Beyond the initial development, GMV will also be responsible for the monitoring of both processing and control centres and ensuring ongoing compliance of the centres with the expected performance levels.
The SouthPAN project is a collaborative effort between the governments of New Zealand and Australia to create a highly accurate satellite positioning system.
Officially named the Southern Positioning Augmentation Network, the project is set to improve the location accuracy of users from the current standard of about 10 metres to as little as 10 centimetres.
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Geoscience Australia and Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) are responsible for the roll out and operation of the program.
The two agencies signed an initial agreement in 2020, named the Australia New Zealand Science, Research and Innovation Cooperation Agreement, which set out the framework for the project and other various research projects to be conducted between the two countries over the next 20 years.
The Australian government has so far committed to a total contribution of $1.4 billion to the SouthPAN project.
GMV’s role in the project is critical, with the subsystems they are responsible for being a key part of the broader network. The first is the Corrections Processing Facility (CPF), while the second is the Ground Control Centre.
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The CPF will be responsible for the generation of “correction messages” for the different kinds of signals being transmitted by both Galileo and GPS satellites, which will ultimately improve the precision of the signal down to 10 centimetres.
This is one of the core aims of the SouthPAN system so it is vital that it functions correctly and is maintained and supported over its lifespan.
The CPF is also able to detect malfunctions in the satellites and provide warnings for users. This feature will allow for SouthPAN to be used by civilian aircraft as a reliable navigation system during flight and even during runway approaches.
GMV is also responsible for the Ground Control Centre, which will operate year-round on a 24-hour basis, providing all of the necessary functions to control and monitor the system. It will also be capable of providing up-to-date information about the functionality and availability of the SouthPAN service to users.
Liam McAneny
Liam McAneny is a journalist who has written and edited for his University International Relations journal. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (International Relations) and Bachelor of Laws from the University of Wollongong in 2021. He joined Momentum Media in 2022 and currently writes for SpaceConnect and Australian Aviation. Liam has a keen interest in geopolitics and international relations as well as astronomy.
Send Liam an email at: [email protected]
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