Beyond Gravity Improves Navigation for Weather Satellites

(CONNECT) Beyond Gravity, a Zurich-based aerospace company, is supplying the navigation modules for two weather satellites built by Lockheed Martin. According to a press release, these systems enable the satellites of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA ) to be positioned with an accuracy of less than 20 meters from a distance of 36,000 kilometers.

Beyond Gravity's GEORIX navigation receivers were developed specifically for geostationary orbit and are scheduled to be deployed in the GeoXO (Geostationary Extended Observations) satellites starting in 2032. The high-performance, GNSS-enabled (Global Navigation Satellite System) receivers for multiple satellite constellations are developed and manufactured at Beyond Gravity's Vienna facility. “The more accurately our receiver determines the satellite’s position, the more accurate the weather and environmental data will be,” Kurt Kober, vice president of Electronic Solutions at Beyond Gravity, is quoted as saying in the press release.

GEORIX features an antenna optimised for geostationary Earth orbit, separate low-noise amplifiers, and advanced technologies such as a precise, force-model-based orbit propagator and state-of-the-art Kalman filtering. The navigation receivers can process individual frequencies for up to twelve satellites. The two weather satellites will be deployed in an eastern and a western constellation and are intended to continuously provide images and data on the Earth's atmosphere, landmasses, and oceans for operational forecasts and warnings. ce/w