Fugro satellite positioning

To ensure safe navigation, our goal is to provide you with the most precise and reliable data and insights.

Global positioning satellite solutions rely on satellite constellations, which are groups of satellites orbiting approximately 20,000 km above Earth in medium Earth orbit, providing global coverage.

The four primary satellite constellations are:

• GPS (Global Positioning System): Developed by the United States.

• GLONASS: A Global Navigational Satellite System developed by the Russian Federation providing positioning in-formation (Comparable to GPS for its precision)

• Galileo GNSS: A satellite constellation developed by the European Space Agency (ESA), it is currently the newest and most precise system, expected to be fully operational by 2026.

• BeiDou: A satellite navigation system developed and operated by China that provides positioning, navigation, and timing services

Together, these constellations form the satellite positioning solutions for the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS).

Each satellite constellation has its own control segment. The control segment is the top-level management and control system for a GNSS constellation. A control segment is responsible for overseeing the entire network of satellites. This ensures that satellites are properly maintained, their orbits are adjusted as necessary, and their clocks remain synchronised.

GNSS reference stations are ground-based facilities that continuously monitor signals from satellite constellations, such as GPS, Galileo, and BeiDou. These stations track satellite positions, clock errors, and atmospheric data, and use this information to generate correction models. These models are essential for enhancing the accuracy, reliability, and integrity of satellite-based positioning systems.

For our Starfix® on-demand services, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) reference stations are crucial for providing precise, real-time positioning solutions. The data collected by the reference stations is transmitted to users in real-time via satellite or the internet, enabling highly accurate navigation and positioning. This level of precision is critical for offshore and marine operations.

The stations not only ensure positional accuracy but also detect and correct any anomalies in the satellite signals, ensuring the reliability of the GNSS data used in critical applications like marine surveying, construction, and drilling

Satellite remote sensing and GNSS augmentation are two important technologies to enhance the accuracy, precision, and reliability of satellite positioning. While they each have their own purpose, they complement each other perfectly by providing robust geolocation data and reducing errors.

For example, for precise shallow water analysis, we combine Starfix® with Satellite Derived Bathymetry (SDB). SDB primarily relies on high-resolution satellite imagery that captures sunlight reflecting off the seafloor in shallow water depth and clear waters.