Leuven, Belgium – Septentrio announced today that a PolaRx2 receiver has reached more than 330 hours of successful operation on-board “Technologie-Erprobungs-Träger 1” (TET-1), the first satellite of the German On-Orbit-Verification program. The Septentrio receiver is the backbone of the Navigation and Occultation Experiment (NOX) developed by German Aerospace Center (DLR). The purpose of the experiment is to prove the suitability of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) technology for use in space missions.
The receiver provides GPS observations on the L1 and L2 frequencies, which are used for precise orbit determination and atmospheric sounding. The dual-frequency observations allow reconstructing the orbit of TET-1 with decimeter or better 3D accuracy. A dedicated antenna pointed into the anti-flight direction of the satellite is used to collect measurements during GPS radio occultations, where the signals are tracked through the Earth’s atmosphere.
After the first activation on July 26, 2012, the receiver has operated flawlessly in the harsh environment 500 km above the Earth’s surface and has been unaffected so far by space radiation. The receiver demonstrates quick acquisition of GPS signals and tracks a sufficient number of satellites even under challenging visibility conditions. The short time-to-first-fix together with the high availability of position and timing information from the navigation solution make the PolaRx2 a very suitable receiver for space-borne applications.
“We are proud to see a new illustration that our standard commercial receivers perform flawlessly even in the harshest circumstances,” said Peter Grognard, Septentrio’s founder and CEO. “Our customers benefit every day from the same high quality and robustness for their demanding industrial applications on earth.”
About DLR
The German Aerospace Center (DLR) is Germany’s national center for aeronautics and space research. The focus of its research and development program is on aeronautics, space, energy, transport and security. It also acts as Germany’s space agency with the responsibility to plan and implement the nation’s space program. DLR has approximately 7400 employees and 16 locations in Germany.
About Septentrio
Septentrio Satellite Navigation designs, manufactures, sells and supports high-precision OEM GNSS receivers for the most demanding professional navigation, positioning and timing applications. Septentrio delivers breakthrough technology in the development of high-end GNSS receiver instruments and the integration of hybrid solutions. Septentrio receivers offer unrestricted signal tracking capability and the most comprehensive range of countermeasures to mitigate GNSS vulnerability. To learn more about our products, visit http://www.septentrio.com/products.