Communications and radio determination system using twogeostationary satellites. I. System and experiments

We developed two types of hybrid terminals that can provide both satellite communication and position determination services in one system. One terminal uses the single channel per carrier (SCPC) technique and the other uses the spread spectrum (SS) technique. To evaluate the performance of the two systems, we carried out experiments in Japan and in the Pacific Ocean using two geostationary satellites, ETS-V (150°E) and Inmarsat (180°E). The ranging accuracy between the mobile terminals and the base station via the satellites was found to be about 200 m using the SCPC system and about 10 m using the SS system. The measured positioning accuracy was about 1 km in the SCPC system and about 600 m in the SS system when experiments were carried out near Japan. The experimental results show that the positioning errors were mainly caused by the orbital determination errors of the two satellites. Presented here are the configurations and features of the SCPC and SS terminals, the experimental system, and the experimental results     

Geostationary tether satellite system and its application tocommunication systems

The geostationary tether satellite system expands the geostationary orbit resource from a one-dimensional arc into a two-dimensional disk. The tethered satellites, each several thousand kilometers apart and aligned along the local vertical, are stabilized at the altitude of the geosynchronous orbital speed. When this system is applied to communications systems, it is estimated that the number of satellites can be increased as much as thirteenfold and the communication capacity can be increased more than seventeenfold, compared with a conventional geostationary satellite orbit system     

基于北斗导航定位系统改进技术的定位误差仿真和分析研究

对北斗导航定位系统、使用三星定位技术及伪卫星技术的定位误差进行了仿真分析.通过仿真和分析表明,三星定位技术虽然解决了原有系统的缺陷,但存在定位精度的问题;而伪卫星技术不仅解决了原有系统的缺陷,同时提高了定位精度.     

Basic performance of BeiDou-2 navigation satellite system used in LEO satellites precise orbit determination

The visibility for low earth orbit（LEO） satellites provided by the BeiDou-2 system is analyzed and compared with the global positioning system（GPS）. In addition, the spaceborne receivers＇ observations are simulated by the BeiDou satellites broadcast ephemeris and LEO satellites orbits. The precise orbit determination（POD） results show that the along-track component accuracy is much better over the service area than the non-service area, while the accuracy of the other two directions keeps at the same level over different areas. However, the 3-dimensional（3D） accuracy over the two areas shows almost no difference. Only taking into consideration the observation noise and navigation satellite ephemeris errors, the 3D accuracy of the POD is about30 cm. As for the precise relative orbit determination（PROD）, the 3D accuracy is much better over the eastern hemisphere than that of the western hemisphere. The baseline length accuracy is 3.4 mm over the service area, and it is still better than 1 cm over the non-service area. This paper demonstrates that the BeiDou regional constellation could provide global service to LEO satellites for the POD and the PROD. Finally, the benefit of geostationary earth orbit（GEO） satellites is illustrated for POD.     

基于我国深空站三向测量模式的数据精度分析

为了验证我国深空站三向测量模式的正确性,以同步星跟踪试验中的测量数据为基础,建立了站间同步修正算法和三向测量观测模型,通过与同步卫星的精密星历反算测量值比较,得到了测量数据的标定参数,结果表明,我国深空站测控能够实现dm级的测量精度,明显优于“嫦娥二号”测量的水平;同时利用测量数据进行定轨策略分析,最终实现了10 m量级的同步卫星定轨精度.分析结果为“嫦娥三号”探测器实施有效测控提供了依据.     

基于非合作低轨卫星的测向交叉定位技术

根据非合作低轨卫星的特点，可以被动测量多颗卫星信号的来向，通过测向交叉的方式进行定位。但是通过星历解算出的卫星位置位于地心地固坐标系，用户测量的方位角和俯仰角基于站心坐标系。针对非合作低轨卫星测向交叉定位时目标用户角度信息与卫星位置基于不同坐标系的问题，提出了一种迭代最小二乘定位算法，通过迭代的方式不断收敛定位结果，能够在目标用户角度信息与卫星位置基于不同坐标系的情况下，解决非合作低轨卫星的测向交叉定位问题。仿真结果表明，基于迭代最小二乘定位算法能够实现非合作低轨卫星仅利用角度定位，并分析了测角精度、卫星轨道高度、参与定位卫星数与定位误差之间的关系。针对迭代的计算方法，分析了迭代过程中不同收敛条件下迭代次数与定位误差之间的关系。在保证定位精度的情况下，将迭代收敛范围设置为8~30 km，可以降低2~3次迭代次数。     

Aircraft Interrogation Scheduling with ASTRO-DABS

In the ASTRO-DABS concept for surveillance and data link, aircraft are interrogated by one of three geostationary transmitter satellites, each covering 1/3 of the contiguous United States. Interrogation scheduling involves a roll call such that aircraft responses to receiving satellites do not overlap (garble). A simple approach is developed which utilizes range ordering of aircraft with respect to transmitter satellites, but is independent of receiver satellite locations and aircraft distribution. Bounds on roll-call duration are established, showing that interrogation of 80 000 aircraft requires between 4.0 and 6.4 seconds with the ASTRO-DABS transmission format. If aircraft distribution is regionally concentrated (i.e., clustered), the roll-call duration nears the lower bound, since fewer gaps between interrogations are needed to preclude garbling.     

Geostationary orbit determination for time synchronization using analytical dynamic models

A real time analytical orbit determination method has been developed for precision national time synchronization. The one-way time transfer technique via a geostationary TV satellite standard time and frequency signal (STFS) dissemination system was considered. The differential method was also applied for mitigating errors in geostationary satellite STFS dissemination system. Analytical dynamic orbit determination with extended Kalman filter (EKF) was implemented to improve differential mode STFS (DSTFS) service accuracy by acquiring better accuracy of a geostationary satellite position. The perturbation force models applied for satellite dynamics include the geopotential perturbation up to fifth degree and order harmonics, luni-solar perturbations, and solar radiation pressure. All of the perturbation effects were analyzed by secular, short, and long period variations for equinoctial orbit elements such as semimajor axis, eccentricity vector, inclination vector, and mean right ascension of the geostationary satellite. The reference stations for orbit determination were composed of four calibrated stations. Simulations were performed to evaluate the performance of real time analytical orbit determination in Korea. The simulation results demonstrated that it is possible to determine real time position of geostationary satellite with the accuracy of 300 m rms. This performance implies that the time accuracy is better than 25 ns all over the Korean peninsula. The real time analytical orbit determination method developed in this research can provide a reliable, extremely high accurate time synchronization service through setting up domestic-only benchmarks.     

Optical Calibration of Geostationary Satellite Tracking Systems

A precise calibration method for range and angle observation has been developed for eliminating the systematic error of tracking systems, thus improving the accuracy of orbit determination for geostationary satellites. The principle of calibration is based on an orbit determination employing a point of optical angle observation in addition to radio tracking observation, in which we estimate observation bias parameters simultaneously with orbital elements, including the effects of geodetic mismodelings. As shown by an actual calibration experiment in our ground station, orbit determinations is sufficiently accurate that the error of predicting satellite range falls within a few meters at four days after the day of orbit determination.     

Nonlinear Filter Evaluation for Estimating Vehicle Position and Velocity Using Satellites

Approximate nonlinear filtering theory is applied to the estimation of vehicle position and velocity in three demensions using sequential range measurements to three known locations. The particular case studied is a satellite air traffic control system which utilizes range measurements to two geostationary satellites and an altitude measurement. Three approximate filters are examined as suboptimal realizations of the minimum-variance filter and simulation results are presented to show that simple first-order approximation is an adequate representation. The parametric relationship between state covariance, measurement noise, vehicle maneuver structure, data rate, and system geometry is presented.     

三星定位原理研究

双星定位系统只需要两颗同步卫星便可以为用户提供定位服务,但却存在着用户位置易暴露和用户数量易饱和这两大缺陷。建议采用三颗同步导航卫星像GPS卫星那样向用户播发导航电文,用户接收机根据这些导航电文信息以及气压高度表信息,像GPS接收机那样解算用户位置,从而克服了双星定位的两大缺陷。仿真表明本定位原理行之有效。     

地球静止卫星精密测定轨技术的现状及发展

介绍并分析了针对地球静止卫星的各种高精度测定轨跟踪技术.指出测距系统的校正误差是常规测距跟踪网定轨在沿迹方向和法向的主要误差源,为保证一致的卫星三维位置解算精度,应利用高分辨率的角度观测约束信息来有效地降低测距偏差对轨道确定的影响,或者利用天地基联合定轨的低轨卫星运动几何在轨道改进的同时精化测距偏差.     

Quick position determination using 1 or 2 LEO satellites

We describe an approach for a medium accuracy position determination of a user terminal (UT) on the Earth surface, using one or two low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. The positioning approach is intended to meet the requirements of a worldwide personal communications system using LEO satellites. The basic two requirements are: (1) immediate positioning, and (2) horizontal position accuracy of the order of 10 km. Those requirements stem from the need of the system to know the user's approximate location before it connects his call. The approach makes use of the two-way communication with the UT, which can receive, transmit, and make its own measurements. Delay and Doppler measurements are used in order to enable instantaneous positioning with one satellite, and in order to achieve unambiguous positioning with two satellites. A simplified Globalstar satellite constellation and the expected Globalstar delay and frequency measurement accuracy are used to demonstrate the concept and to evaluate its performances     

Solution and performance analysis of geolocation by TDOA

One method of geolocation is based on measuring the time difference of arrivals (TDOAs) of a signal received by three or four geostationary satellites. The received signals are cross-correlated to determine the TDOAs and a set of nonlinear equations are solved to produce the location estimate. An exact solution for the transmitter position is derived for the three or four receiver cases. Extension of the solution method to more receivers is straightforward. An analysis of the performance of the system is given, together with expressions for predicting the localization mean-square errors (MSEs) and bias, and the Cramer-Rao bound. Both precision in TDOA measurements and the relative geometry between receivers and transmitter affect the localization accuracy. The geometric factors act as multipliers to the TDOA variance in the bias and MSE formulae. A study of the dependency of the geometric factors on transmitter position and satellite spacings are provided, as well as simulation results     

Line-of-sight-pointing for satellites in high altitude inclined elliptic orbits

With a growing demand for space communications and resulting overcrowding of geostationary orbit (GEO), the importance of high altitude inclined elliptic orbits is gaining impetus. However, the satellites in these orbits suffer from a severe problem of apparent periodic angular drift around their line-of-sight. This paper addresses this problem and proposes a cost effective method based on tether to continually tilt the satellites in order to compensate for longitudinal and lateral drifts relative to the ground station. The proposed system comprises two satellites connected by a flexible tether at a point on each satellite with offsets. A control strategy is developed for tether offset variations that ensures judiciously controlled changes in the satellite orientations. The numerical simulation of the governing nonlinear equations of motion establishes the feasibility of the concept. A high degree of line-of-sight pointing of dual satellites as well as the simplicity of the proposed control mechanism makes the concept particularly attractive for future space applications.     

Improved COSPAS-SARSAT locating with geostationary satellite data

The COSPAS-SARSAT system locates distress beacons via Doppler analysis of beacon transmissions as observed by low Earth orbiting (LEO) satellites. By contrast, the 406 MHz search and rescue transponder on the geostationary satellites can measure only the transmitted frequency of the beacon, which is not currently being used in location determination. This report shows that a combined data approach can significantly improve the locating success rate, the time delay to the first solution, and the accuracy of location estimates     

ATS-6 Radio Frequency Interference Measurement Experiment

The frequency band from 5.925 to 6.425 GHz is served by fixed satellites and by terrestrial microwave links. There is a possibility of microwave links pointed at the horizon causing interference to the uplinks of domestic and international communications satellites sharing the same frequency band. A mathematical model has been derived for predicting the fields at geostationary orbit based on the known characteristics and known distribution of the terrestrial microwave relay system. The Applications Technology Satellite-6 (ATS-6) is sensitive to signals in the range of 10 dBW radiated in the direction of the satellite. Signals in the range of 10-30 dBW have been recorded over various parts of the United States.     

Optical fiber geostationary tether satellite (F-GTS) system design

The geostationary satellite orbit (GSO) is a limited natural resource and its efficient utilization is very important. The geostationary tether satellite (GTS) system has a number of satellites aligned along the local vertical on either side of the nominal geostationary position. The system is synchronized with the Earth's rotation and all the various altitudes are geostationary, Furthermore, optical-fiber geostationary tether satellite (F-GTS) system has been introduced to improve the GTS system, with regard to increment of communication capacity, simplification of interference paths and intersatellite link (ISL) capability. The F-GTS system design is discussed with the purpose of achieving a realistic satellite network. Three frequency bands, i.e., the 14/11, 30/20, and 50/40 GHz bands, are examined for selection of the optimum frequency band. The F-GTS system example for covering the service areas in Japan is discussed with regard to satellite antenna diameter, communication capacities, etc. To apply the F-GTS system to the whole GSO, the diagonal azimuth orbit arrangement method is proposed for low latitude service areas. Moreover, the F-GTS communication capacity and total communication capacity, when the F-GTS systems are applied to the whole GSO, are also examined.     

A Hybrid Navigation Concept Using a Spinning Satellite?Borne Interferometer and Self?Contained Equipment

This paper analyzes a hybrid navigation concept that uses signals from a radio interferometer mounted on a spinning geostationary satellite, preliminary position estimates from self-contained equipment, and stored a priori information on the past performance of this equipment. The craft-borne processor, optimum in the maximum a posteriori (MAP) sense, is designed to estimate position coordinates using only the incoming radio signals, although improved estimates result if the other two items are available. An error analysis starts with the derivation of an estimation error covariance matrix, whose elements depend on additive receiver noise and the physical parameters of the system. A minimum 1? estimation error in position is obtained by trading off these parameters. The effects of other major error sources, such as tropospheric phase fluctuations, multipath, and craft altitude uncertainty, are added to the estimation error to give a total 1? position error on the order of 3.7 to 5.6 km.