WAAS Satellite failure

[Cdash]

Has anyone seen this yet? I wonder how much impact there will be??

 

One Of Two WAAS Satellites Failed

 

The Wide Area Augmentation System, which broadcasts GPS corrections used by aviators across North America, is powered by just two satellites, and one of them has failed. Intelsat, the company that provides the satellite service to the FAA, lost control of the satellite on April 3. The satellite will "drift out of orbit over the next two to four weeks," the FAA said on April 12. The most immediate impact will be felt in northwestern Alaska, where service will be unavailable at 16 airports. However, the FAA said that due to the lack of redundant coverage, WAAS users across North America may experience temporary service interruptions. Also, a "single-point failure situation exists until redundancy [is] restored," the FAA said. A replacement satellite should launch by the end of this year; meanwhile, the FAA is looking at other options to mitigate the impact.

 

The Government Accountability Office raised questions last year about the lack of redundancy in the GPS system. "It is uncertain whether the Air Force will be able to acquire new satellites in time to maintain current GPS service without interruption," the GAO report warned. "If not, some military operations and some civilian users could be adversely affected." Click here for more details about the outage, in an FAA PowerPoint presentation.

[+Prime Suspect]

Old news. Won't affect the contiguous US, and there's another bird that's in test phase, that can be brought on line sooner than scheduled. The sky isn't falling.

Edited April 22, 2010 by Prime Suspect

[+dfx]

WAAS doesn't make THAT much of a difference anyway...

[yogazoo]

I find that WAAS DOES make a big difference in some cases depending on the amount of correction and the level of disturbance in the ionosphere throwing off signals. Not only that but why would these companies and the FAA deem WAAS important enough to spend millions on new birds if it didn't do much. I think the problem lies in the failure of newer GPS chip makers to properly receive and process the WAAS signals. Newer units seem to have an aversion to picking up WAAS, especially the newer Garmin units. I've never had a WAAS lock worth squat on my Oregon. Not to say it never locked, it did, but only for precious fleeting moments.

Edited April 23, 2010 by yogazoo

[+julianh]

I find that WAAS DOES make a big difference in some cases depending on the amount of correction and the level of disturbance in the ionosphere throwing off signals. Not only that but why would these companies and the FAA deem WAAS important enough to spend millions on new birds if it didn't do much. I think the problem lies in the failure of newer GPS chip makers to properly receive and process the WAAS signals. Newer units seem to have an aversion to picking up WAAS, especially the newer Garmin units. I've never had a WAAS lock worth squat on my Oregon. Not to say it never locked, it did, but only for precious fleeting moments.

Let's not lose sight of what WAAS was developed for in the first place - it is essentially an aircraft navigation tool for improved accuracy, including the precision required for instrument approaches, etc.

 

Essentially, WAAS is intended to enable aircraft to rely on GPS for all phases of flight, including precision approaches to any airport within its coverage area.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wide_Area_Augmentation_System

 

Aircraft GPS systems use much more sophisticated electronics than consumer GPSrs, and have more sensitive antennae which are optimally located, etc, so they will be able to get by even if one of the WAAS satellites goes off line. Any consumer benefits arising from WAAS are just a side-benefit; I can't see the people who run the GPS system spending too much time or money responding to consumer complaints that they can't get WAAS!

[-Oz-]

It affects those of us up in the cruel north.