U.S. To Embrace Foreign Navigation Services

March 7, 2011 at 11:19 am | Posted in Space Law Current Events | Leave a comment

by Sara M. Langston with the blog faculty

MUNICH, Germany — The United States stands ready to use foreign satellite navigation systems as a complement to the U.S. GPS system for homeland security and other government services, including aviation-related safety-of-life applications, according to the head of the office coordinating satellite navigation systems for the U.S. government.

Anthony J. Russo, director of the U.S. National Space-Based PNT Coordination Office, said that once the non-U.S. systems meet reliability and integrity standards applied to GPS, they could be integrated into the U.S. government’s use of positioning, navigation and timing services.

After initially resisting the arrival of other satellite navigation constellations, the United States for several years has championed the idea that the nations building such systems — Russia, China, Europe, Japan and India, in addition to the United States — assure their compatibility. [Full story]