NigComSat Dangles Africa’s First Satellite Navigation Services

NIGCOMSAT has struck a collaboration with ASECNA and Thales Alenia Space to provide the first Satellite-Based Augmentation System (SBAS) signal over Africa & Indian Ocean (AFI).

The service, which will go into full operation in 2024, opens a new era of satellite navigation performance augmentation in the Africa & Indian Ocean region

ASECNA, the Agency for Air Navigation Safety in Africa and Madagascar, has started to broadcast the SBAS.

It is the first SBAS open service in this part of the world.

NigComSat-1R Satellite managed and operated by Nigerian Communications Satellite Ltd under Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy of Nigeria, is central to the whole arrangement.

NigComSat-1R with a lifespan of 15 years, was launched into the orbit on December 19, 2011.

This early open service is provided as part of the “SBAS for Africa & Indian Ocean” programme which pursues the autonomous provision over the continent of SBAS services, to augment the performances of the satellite navigation constellations GPS and Galileo.

With improved accuracy to within a meter, and boosted integrity, availability and continuity of safety-related applications, these SBAS services will improve flight safety and efficiency in Africa.

It is also expected to benefit 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.

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 (PPP) and emergency warning service to populations, which performance will be proven through other demonstrations.

The signal-in-space is 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, Joint Venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%). The “SBAS for Africa and Indian Ocean” is based on the European EGNOS developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) acting under 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 NigComSat 1R GEO sate