European Space Agency had navigation problems. It was the sheep herd what caused trouble
The ESA team participated in the largest satellite jamming campaign in the world. Scientists chose the extreme conditions of northern Norway as the testing environment. On the island of Andøya, herds of wild sheep turned out to be an unexpected hindrance.
Reliance on navigation, we might easily assume that we use reliable technology. However, satellite navigation systems are highly susceptible to interference and tampering. Primarily because information about satellite signals is publicly available, and their power on earth is still low. Is the only way out of this situation the development of infrastructure? Scientists of the European Space Agency decided to check this during Jammerstest, the biggest satellite communication test.
Navigation disruption tests
The goal of Jammerstest 2023 was to evaluate how interference and falsification can disrupt satellite navigation systems. Scientists also wanted to determine whether the tools they are developing are effective in detecting and mitigating communication disruption.
There's a reason the Norwegian island of Andøya became a test field. It is an inhospitable piece of land, located far north. Satellite signal availability is low there, and ionospheric activity often disrupts it.
So, he offered convenient and at the same time extreme conditions for creating a temporary test laboratory for navigation. It was easy to control its space, but scientists had to deal with a large geographical width.
"ESA's 'Toys' for Navigation Testing"
The main "player" for ESA was a vehicle for testing telecommunications and navigation. This inconspicuous van is a mobile testing platform for navigation systems. On a daily basis, it is stationed at the ESA test center in the Netherlands (ESTEC) and primarily serves the Galileo satellite system.
For the Norwegian adventure, the ESA vehicle has been modernized. More receivers, antennas, and additional equipment for monitoring and reducing interference were placed in it. Among them, the inertial navigation system deserves special attention. Thanks to it, signal readings could be corrected for the actual position of the vehicle.
In the ESA team, the RFI device also played a crucial role. This portable, compact radio frequency interference detection system was used like a scout. Scanning the electromagnetic environment preceded each series of tests.
The test tasks were also made more precise by a satellite receiver that supported the technology of supercooling. It improved the accuracy, sensitivity, and integrity of the satellite system, reducing its susceptibility to disturbances. It made scanning the sky easier, as well as the detection of falsified signals.
Navigation disruption test results
Five days of testing allowed the basic objective to be achieved. Despite winds of about 62 mph and the disturbing of the test environment by herds of wild sheep, scientists were able to obtain terabytes of data. They are now in the hands of ESTEC engineers, who hope to utilize them for many years.
They will be used to create new solutions in the field of navigation and satellite communication. More about Jammertest 2023 experiences will be known in November. ESTEC plans to present its results during NAVISP Industry Days.
