GNSS Big Data PDR successfully completed

The Preliminary Design Review (PDR) meeting for the “GNSS Big Data Processing for Monitoring, Assessment of Innovative Techniques and Science” project was held at the European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC) from 12th to 13th of June. The PDR attendees included representatives from ESA ESTEC, ESA ESAC and the main contractor and subcontractor companies: Nottingham Scientific Ltd, Sixsq, and University of Nottingham.

The objectives of this project are to:

Demonstrate that a GNSS Intermediate Frequency Recording Station (GIFRES) solution is technically feasible, could provide the traditional Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) functionality, and potentially be used for mobile stations.

• Investigate whether systematic long term digitized IF data recording and storage could also bring extra benefit to the scientific research community, as the opportunity to access and replay the raw IF GNSS signals is not possible with a traditional CORS station.
• Promote within the target user and scientific community the expansion of stations with the goal to establish a permanent global digitized intermediate frequency data recording user network.
• Analyse the technical feasibility to generate a centralised processing of remotely collected IF Samplers of GNSS signals.
• Identify the necessary remote and centralised infrastructure including the communication.
• Demonstrate through the testbed/station, its use in relevant applications such as for example: scientific long-term archiving, identification of environmental (multipath, ionosphere, troposphere) effects o interference and other natural or man-made vulnerabilities, liability aspects (road-tolling, smart-cities, time users), GNSS system feared-events assessment and evaluation of common innovative processing techniques.