Satellite Navigation
International Cooperation
The U.S. government is involved in a wide range of bilateral and multilateral cooperation efforts related to GPS and satellite navigation. Through the State Department, the United States has signed joint statements and agreements establishing GPS cooperation with Japan, Europe, Russia, India, and Australia. The United States also promotes cooperation through international organizations such as the International Committee on GNSS.
Read about the full range of cooperation at PNT.gov...The Commerce Department plays a key role in these international cooperation efforts, working to ensure that the global market for satellite navigation goods and services remains open and fair. Given a level playing field for competition, U.S. businesses tend to thrive through innovation.
The Office of Space Commercialization has been or is involved in the following specific international activities:
- GPS-Galileo Working Group "B" on Trade and Civil Applications
- USTR Report on Galileo Market Access
- U.S.-Japan GPS Cooperation
- QZSS Monitoring Station in Guam
- GPS-GLONASS Cooperation
- U.S.-Australia Joint Delegation Statement on GPS Cooperation
- International Committee on GNSS
QZSS Monitoring Station in Guam
On August 25, 2009, NOAA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) cut the ribbon on a monitoring station in Guam that will track spacecraft from JAXA's upcoming Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS). Designed to work seamlessly with GPS, QZSS is a JAXA effort to improve navigation satellite coverage over Japan and surrounding areas. The new monitoring station, installed at NOAA's Weather Forecast Office in Guam, will help JAXA track QZSS satellites as they fly over the South Pacific.
The Office of Space Commercialization played a central role in helping JAXA identify a suitable U.S. property in the Guam area for the QZSS monitor site. The Office also coordinated the legal agreement allowing JAXA to install equipment at the NOAA facility in exchange for data access. NOAA may incorporate data from the monitoring station into its U.S. network of Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS).
Learn more about CORS...NOAA, Commerce, and the U.S. government strongly support QZSS because it is designed to be fully interoperable with GPS.
Read more about GPS-QZSS cooperation at PNT.gov...GPS-GLONASS Cooperation
The United States and Russia signed a joint statement in 2004 establishing cooperation between GPS and Russia's GLONASS satellite navigation system. The Office of Space Commercialization participated in the development of the joint statement and in follow-on efforts toward a formal agreement on GPS-GLONASS cooperation.
Currently, there are two working groups pursuing interoperability between the two systems. One focuses on adding GPS-like signals to GLONASS to enable combined GPS-GLONASS positioning, navigation, and timing. The other focuses on standards for satellite-based search and rescue capabilities, which Russia is adding to future GLONASS satellites and the United States may add to GPS III. NOAA co-chairs the search and rescue working group.
Read more about GPS-GLONASS cooperation at PNT.gov... Read more about adding search and rescue to GPS IIIInternational Committee on GNSS
The International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (ICG) is a U.N.-affiliated body that promotes satellite navigation cooperation on multilateral basis. The U.S. government is a charter member of the organization and strongly supports its efforts to coordinate standards among satellite operators and to educate developing nations on the humanitarian benefits of satellite navigation technology.
Through the Office of Space Commercialization and NOAA, the Commerce Department is involved in various ICG activities. These include annual plenary meetings, regional outreach workshops, and technical working groups.
Read more about the ICG at PNT.gov... Visit the ICG website...
