Southern Positioning Augmentation Network
The Southern Positioning Augmentation Network (SouthPAN) is a joint initiative of the Australian and New Zealand Governments that provides satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS) for Australia and New Zealand. On 26 September 2022, SouthPAN early Open Services became live, with safety-of-life certified SouthPAN services planned for 2028. SouthPAN is the first SBAS in the Southern Hemisphere.
SouthPAN will implement the following services:
- L1 SBAS. L1 SBAS augments GPS and is an Aeronautical Radio Navigation Service (ARNS). This signal will be used for Safety-of-Life applications and therefore needs to be certified by the National Aviation Authorities—that is, the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
- DFMC SBAS. Dual Frequency Multi Constellation (DFMC) SBAS is a future ARNS that will be defined in ICAO Annex 10 Amendment 93. This service will have the potential to be certified as a safety critical system for aviation and other sectors in the future.
- PVS. Precise Point Positioning (PPP) via SouthPAN (PVS) service will provide horizontal accuracies of 15 cm (5.9 in) (95% confidence) to a range of industries following a convergence time in the tens of minutes. The PVS service will be open access and able to be incorporated onto mass-market GNSS devices across Australia, New Zealand and their maritime zones.
Development
[edit]Between 2017 and 31 July 2020, Geoscience Australia ran a SouthPAN SBAS test-bed project to assess the economic, social and environmental benefits of improved positioning technology through industry case study projects.[1][2] Lockheed Martin Australia won a tender for the AU$1.18 billion dollar contract in September 2022. The system is based on ground stations built by Lockheed Martin's subcontractor Av-Comm, with the site in Uralla, New South Wales, switched on in December 2023,[3] and the site in Awarua—based at the Awarua Satellite Ground Station—in July 2024.[4][5] One expected outcome of greater GPS precision is reduced flight cancellations.[4]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Trial of accurate positioning". Geoscience Australia. 5 October 2019. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
- ↑ "SBAS Test-Bed Demonstration Project" (PDF). Frontier SI. 2019. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
- ↑ "Lockheed Martin and Av-Comm install SouthPAN dish". Australian Defence Magazine. 5 December 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2026.
- 1 2 Brew, Andy (1 August 2024). "New GPS satellite technology will lead to fewer flight cancellations". The Southland Times. Retrieved 17 September 2026.
- ↑ "SouthPan switched on in New Zealand". Australian Defence Magazine. 29 July 2024. Retrieved 17 September 2026.