20.07.2017: Within the last years satellite navigation GPS became common property. Car drivers are guided by the navigation system, GPS controlled farm machineries work accurate to the centimeter and scientific applications are improving weather forecast. In the frame of the project "Advanced Technologies for Navigation and Geodesy – ADVANTAGE“, about 35 scientists met on Telegrafenberg on 18 and 19 July to discuss new technologies in the field.

ADVANTAGE is a joint project of the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) and the GFZ, sections Space Geodetic Techniques and Global Geomonitoring and Gravity Field, and addresses satellite navigation of the next generation and beyond. Immense technological progress in the development of high-precision clocks and the advent of inter-satellite laser communication will highly improve future precision for example in estimating changes in sea-level.

In several talks the participants discussed the application of optical clocks, laser-based satellite communication or geodetic applications. Besides members of the DLR and the GFZ, participants were also coming from the Leibniz University of Hannover and the Technical University of Munich. The ADVANTAGE project is funded by the Helmholtz Association within the Initiative and Networking Fund. (ak)