The EGNOS Workshop is the opportunity to learn about the evolution of EGNOS services and connect with Europe’s Satellite Based Augmentation System (SBAS) users.
Organised by the EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) and the EGNOS Service Provider (ESSP), the EGNOS Annual Workshop provided nearly 500 participants first-hand information on the status and roadmap of EGNOS services, its development, and its implementation in fields such as aviation, maritime, rail and agriculture.
The workshop kicked off with a welcome speech by EUSPA Executive Director, Rodrigo da Costa, who highlighted a major change for EGNOS, in line with the new EU Space Programme regulation. ‘‘The transition into the EUSPA came with an enlarged scope of responsibilities reinforcing, in particular, our mission for EGNOS, one of the EU Space Programme founding components. We are the Exploitation Manager and now system prime of the EGNOS system in operation’’ said da Costa.
As EGNOS Exploitation Manager, and System Prime responsible for the changes to the system in operations, EUSPA was especially keen on demonstrating its vision of development of the system together with its partners, showcasing success stories and examples of the benefits that EGNOS keeps offering to European users.
In her welcoming speech Charlotte Neyret, new ESSP CEO, remarked: “10 years have passed since EGNOS Safety of Life entered into service for the aviation sector, and as the PBN IR REGULATION (2018) states, by 2024 all-instrumental runway ends in Europe must have an RNP APCH procedure to LPV minima published, so I am confident that this figure of +700 EGNOS–enabled procedures for around 400 airports will continue to grow.”
EGNOS service provision to further expand
With multi-constellation becoming the norm, the GNSS industry is now witnessing a shift towards the adoption of multi-frequency. In the coming years, EGNOS V3 will be available. This evolved system, will augment both GPS and Galileo in the L1 and L5 bands and will provide additional satellite-based augmentation system service capabilities through a new SBAS channel on L5. The increased EGNOS services availability will go beyond the EU, supporting a growing number of users.
In 2021, Iceland just joined the EGNOS Programme, as a new participating State. Furthermore, currently providing corrections and integrity information in a broad area centred over Europe, the EGNOS coverage area is set to expand. The European Commission has set aside some EUR 8 million from the European Neighbourhood Instrument for the Eastern Partnership countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine) in order to extend the EGNOS V3 System enabling future extensions to these territories of EGNOS high-quality services and cutting-edge technology.