The Agency for Air Navigation Safety in Africa and Madagascar has started to broadcast a satellite-based augmentation system signal over Africa and Indian Ocean region, providing the first SBAS open service in that part of the world via NIGCOMSAT-1R satellite managed and operated by Nigerian Communications Satellite Ltd under Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy of Nigeria.
This early open service is provided as part of the SBAS for Africa and Indian Ocean programme which pursues the autonomous provision over the continent of SBAS services, to augment the performances of the satellite navigation constellations global positioning system and Galileo.
With improved accuracy to within a metre, and boosted integrity, availability and continuity of safety-related applications, these SBAS services are expected to improve flight safety and efficiency in Africa, and also benefit to the economy in many areas as land, sea and rail transport, as well as mass-market applications, supporting user safety, cost-effectiveness and sustainable development.
According to ASECNA, the launched open service essentially aims to carry out technical trials, and to undertake with partner airlines field demonstrations for aircraft and rotorcraft, to demonstrate the benefits of the future operational safety-of-life SBAS services, expected from 2024.
It will also include early ‘Precise Point Positioning’ and emergency warning service to populations, which performance will be proven through other demonstrations.
It added that the signal-in-space was generated by a dedicated system testbed, developed as part of the SBAS for Africa and Indian Ocean preliminary design phase, financed by the European Union and awarded to Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales (67 per cent) and Leonardo (33 per cent).
The SBAS for Africa and Indian Ocean is based on the European EGNOS developed by the European Space Agency acting under the delegation of the European Commission and operated by the European GNSS Agency GSA.
The system prototype uses as reference stations network the SAGAIE network deployed by CNES and ASECNA with the support of Thales Alenia Space.
The signal is broadcasted via the SBAS payload on the NigComSat 1R GEO satellite and an uplink station deployed in Abuja.
It is compliant with the standards and recommended practices of the International Civil Aviation Organisation, and the minimum operational performance standard developed by the Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics and expected to be visible in the whole Africa and the Indian Ocean, up to the West Australian coast, and also in Europe.
“We are proud to be part of this ambitious programme to provide satellite navigation services in the Africa and Indian Ocean region. The use of our geostationary communication satellite NIGCOMSAT-1R navigation payload to broadcast the first signal will be Africa’s premier contribution to SBAS as a regional satellite-based augmentation system for the continent,” said Dr. Abimbola Alale, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NIGCOMSAT Ltd.
