Review On Relative Navigation Methods of Space Vehicles

Usage Area

Abstract:: This paper is devoted to understand relative navigation models which are used for space vehicles. The relative navigations models and aproaches which are based on different sytems (Inertial Navigation Systems (INS)& Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) , Laser&INS, Vision Based, etc.) are compared. These models and aproaches can be used individually or combined with each other for solving the relative navigation problems. Advantages and disadvanteges of the models vary according to the usage area, platform type and environment. Different methods and aproaches exist in addition to different estimation and optimization algoritms for adaptation, control and sensor fusion. Most of the models assume perfect attitude conditions. This study consideres satellites position estimates according to eachother within formation on the Low Earth Orbit (LEO). Also the aim of this article is to understand corelation between the relative navigation systems and effectiveness of the algorithms which are used for the estimating states during constellation or formation flight.

Relative Navigation in UAV Applications

First Issue of 2019 - International Journal of Aviation Science and Technology ◽

10.23890/ijast.vm01is02.0202 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol vm01 (is02) ◽

pp. 52-65

Author(s):

Tuncay Yunus Erkec ◽

Chingiz Hajiyev

Keyword(s):

State Estimation ◽

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles ◽

Satellite System ◽

Formation Flight ◽

Navigation Systems ◽

Relative Navigation ◽

Inertial Navigation Systems ◽

Estimation Algorithms ◽

Aerial Vehicles ◽

This paper is committed to the relative navigation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) flying in formation flight. The concept and methods of swarm UAVs technology and architecture have been explained. The relative state estimation models of unmanned aerial vehicles which are based on separate systems as Inertial Navigation Systems (INS)&Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), Laser&INS and Vision based techniques have been compared via various approaches. The sensors are used individually or integrated each other via sensor integration for solving relative navigation problems. The UAV relative navigation models are varied as stated in operation area, type of platform and environment. The aim of this article is to understand the correlation between relative navigation systems and potency of state estimation algorithms as well during formation flight of UAV.

From GPS Receiver to GNSS Reflectometry Payload Development for the Triton Satellite Mission

Remote Sensing ◽

10.3390/rs13050999 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (5) ◽

pp. 999

Author(s):

Yung-Fu Tsai ◽

Wen-Hao Yeh ◽

Jyh-Ching Juang ◽

Dian-Syuan Yang ◽

Chen-Tsung Lin

Keyword(s):

Satellite System ◽

Low Earth Orbit ◽

Export Control ◽

Navigation Systems ◽

Gps Receiver ◽

Design Development ◽

Satellite Mission ◽

Essential Components ◽

Gnss Reflectometry ◽

The global positioning system (GPS) receiver has been one of the most important navigation systems for more than two decades. Although the GPS system was originally designed for near-Earth navigation, currently it is widely used in highly dynamic environments (such as low Earth orbit (LEO)). A space-capable GPS receiver (GPSR) is capable of providing timing and navigation information for spacecraft to determine the orbit and synchronize the onboard timing; therefore, it is one of the essential components of modern spacecraft. However, a space-grade GPSR is technology-sensitive and under export control. In order to overcome export control, the National Space Organization (NSPO) in Taiwan completed the development of a self-reliant space-grade GPSR in 2014. The NSPO GPSR, built in-house, has passed its qualification tests and is ready to fly onboard the Triton satellite. In addition to providing navigation, the GPS/global navigation satellite system (GNSS) is facilitated to many remote sensing missions, such as GNSS radio occultation (GNSS-RO) and GNSS reflectometry (GNSS-R). Based on the design of the NSPO GPSR, the NSPO is actively engaged in the development of the Triton program (a GNSS reflectometry mission). In a GNSS-R mission, the reflected signals are processed to form delay Doppler maps (DDMs) so that various properties (including ocean surface roughness, vegetation, soil moisture, and so on) can be retrieved. This paper describes not only the development of the NSPO GPSR but also the design, development, and special features of the Triton’s GNSS-R mission. Moreover, in order to verify the NSPO GNSS-R receiver, ground/flight tests are deemed essential. Then, data analyses of the airborne GNSS-R tests are presented in this paper.

Detecting Targets above the Earth’s Surface Using GNSS-R Delay Doppler Maps: Results from TDS-1

Remote Sensing ◽

10.3390/rs11192327 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (19) ◽

pp. 2327 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Changjiang Hu ◽

Craig Benson ◽

Hyuk Park ◽

Adriano Camps ◽

Li Qiao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Specular Reflection ◽

Satellite System ◽

Low Earth Orbit ◽

Earth Orbit ◽

Navigation Satellite ◽

Reflection Point ◽

Leo Satellites ◽

Gnss Reflectometry ◽

Remotely Sense

Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) reflected signals can be used to remotely sense the Earth’s surface, known as GNSS reflectometry (GNSS-R). The GNSS-R technique has been applied to numerous areas, such as the retrieval of wind speed, and the detection of Earth surface objects. This work proposes a new application of GNSS-R, namely to detect objects above the Earth’s surface, such as low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. To discuss its feasibility, 14 delay Doppler maps (DDMs) are first presented which contain unusually bright reflected signals as delays shorter than the specular reflection point over the Earth’s surface. Then, seven possible causes of these anomalies are analysed, reaching the conclusion that the anomalies are likely due to the signals being reflected from objects above the Earth’s surface. Next, the positions of the objects are calculated using the delay and Doppler information, and an appropriate geometry assumption. After that, suspect satellite objects are searched in the satellite database from Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). Finally, three objects have been found to match the delay and Doppler conditions. In the absence of other reasons for these anomalies, GNSS-R could potentially be used to detect some objects above the Earth’s surface.

Terrestrial and Satellite-Based Positioning and Navigation Systems—A Review with a Regional and Global Perspective

Engineering Proceedings ◽

10.3390/ecsa-7-08262 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 41

Author(s):

Ashutosh Bhardwaj

Keyword(s):

The United States ◽

Satellite System ◽

Vital Role ◽

Global Perspective ◽

Global Navigation Satellite Systems ◽

Navigation Satellite ◽

Navigation Systems ◽

The European Union ◽

Global Navigation ◽

Satellite-based navigation techniques have revolutionized modern-day surveying with unprecedented accuracies along with the traditional and terrestrial-based navigation techniques. However, the satellite-based techniques gain popularity due to their ease and availability. The position and attitude sensors mounted on satellites, aerial, and ground-based platforms as well as different types of equipment play a vital role in remote sensing providing navigation and data. The presented review in this paper describes the terrestrial (LORAN-C, Omega, Alpha, Chayka) and satellite-based systems with their major features and peculiar applications. The regional and global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) can provide the position of a static object or a moving object i.e., in Kinematic mode. The GNSS systems include the NAVigation Satellite Timing And Ranging Global Positioning System (NAVSTAR GPS), of the United States of America (USA); the Globalnaya navigatsionnaya sputnikovaya sistema (GLObal NAvigation Satellite System, GLONASS), of Russia; BEIDOU, of China; and GALILEO, of the European Union (EU). Among the initial satellite-based regional navigation systems included are the TRANSIT of the US and TSYKLON of what was then the USSR which became operational in the 1960s. Regional systems developed in the last decade include the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) and the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS). Currently, these global and regional satellite-based systems provide their services with accuracies of the order of 10–20 m using the trilateration method of surveying for civil use. The terrestrial and satellite-based augmented systems (SBAS) were further developed along with different surveying techniques to improve the accuracies up to centimeters or millimeter levels for precise applications.

Satellite Availability and Service Performance Evaluation for Next-Generation GNSS, RNSS and LEO Augmentation Constellation

Remote Sensing ◽

10.3390/rs13183698 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (18) ◽

pp. 3698

Author(s):

Haomeng Cui ◽

Shoujian Zhang

Keyword(s):

Satellite System ◽

Low Earth Orbit ◽

Global Navigation Satellite Systems ◽

Navigation Satellite ◽

Next Generation ◽

Satellite Systems ◽

Satellite Visibility ◽

Under Construction ◽

Average Position

Positioning accuracy is affected by the combined effect of user range errors and the geometric distribution of satellites. Dilution of precision (DOP) is defined as the geometric strength of visible satellites. DOP is calculated based on the satellite broadcast or precise ephemerides. However, because the modernization program of next-generation navigation satellite systems is still under construction, there is a lack of real ephemerides to assess the performance of next-generation constellations. Without requiring real ephemerides, we describe a method to estimate satellite visibility and DOP. The improvement of four next-generation Global Navigation Satellite Systems (four-GNSS-NG), compared to the navigation constellations that are currently in operation (four-GNSS), is statistically analyzed. The augmentation of the full constellation the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (7-QZSS) and the Navigation with Indian Constellation (11-NavIC) for regional users and the low Earth orbit (LEO) constellation enhancing four-GNSS performance are also analyzed based on this method. The results indicate that the average number visible satellites of the four-GNSS-NG will reach 44.86, and the average geometry DOP (GDOP) will be 1.19, which is an improvement of 17.3% and 7.8%, respectively. With the augmentation of the 120-satellite mixed-orbit LEO constellation, the multi-GNSS visible satellites will increase by 5 to 8 at all latitudes, while the GDOP will be reduced by 6.2% on average. Adding 7-QZSS and 11-NavIC to the four-GNSS-NG, 37.51 to 71.58 satellites are available on global scales. The average position DOP (PDOP), horizontal DOP (HDOP), vertical DOP (VDOP), and time DOP (TDOP) are reduced to 0.82, 0.46, 0.67 and 0.44, respectively.

Aircraft positioning using GPS/GLONASS code observations

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology ◽

10.1108/aeat-01-2019-0018 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 92 (2) ◽

pp. 163-171 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Kamil Krasuski ◽

Janusz Cwiklak ◽

Marek Grzegorzewski

Keyword(s):

Global Navigation Satellite System ◽

Single Point ◽

Satellite System ◽

Least Square ◽

Navigation Satellite ◽

Navigation Systems ◽

Protection Level ◽

Content Type ◽

Global Navigation ◽

Purpose This paper aims to present the problem of the integration of the global positioning system (GPS)/global navigation satellite system (GLONASS) data for the processing of aircraft position determination. Design/methodology/approach The aircraft coordinates were obtained based on GPS and GLONASS code observations for the single point positioning (SPP) method. The numerical computations were executed in the aircraft positioning software (APS) package. The mathematical scheme of equation observation of the SPP method was solved using least square estimation in stochastic processing. In the research experiment, the raw global navigation satellite system data from the Topcon HiperPro onboard receiver were applied. Findings In the paper, the mean errors of an aircraft position from APS were under 3 m. In addition, the accuracy of aircraft positioning was better than 6 m. The integrity term for horizontal protection level and vertical protection level parameters in the flight test was below 16 m. Research limitations/implications The paper presents only the application of GPS/GLONASS observations in aviation, without satellite data from other navigation systems. Practical implications The presented research method can be used in an aircraft based augmentation system in Polish aviation. Social implications The paper is addressed to persons who work in aviation and air transport. Originality/value The paper presents the SPP method as a satellite technique for the recovery of an aircraft position in an aviation test.

A Novel Optimal Routing for Navigation Systems/Services Based on Global Navigation Satellite System Quality of Service

Journal of Intelligent Transportation Systems ◽

10.1080/15472450.2013.836927 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 18 (3) ◽

pp. 286-298 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Hassan A. Karimi ◽

Duangduen Asavasuthirakul

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Service ◽

Global Navigation Satellite System ◽

Satellite System ◽

Optimal Routing ◽

Navigation Satellite ◽

Navigation Systems ◽

System Quality ◽

Global Navigation ◽

BeiDou Augmented Navigation from Low Earth Orbit Satellites

Sensors ◽

10.3390/s19010198 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

pp. 198 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Mudan Su ◽

Xing Su ◽

Qile Zhao ◽

Jingnan Liu

Keyword(s):

Simulated Data ◽

Slow Motion ◽

Satellite System ◽

Low Earth Orbit ◽

Convergence Time ◽

Asia Pacific ◽

Earth Orbit ◽

Navigation Satellite ◽

Beidou Navigation Satellite System ◽

Currently, the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) mainly uses the satellites in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) to provide position, navigation, and timing (PNT) service. The weak navigation signals limit its usage in deep attenuation environments, and make it easy to interference and counterfeit by jammers or spoofers. Moreover, being far away to the Earth results in relatively slow motion of the satellites in the sky and geometric change, making long time needed for achieved centimeter positioning accuracy. By using the satellites in Lower Earth Orbit (LEO) as the navigation satellites, these disadvantages can be addressed. In this contribution, the advantages of navigation from LEO constellation has been investigated and analyzed theoretically. The space segment of global Chinese BeiDou Navigation Satellite System consisting of three GEO, three IGSO, and 24 MEO satellites has been simulated with a LEO constellation with 120 satellites in 10 orbit planes with inclination of 55 degrees in a nearly circular orbit (eccentricity about 0.000001) at an approximate altitude of 975 km. With simulated data, the performance of LEO constellation to augment the global Chinese BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BeiDou-3) has been assessed, as one of the example to show the promising of using LEO as navigation system. The results demonstrate that the satellite visibility and position dilution of precision have been significantly improved, particularly in mid-latitude region of Asia-Pacific region, once the LEO data were combined with BeiDou-3 for navigation. Most importantly, the convergence time for Precise Point Positioning (PPP) can be shorted from about 30 min to 1 min, which is essential and promising for real-time PPP application. Considering there are a plenty of commercial LEO communication constellation with hundreds or thousands of satellites, navigation from LEO will be an economic and promising way to change the heavily relay on GNSS systems.

Semi-tightly coupled integration of multi-GNSS PPP and S-VINS for precise positioning in GNSS-challenged environments

Satellite Navigation ◽

10.1186/s43020-020-00033-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Xingxing Li ◽

Xuanbin Wang ◽

Jianchi Liao ◽

Xin Li ◽

Shengyu Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Global Navigation Satellite System ◽

Inertial Navigation ◽

Satellite System ◽

Navigation Satellite ◽

Navigation Systems ◽

Tight Coupling ◽

Positioning Accuracy ◽

3D Positioning ◽

Global Navigation ◽

AbstractBecause of its high-precision, low-cost and easy-operation, Precise Point Positioning (PPP) becomes a potential and attractive positioning technique that can be applied to self-driving cars and drones. However, the reliability and availability of PPP will be significantly degraded in the extremely difficult conditions where Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals are blocked frequently. Inertial Navigation System (INS) has been integrated with GNSS to ameliorate such situations in the last decades. Recently, the Visual-Inertial Navigation Systems (VINS) with favorable complementary characteristics is demonstrated to realize a more stable and accurate local position estimation than the INS-only. Nevertheless, the system still must rely on the global positions to eliminate the accumulated errors. In this contribution, we present a semi-tight coupling framework of multi-GNSS PPP and Stereo VINS (S-VINS), which achieves the bidirectional location transfer and sharing in two separate navigation systems. In our approach, the local positions, produced by S-VINS are integrated with multi-GNSS PPP through a graph-optimization based method. Furthermore, the accurate forecast positions with S-VINS are fed back to assist PPP in GNSS-challenged environments. The statistical analysis of a GNSS outage simulation test shows that the S-VINS mode can effectively suppress the degradation of positioning accuracy compared with the INS-only mode. We also carried out a vehicle-borne experiment collecting multi-sensor data in a GNSS-challenged environment. For the complex driving environment, the PPP positioning capability is significantly improved with the aiding of S-VINS. The 3D positioning accuracy is improved by 49.0% for Global Positioning System (GPS), 40.3% for GPS + GLOANSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), 45.6% for GPS + BDS (BeiDou navigation satellite System), and 51.2% for GPS + GLONASS + BDS. On this basis, the solution with the semi-tight coupling scheme of multi-GNSS PPP/S-VINS achieves the improvements of 41.8–60.6% in 3D positioning accuracy compared with the multi-GNSS PPP/INS solutions.

Development of a PC-Based Software Receiver for the Reception of Beidou Navigation Satellite Signals

Journal of Navigation ◽

10.1017/s0373463313000271 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 66 (5) ◽

pp. 701-718 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Jyh-Ching Juang ◽

Chiu-Teng Tsai ◽

Yu-Hsuan Chen

Keyword(s):

Satellite System ◽

Navigation Satellite ◽

Navigation Systems ◽

Software Receiver ◽

Interface Control ◽

Global Positioning ◽

Global Navigation ◽

Navigation Service ◽

Further Development

Beidou is the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) being developed in China, with the aim to provide a global navigation service that is similar to the Global Positioning System (GPS) and Galileo navigation systems. In this paper, it is demonstrated that through the flexibility and re-configurability of a PC-based software receiver in which the baseband operations are realized in terms of software, it is possible to acquire, track, and demodulate Beidou satellite signals even when only a limited amount of information is known. Further, with the Beidou interface control document now available, the proposed PC-based software receiver can be easily adapted to perform navigation functions. This research lays the foundation for the further development of navigation receivers and exploration of multi-GNSS applications.