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Performance of GNSS space service for geostationary autonomous operations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 December 2024

Fangtan Jiao Open the ORCID record for Fangtan Jiao [Opens in a new window] ,
Yuxin Hu  and
Xiaodong Yu
Fangtan Jiao*
Affiliation:
Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100094, China Key Laboratory of Geo-spatial Information Processing and Application System Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China School of Electronic, Electrical and Communication Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
Yuxin Hu
Affiliation:
Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100094, China Key Laboratory of Geo-spatial Information Processing and Application System Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
Xiaodong Yu
Affiliation:
Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100094, China Key Laboratory of Geo-spatial Information Processing and Application System Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
*
*Corresponding author: Fangtan Jiao; Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

The geostationary orbit (GEO) belt hosts a substantial number of high-value satellites, making the study of autonomous navigation within this area significant. Features of autonomous operations such as patrolling the GEO belt and frequent manoeuvres at a certain location make real-time positioning using the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) valuable. This paper studies the performance of positioning with GNSS considering main lobe and side lobe signals at different longitudes in the GEO belt. The research delves into the visibility and Position Dilution of Precision (PDOP) across the GEO belt, analysing the performance of the Global Positioning System (GPS), GLObalnaya NAvigatsionnaya Sputnikovaya Sistema (GLONASS) in Russian, BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), Galileo Navigation Satellite System (Galileo) and multi-systems. In particular, this paper investigates the impact of asymmetric constellations of mixed GEO, Inclined Geosynchronous Orbit (IGSO) and Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellites. The study reveals that BDS hybrid constellation provides long-term stable signal coverage over the GEO space above North America and Atlantic Ocean, where GEO signals are more sustainable while IGSO signals have wider coverage. This advantage positions BDS favourably in terms of performance in these regions.

Keywords

BDSGNSSonboard autonomous orbit determination
Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Navigation , Volume 77 , Issue 2 , March 2024 , pp. 257 - 275
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Royal Institute of Navigation

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