GNSS - Global Navigation Satellite Systems

The GPS configuration consists of more than

24 satellites orbiting the Earth

Research GNSS

GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems) is the common name of global satellite-based systems for navigation, positioning and time transfer. The most well known system is the American system GPS (Global Positioning System) which got its operational status in 1994. Russia also has a similar system since the beginning of the 1990's called GLONASS (GLObal NAvigation Satellite System).

GLONASS och Galileo

GLONASS has not yet received the same impact as GPS, mainly due to that it has not been given enough support for development and maintenance. Galileo is in addition to these two existing systems a future European system that is planned to be in operation in the end of this decade.
The time and frequency group at SP has activities within all these three systems. The laboratory is equipped with several receivers for GPS and GLONASS and takes part in national and international groups for the development and integration of Galileo.

SP's GNSS-station

SP's GNSS-station is a member of a number of national and international networks of permanently installed GNSS-receivers. The station is a member of SWEPOS since 1996, a Swedish network with approximately 50 permanent stations in Sweden. SWEPOS is operated by the National Land Survey of Sweden. The station is since 2001 also a member of the international network IGS (International GNSS Service) which consists of hundreds of stations worldwide.

SP's R&D within GPS and GLONASS comprise several applications and areas of usage. Mainly within time and frequency transfer but we do also have large activity within static and dynamic positioning and within atmosphere modeling. You can read more about the equipment and our R&D activities below.