Northern European Satellite Test Bed

Satellite Based Augmentation Systems are being developed in Europe (EGNOS), the USA (WAAS), and in Japan (MSAS). As part of their support to EGNOS, NA TS and Racal have developed and deployed a prototype SEAS system called the Northern European Satellite Test Bed (NEST Bed). NEST Bed uses GPS L1/L2 r eference stations at: Aberdeen, Rotterdam, Ankara, Cadiz, Keflavik, and Bro nnoysund. Data is sent to the Master Control Centre at NATS Gatwick Service s Management Centre for processing. The resulting 250 bits-per-second messa ge is sent to Goonhilly for up-linking by BT to the Navigation Payload of e ither the Inmarsat AOR-E or F5 spare satellite. NEST Bed was deployed and c ommissioned during summer 1998, and flight tests were successfully demonstr ated at the September 1998 Farnborough Air Show where approaches were flown to Boscombe Down on the DERA BAC1-11 aircraft. In October 1998, a NATS/FAA flight trial was held in Iceland involving NEST Bed and the FAA NSTB. NEST Bed is also being used for SARPS validation.