add processing power, signal resilience and support for emerging LEO constellations.

16/09/2026

With a focus on the future resilience of the GPS enterprise, Lockheed Martin has secured an additional $114 million to modernise the GPS ground segment, helping strengthen the system’s security against future threats.
Lockheed Martin received two task orders from the U.S. Space Force to modernise the GPS ground segment. The task orders support the GPS IIIF Contingency Operations System and the Architecture Evolution Plan (AEP) x86 Phase 1.
Under the first $96 million task order for the contingency system, Lockheed Martin will upgrade the current GPS ground system to control the GPS IIIF payload, enabling it to operate next-generation IIIF satellites.
Under the second $17.5 million task order for the AEP x86 Phase 1 work, the company will begin a three-phase comprehensive technology refresh of GPS ground hardware and software, further strengthening resiliency and reliability through a modular approach to the GPS ground system. Together, the awards accelerate the delivery of secure GPS ground capabilities.
Read more in GPS World article.

With a focus on the future resilience of the GPS enterprise, Lockheed Martin has secured an additional $114 million to modernize the GPS ground

16/09/2026

For decades, the maritime industry has been reliant on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) to provide this certainty. However, the technology depends on radio signals transmitted from satellites thousands of kilometres away. These signals are vulnerable to interference, including jamming and spoofing, while coverage limitations can also affect performance. As a result, overreliance on GNSS is becoming an increasing concern.
Interest is growing in alternative positioning systems that do not depend on external signals. Classical inertial navigation systems (INS) already provide such a capability through dead reckoning, which involves calculating position based on measured acceleration, rotation, and time from a known starting point. However, these systems are vulnerable to drift, where cumulative sensor errors cause accuracy to degrade over time and require periodic correction from external references.
Quantum navigation systems offer an upgrade, using quantum technologies, including quantum sensors and clocks, to measure time, acceleration and rotation with exceptional precision. These systems are less susceptible to drift and, in turn, less dependent on GNSS, providing a more resilient foundation for positioning in contested or signal-denied environments.
Read more in GPS World article.

Quantum navigation systems offer an upgrade, using quantum technologies, including quantum sensors and clocks, to measure time, acceleration and rotation with exceptional precision.

16/09/2026

UK announces new space strategy to align growth, defence and national security plans
The United Kingdom has officially announced its new space strategy to bring together the UK’s plans for growth, defence and national security.
Backed by £7.8 billion of investment until 2030, the UK Space Strategy brings government’s space investment and activity under one plan to drive growth, strengthen security and back the technologies that underpin modern life.
It also recognises space as an increasingly important domain for keeping our country safe and puts forward work to strengthen space domain awareness, the study and monitoring of objects like satellites, rockets and debris orbiting our planet, which is being backed by projects including £149 million for the European Space Agency’s Vigil mission and £85 million for the National Space Operations Centre.
UK funding will see British tech offer earlier warnings of potential satellite collisions, hostile activity and solar storms, helping protect the power, communications and navigation services people rely on every day.
Read more in the following article.
https://www.spaceconnectonline.com.au/industry/7273-uk-announces-new-space-strategy-to-align-growth-defence-and-national-security-plans?utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=Daily&utm_medium=email&utm_content=2026-09-14&utm_emailID=7b4c7db616168fe865f3a2f96500fa1904548b5145c6ae1709d81f43459c19a2

16/09/2026

Fighting for the surveying discipline: a multi-pronged approach
Education has become a commodity. In an uncertain world of climate change, conflict, energy transitions and food security challenges, national budgets are increasingly stretched. Public university funding is squeezed, and smaller surveying/spatial departments are vulnerable. How can we as an industry respond?
Heads of academic programmes must adapt or they will vanish. Gone are the days of pompous academics in ivory towers imparting pearls of wisdom on fawning students. Globally, the corporates are taking over the purse strings of university administrations, and programme heads must learn to advocate for their disciplines.
In Australia, public-sector funding has reduced from ~80% in the 1980s to less than 40% now. Domestic university fees were re-introduced in 1989 to supplement this reduced funding, but as students numbers more than doubled, a full-fee paying international student scheme was devised. The scheme was so successful that it now rates as the fourth-largest goods and services revenue stream for the Australian economy! Senior managers in universities and bureaucrats are delighted.
Read more in GIM International article.

Education has become a commodity. In an uncertain world of climate change, conflict, energy transitions and food security challenges, national budgets are increasingly stretched. Public university funding is squeezed, and smaller surveying/spatial de...