Trends to Improve the Inter-Satellite Radio Link of the GLONASS System

The paper considers the construction of the inter-satellite radio links (ISRLs) hardware of the expanded next generation GLONASS system including the high-orbit space complex. Ways of increasing the energy potential and accuracy characteristics are analyzed in two variants: compatible and incompatible with the existing system. Two stages of the ISRL development are considered. At the first stage the ISRL is created with power potential increased by 8 dB (medium-speed) compatible with the current one and providing an increase in the average data rate up to 700 bps and decrease of a pseudorange measurement error up to 10 cm/s. At the second stage the ISRL is created with power potential (high-speed) increased by 16 dB independent of the current one and providing an increase in the average data rate up to 20,000 bps and decrease of a pseudorange measurement error up to 3 cm/s. Both options are based on the active phased array antenna (APAR). The issue of organizing communication between navigation spacecraft using narrow beams is discussed. The structural diagrams of two hardware variants with the APAR in two frequency bands S and X are given.