Canada's NovAtel is to develop the next generation of wide-area augmentation system (WAAS) receivers for the US Federal Aviation Administration under a $2.4 million contract.
WAAS ground reference stations are expected to be upgraded with the new receiver from 2004, providing added integrity monitoring.
It will incorporate the second civil global positioning system (GPS) signal on the L2 frequency and provide for the third civil signal on the new L5 frequency. The unit will also incorporate improved multipath reduction technology, says Calgary, Alberta-based NovAtel, a subsidiary of CMC Electronics.
NovAtel provided receivers for the FAA's 25 WAAS ground stations and has supplied similar equipment for Europe's EGNOSGPS overlay, Japan's MSAS equivalent to WAAS and China's SNAS satellite navigation augmentation system.
The latest contract covers a 21-month development and qualification programme, with the new receivers due to become available by late 2003 or early 2004. WAAS is to be declared operational in December next year.
Source: Flight International
