NanoMagSat, a 16U nanosatellite constellation high-precision magnetic project to initiate permanent low-cost monitoring of the Earth’s magnetic field and ionospheric environment

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gauthier Hulot ◽  
Jean-Michel Léger ◽  
Lasse B. N. Clausen ◽  
Florian Deconinck ◽  
Pierdavide Coïsson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Precision ◽  
Geomagnetic Field ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Low Noise ◽  
Low Earth Orbit ◽  
Dual Frequency ◽  
Observatory Data ◽  
Vector Magnetometer ◽  
Gnss Receivers ◽  
Global Coverage

<p>The geomagnetic field has been continuously monitored from low-Earth orbit (LEO) since 1999, complementing ground-based observatory data by providing calibrated scalar and vector measurements with global coverage. The successful three-satellite ESA Swarm constellation is expected to remain in operation up to at least 2025. Further monitoring the field from space with high-precision absolute magnetometry beyond that date is of critical importance for improving our understanding of dynamics of the multiple components of this field, as well as that of the ionospheric environment. Here, we will report on the latest status of the NanoMagSat project, which aims to deploy and operate a new constellation concept of three identical 16U nanosatellites, using two inclined (approximately 60°) and one polar LEO, as well as an innovative payload including an advanced Miniaturized Absolute scalar and self-calibrated vector Magnetometer (MAM) combined with a set of precise star trackers (STR), a compact High-frequency Field Magnetometer (HFM, sharing subsystems with the MAM), a multi-needle Langmuir Probe (m-NLP) and dual frequency GNSS receivers. The data to be produced will at least include 1 Hz absolutely calibrated and oriented magnetic vector field (using the MAM and STR), 2 kHz very low noise magnetic scalar (using the MAM) and vector (using the HFM) field, 2 kHz local electron density (using the m-NLP) as well as precise timing, location and TEC products. In addition to briefly presenting the nanosatellite and constellation concepts, as well as the evolving programmatic status of the mission (which already underwent a consolidation study funded by the ESA Scout programme), this presentation will illustrate through a number of E2E simulations the ability of NanoMagSat to complement and improve on many of the science goals of the Swarm mission at a much lower cost, and to bring innovative science capabilities for ionospheric investigations. NanoMagSat could form the basis of a permanent collaborative constellation of nanosatellites for low-cost long-term monitoring of the geomagnetic field and ionospheric environment from space.</p>

Real-time and near real-time ZTD from a local network of low-cost dual-frequency GNSS receivers.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomasz Hadas ◽  
Grzegorz Marut ◽  
Jan Kapłon ◽  
Witold Rohm
Keyword(s):  
Water Vapor ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Weather Prediction ◽  
Local Network ◽  
System Component ◽  
Dual Frequency ◽  
Lower Accuracy ◽  
Gnss Receivers ◽  
The Impact

<p>The dynamics of water vapor distribution in the troposphere, measured with Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), is a subject of weather research and climate studies. With GNSS, remote sensing of the troposphere in Europe is performed continuously and operationally under the E-GVAP (http://egvap.dmi.dk/) program with more than 2000 permanent stations. These data are one of the assimilation system component of mesoscale weather prediction models (10 km scale) for many nations across Europe. However, advancing precise local forecasts for severe weather requires high resolution models and observing system.   Further densification of the tracking network, e.g. in urban or mountain areas, will be costly when considering geodetic-grade equipment. However, the rapid development of GNSS-based applications results in a dynamic release of mass-market GNSS receivers. It has been demonstrated that post-processing of GPS-data from a dual-frequency low-cost receiver allows retrieving ZTD with high accuracy. Although low-cost receivers are a promising solution to the problem of densifying GNSS networks for water vapor monitoring, there are still some technological limitations and they require further development and calibration.</p><p>We have developed a low-cost GNSS station, dedicated to real-time GNSS meteorology, which provides GPS, GLONASS and Galileo dual-frequency observations either in RINEX v3.04 format or via RTCM v3.3 stream, with either Ethernet or GSM data transmission. The first two units are deployed in a close vicinity of permanent station WROC, which belongs to the International GNSS Service (IGS) network. Therefore, we compare results from real-time and near real-time processing of GNSS observations from a low-cost unit with IGS Final products. We also investigate the impact of replacing a standard patch antenna with an inexpensive survey-grade antenna. Finally, we deploy a local network of low-cost receivers in and around the city of Wroclaw, Poland, in order to analyze the dynamics of troposphere delay at a very high spatial resolution.</p><p>As a measure of accuracy, we use the standard deviation of ZTD differences between estimated ZTD and IGS Final product. For the near real-time mode, that accuracy is 5 mm and 6 mm, for single- (L1) and dual-frequency (L1/L5,E5b) solution, respectively. Lower accuracy of the dual-frequency relative solution we justify by the missing antenna phase center correction model for L5 and E5b frequencies. With the real-time Precise Point Positioning technique, we estimate ZTD with the accuracy of 7.5 – 8.6 mm. After antenna replacement, the accuracy is improved almost by a factor of 2 (to 4.1 mm), which is close to the 3.1 mm accuracy which we obtain in real-time using data from the WROC station.</p>

scholarly journals Positioning Evaluation of Single and Dual-Frequency Low-Cost GNSS Receivers Signals Using PPP and Static Relative Methods in Urban Areas

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (22) ◽  
pp. 10642
Author(s):  
Rosendo Romero-Andrade ◽  
Manuel E. Trejo-Soto ◽  
Alejandro Vega-Ayala ◽  
Daniel Hernández-Andrade ◽  
Jesús R. Vázquez-Ontiveros ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Precise Point Positioning ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Observation Data ◽  
Dual Frequency ◽  
Positional Accuracy ◽  
Gnss Receivers ◽  
Point Positioning ◽  
Error Circle ◽  
Vertical Positioning

A positional accuracy obtained by the Precise Point Positioning and static relative methods was compared and analyzed. Test data was collected using low-cost GNSS receivers of single- and dual-frequency in urban areas. The data was analyzed for quality using the TEQC program to determine the degree of affectation of the signal in the urban area. Low-cost GNSS receivers were found to be sensitive to the multipath effect, which impacts positioning. The horizontal and vertical accuracy was evaluated with respect to Mexican regulations for the GNSS establishment criteria. Probable Error Circle (CEP) and Vertical Positioning Accuracy (EPV) were performed on low cost GNSS receiver observation data. The results show that low-cost dual-frequency GNSS receivers can be used in urban areas. The precision was obtained in the order of 0.013 m in the static relative method. The results obtained are comparable to a geodetic receiver in a geodetic baseline of <20 km. The study does not recommend using single and dual frequencies low cost GNSS receivers based on results obtained by the Precise Point Positioning (PPP) method in urban areas. The inclusion of the GGM10 model reduces the vertical precision obtained by using low cost GNSS receivers in both methods, conforming to the regulations only in the horizontal component.

scholarly journals Guidance Stabilization of Satellites Using the Geomagnetic Field

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Francisco Miranda
Keyword(s):  
Geomagnetic Field ◽  
Technological Development ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Low Earth Orbit ◽  
Earth Orbit ◽  
Small Satellites ◽  
Attitude Stabilization ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Low Earth Orbit Satellite ◽  
Games Theory

In the last years the small satellites have played an important role in the technological development. The attractive short period of design and low cost of them and the capacity to solve problems that are usually considered as problems to big and expensive spacecrafts lead us to study the control problem of these satellites. Active three-axis magnetic attitude stabilization of a low Earth orbit satellite is considered in this work. The control is created by interaction between the magnetic moment generated by magnetorquers mounted on the satellite body and the geomagnetic field. This problem is quite complex and difficult to solve. To overcome this difficulty guidance control is considered, where we use ε-strategies introduced by Pontryagin in the frame of differential games theory. Qualitative analysis and results of numerical simulation are presented.

scholarly journals Feasibility of Consumer Grade GNSS Receivers for the Integration in Multi-Sensor-Systems

Sensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (9) ◽  
pp. 2463 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tobias Kersten ◽  
Jens-André Paffenholz
Keyword(s):  
System Integration ◽  
Carrier Phase ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Power Saving ◽  
Low Noise ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Sensor Systems ◽  
Phase Code ◽  
Gnss Receivers ◽  
Zero Baseline

Various GNSS applications require low-cost, small-scale, lightweight and power-saving GNSS devices and require high precision in terms of low noise for carrier phase and code observations. Applications vary from navigation approaches to positioning in geo-monitoring units up to integration in multi-sensor-systems. For highest precision, only GNSS receivers are suitable that provide access to raw data such as carrier phase, code ranges, Doppler and signal strength. A system integration is only possible if the overall noise level is known and quantified at the level of the original observations. A benchmark analysis based on a zero baseline is proposed to quantify the stochastic properties. The performance of the consumer grade GNSS receiver is determined and evaluated against geodetic GNSS receivers to better understand the utilization of consumer grade receivers. Results indicate high similarity to the geodetic receiver, even though technical limitations are present. Various stochastic techniques report normally distributed carrier-phase noise of 2 mm and code-range noise of 0.5–0.8 m. This is confirmed by studying the modified Allan standard deviation and code-minus-carrier combinations. Derived parameters serve as important indicators for the integration of GNSS receivers into multi-sensor-systems.

scholarly journals Potential of Cost-Efficient Single Frequency GNSS Receivers for Water Vapor Monitoring

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1493 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Krietemeyer ◽  
Marie-claire ten Veldhuis ◽  
Hans van der Marel ◽  
Eugenio Realini ◽  
Nick van de Giesen
Keyword(s):  
Water Vapor ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Global Navigation Satellite Systems ◽  
Single Frequency ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Reference Network ◽  
Tropospheric Delay ◽  
Dual Frequency ◽  
Gnss Receivers ◽  
Cost Efficient

Dual-frequency Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSSs) enable the estimation of Zenith Tropospheric Delay (ZTD) which can be converted to Precipitable Water Vapor (PWV). The density of existing GNSS monitoring networks is insufficient to capture small-scale water vapor variations that are especially important for extreme weather forecasting. A densification with geodetic-grade dual-frequency receivers is not economically feasible. Cost-efficient single-frequency receivers offer a possible alternative. This paper studies the feasibility of using low-cost receivers to increase the density of GNSS networks for retrieval of PWV. We processed one year of GNSS data from an IGS station and two co-located single-frequency stations. Additionally, in another experiment, the Radio Frequency (RF) signal from a geodetic-grade dual-frequency antenna was split to a geodetic receiver and two low-cost receivers. To process the single-frequency observations in Precise Point Positioning (PPP) mode, we apply the Satellite-specific Epoch-differenced Ionospheric Delay (SEID) model using two different reference network configurations of 50–80 km and 200–300 km mean station distances, respectively. Our research setup can distinguish between the antenna, ionospheric interpolation, and software-related impacts on the quality of PWV retrievals. The study shows that single-frequency GNSS receivers can achieve a quality similar to that of geodetic receivers in terms of RMSE for ZTD estimations. We demonstrate that modeling of the ionosphere and the antenna type are the main sources influencing the ZTD precision.

scholarly journals Testing the Performance of Multi-Frequency Low-Cost GNSS Receivers and Antennas

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 2029
Author(s):  
Veton Hamza ◽  
Bojan Stopar ◽  
Oskar Sterle
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Geodetic Network ◽  
Satellite System ◽  
Low Noise ◽  
Short Baseline ◽  
True Value ◽  
Gnss Receivers ◽  
Baseline Test ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The Impact

Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) low-cost multi-frequency receivers are argued as an alternative to geodetic receivers for many applications. Calibrated low-cost antennas recently became available on the market making low-cost instruments more comparable with geodetic ones. The main goal of this research was to evaluate the noise of low-cost GNSS receivers, to compare the positioning quality from different types of low-cost antennas, and to analyze the positioning differences between low-cost and geodetic instruments. The results from a zero baseline test indicated that the u-blox multi-frequency receiver, namely, ZED-F9P, had low noise that was at the sub-millimeter level. To analyze the impact of the antennas in the obtained coordinates, a short baseline test was applied. Both tested uncalibrated antennas (Tallysman TW3882 and Survey) demonstrated satisfactory positioning performance. The Tallysman antenna was more accurate in the horizontal position determination, and the difference from the true value was only 0.1 mm; while, for the Survey antenna, the difference was 1.0 mm. For the ellipsoid height, the differences were 0.3 and 0.6 mm for the Survey and Tallysman antennas, respectively. The comparison of low-cost receivers with calibrated low-cost antennas (Survey Calibrated) and geodetic instruments proved better performance for the latter. The geodetic GNSS instruments were more accurate than the low-cost instruments, and the precision of the estimated coordinates from the geodetic network was also greater. Low-cost GNSS instruments were not at the same level as the geodetic ones; however, considering their cost, they demonstrated excellent performance that is sufficiently appropriate for various geodetic applications.

scholarly journals Exploring LEO cube satellite technology for space geodesy: SLR-VLBI POD in the GGOS era

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grzegorz Kłopotek ◽  
Matthias Schartner ◽  
Markus Rothacher ◽  
Benedikt Soja
Keyword(s):  
Orbit Determination ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Precise Orbit Determination ◽  
Simulated Data ◽  
Low Earth Orbit ◽  
Space Geodesy ◽  
Satellite Orbits ◽  
Dual Frequency ◽  
Satellite Technology ◽  
The Impact

&lt;p&gt;With test satellites already in space, the Swiss company Astrocast is currently in the process of establishing a constellation of about 80 nanosatellites for commercial purposes that are operating in a low Earth orbit (LEO). As a result of the collaboration with ETH Z&amp;#252;rich, such satellites will be equipped with both low-cost multi-GNSS dual-frequency receivers and a small array of laser retroreflectors for satellite laser ranging (SLR). In the future, this set of geodetic instruments could be also extended with a simple, compact and low-power transmitter compliant with the next-generation very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) system, known as the VLBI Global Observing System (VGOS). Therefore, apart from scientific studies based on such state-of-the-art multi-GNSS receivers in space, the Astrocast nanosatellite network could also be examined in terms of satellite co-locations. In this case, the new geometrical connections in space could be realized together with all ground-based instruments that can observe the co-location satellites. Assuming sufficient precision of such observations and good knowledge of the spacecraft environment, this approach could result in an enhanced quantity of tie measurements at a high spatio-temporal resolution, potentially leading also to an enhanced quality of common geodetic parameters. However, accurate orbit determination is of high importance, whenever considering potential co-location in space or, in general, estimating various global parameters of geophysical interest.&lt;br&gt;In this contribution, we focus on precise orbit determination (POD) of LEO Astrocast-type nanosatellites based on global SLR-only, VGOS-only as well as combined SLR-VGOS observations. The impact of this concept on various geodetic parameters and the derived orbits is studied on the basis of Monte-Carlo simulations carried out with the c5++ analysis software. All simulated data are combined on the observation level and used to derive satellite orbits and to estimate both, station-based and global geodetic parameters. Our study is based on VGOS-type schedules created in VieSched++ and consisting of both quasar and satellite observations. In addition to the simulated laser measurements to Astrocast satellites, the SLR-related solutions include also global observations to LAGEOS-1/2 satellites. Our considerations involve solutions with different time intervals, satellite observation precision levels and quantity of the considered cube satellites, providing thus initial insights concerning prospective utilization of LEO cube satellite technology for space geodesy in the era of the Global Geodetic Observing System.&lt;/p&gt;

scholarly journals Evaluation of Low-Cost GNSS Receiver under Demanding Conditions in RTK Network Mode

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (16) ◽  
pp. 5552
Author(s):  
Daniel Janos ◽  
Przemysław Kuras
Keyword(s):  
High Precision ◽  
Patch Antenna ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Satellite System ◽  
Dual Frequency ◽  
Satellite Systems ◽  
Satellite Positioning ◽  
Satellite Signal ◽  
Global Navigation Satellite

Positioning with low-cost GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receivers is becoming increasingly popular in many engineering applications. In particular, dual-frequency receivers, which receive signals of all available satellite systems, offer great possibilities. The main objective of this research was to evaluate the accuracy of a position determination using low-cost receivers in different terrain conditions. The u-blox ZED-F9P receiver was used for testing, with the satellite signal supplied by both a dedicated u-blox ANN-MB-00 low-cost patch antenna and the Leica AS10 high-precision geodetic one. A professional Leica GS18T geodetic receiver was used to acquire reference satellite data. In addition, on the prepared test base, observations were made using the Leica MS50 precise total station, which provided higher accuracy and stability of measurement than satellite positioning. As a result, it was concluded that the ZED-F9P receiver equipped with a patch antenna is only suitable for precision measurements in conditions with high availability of open sky. However, the configuration of this receiver with a geodetic-grade antenna significantly improves the quality of results, beating even professional geodetic equipment. In most cases of the partially obscured horizon, a high precision positioning was obtained, making the ZED-F9P a valuable alternative to the high-end geodetic receivers in many applications.

scholarly journals New Higher-Order Correction of GNSS RO Bending Angles Accounting for Ionospheric Asymmetry: Evaluation of Performance and Added Value

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (21) ◽  
pp. 3637
Author(s):  
Congliang Liu ◽  
Gottfried Kirchengast ◽  
Stig Syndergaard ◽  
Marc Schwaerz ◽  
Julia Danzer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Geomagnetic Field ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Higher Order ◽  
Low Earth Orbit ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Dual Frequency ◽  
Tangent Point ◽  
Local Approach ◽  
Local Correction ◽  
Bending Angles

The residual ionospheric error (RIE) from higher-order terms in the refractive index is not negligible when using global navigation satellite system (GNSS) radio occultation (RO) data for climate and meteorology applications in the stratosphere. In this study, a new higher-order bending angle RIE correction named “Bi-local correction approach” has been implemented and evaluated, which accounts for the ray path splitting of the dual-frequency GNSS signals, the altitude of the low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite, the ionospheric inbound (GNSS to tangent point) vs. outbound (tangent point to LEO) asymmetry, and the geomagnetic field. Statistical results based on test-day ensembles of RO events show that, over the upper stratosphere and mesosphere, the order of magnitude of the mean total RIE in the bi-local correction approach is 0.01 μrad. Related to this, the so-called electron-density-squared (Ne2) and geomagnetic (BNe) terms appear to be dominant and comparable in magnitude. The BNe term takes negative or positive values, depending on the angle between the geomagnetic field vector and the direction of RO ray paths, while the Ne2 term is generally negative. We evaluated the new approach against the existing “Kappa approach” and the standard linear dual-frequency correction of bending angles and found it to perform well and in many average conditions similar to the simpler Kappa approach. On top of this, the bi-local approach can provide added value for RO missions with low LEO altitudes and for regional-scale applications, where its capacity to account for the ionospheric inbound-outbound asymmetry as well as for the geomagnetic term plays out.

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