NASA/TM—2015-218469 Combined Global Navigation Satellite Systems in the Space Service Volume Dale A. Force Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio James J. Miller National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, D.C. April 2015 NASA STI Program . in Profile Since its founding, NASA has been dedicated • CONTRACTOR REPORT. Scientific and to the advancement of aeronautics and space science. technical findings by NASA-sponsored The NASA Scientific and Technical Information (STI) contractors and grantees. Program plays a key part in helping NASA maintain this important role. • CONFERENCE PUBLICATION. Collected papers from scientific and technical conferences, symposia, seminars, or other The NASA STI Program operates under the auspices meetings sponsored or co-sponsored by NASA. of the Agency Chief Information Officer. It collects, organizes, provides for archiving, and disseminates • SPECIAL PUBLICATION. Scientific, NASA’s STI. 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Miller National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, D.C. Prepared for the International Technical Meeting 2013 sponsored by the Institute of Navigation San Diego, California, January 28–30, 2013 National Aeronautics and Space Administration Glenn Research Center Cleveland, Ohio 44135 April 2015 Acknowledgments The Policy & Strategic Communications Division, NASA Space Communications and Navigation (ScaN) Program funded this work. I want to thank the NASA PNT Team for helpful comments, and David Bittner of NASA Glenn Research Center and Ted Driver of AGI for advice on using STK. This paper was also published in the Proceedings of the 2013 International Technical Meeting of The Institute of Navigation, pages 803 to 807, http://www.ion.org/publications/. This report is a formal draft or working paper, intended to solicit comments and ideas from a technical peer group. This report contains preliminary findings, subject to revision as analysis proceeds. Trade names and trademarks are used in this report for identification only. Their usage does not constitute an official endorsement, either expressed or implied, by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Level of Review: This material has been technically reviewed by technical management. Available from NASA STI Program National Technical Information Service Mail Stop 148 5285 Port Royal Road NASA Langley Research Center Springfield, VA 22161 Hampton, VA 23681-2199 703-605-6000 This report is available in electronic form at http://www.sti.nasa.gov/ and http://ntrs.nasa.gov/ Combined Global Navigation Satellite Systems in the Space Service Volume Dale A. Force National Aeronautics and Space Administration Glenn Research Center Cleveland, Ohio 44135 James J. Miller National Aeronautics and Space Administration Washington, D.C. 20546 Abstract Acronyms Besides providing position, navigation, and timing (PNT) GEO geosynchronous Earth orbit services to traditional terrestrial and airborne users, GPS is also GNSS Global Navigation Satellite System being increasingly used as a tool to enable precision orbit GPS Global Positioning System determination, precise time synchronization, real-time HEO highly elliptical orbit spacecraft navigation, and three-axis attitude control of Earth IOV in Orbit validation orbiting satellites. With additional Global Navigation Satellite LEO low Earth Orbit System (GNSS) constellations being replenished and coming MEO medium Earth orbit into service (GLONASS, Beidou, and Galileo), it will become NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration possible to benefit from greater signal availability and PNT position, navigation, and timing robustness by using evolving multi-constellation receivers. PVT position, velocity, and timing The paper, “GPS in the Space Service Volume,” presented at SCaN Space Communication and Navigation the ION GNSS 19th International Technical Meeting in 2006 SSV Space Service Volume (Ref. 1), defined the Space Service Volume, and analyzed the STK Systems Tool Kit (formerly Satellite Tool Kit, performance of GPS out to seventy thousand kilometers. This Analytical Graphics, Inc.) paper will report a similar analysis of the signal coverage of TSV Terrestrial Service Volume GPS in the space domain; however, the analyses will also consider signal coverage from each of the additional GNSS Introduction constellations noted earlier to specifically demonstrate the expected benefits to be derived from using GPS in conjunction Although GNSS constellations were created to provide with other foreign systems. position, navigation, and timing (PNT) services for terrestrial and airborne applications, they can also provide PNT functionality to The Space Service Volume is formally defined as the volume space borne applications such as Earth orbiting satellites. GPS is of space between three thousand kilometers altitude and already being widely used for this purpose, having first flown geosynchronous altitude circa 36,000 km, as compared with the onboard Landsat 4 decades ago in 1982 (Ref. 2). Terrestrial Service Volume between 3,000 km and the surface For satellites operating in low Earth orbit (LEO), GNSS of the Earth. In the Terrestrial Service Volume, GNSS receivers will see signals that are similar to those seen by performance is the same as on or near the Earth’s surface due terrestrial and airborne users, apart from the high dynamic to satellite vehicle availability and geometry similarities. The effects due to orbital velocity. They can receive signals through core GPS system has thereby established signal requirements a zenith-pointing antenna because they are within the primary for the Space Service Volume as part of technical Capability transmitted beam of the GNSS satellites. For GNSS use, LEO Development Documentation (CDD) that specifies system extends to beyond 3,000 km. performance. Besides the technical discussion, we also present For satellites in higher orbits, a zenith-pointing antenna can diplomatic efforts to extend the GPS Space Service Volume receive fewer signals, since the satellite will be outside the main concept to other PNT service providers in an effort to assure beam of many satellites. Above GNSS medium Earth orbit that all space users will benefit from the enhanced (MEO) altitude, of course, the number of signals received from interoperability of GNSS services in the space domain. above the satellite will be zero. However, GNSS signals can A separate paper presented at the conference covers the still be used for PNT at these altitudes by taking advantage of individual GNSS performance parameters for respective Space tracking GNSS signals crossing the Earth’s limb using a nadir- pointing antenna, as shown in Figure 1, while satellites at Service Volumes. NASA/TM—2015-218469 1 and integrated a navigation filter for state estimation when less than four satellites are available. Multi-constellation GNSS receivers for satellites are currently under development, and are already a fixture in terrestrial signal monitoring systems such as the International GNSS Service (IGS) managed by the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Space Service Volume Based on the unique nature of GNSS signals as a function of altitude, requirements for GNSS spacecraft services can be allocated to two service volumes. The terrestrial service volume (TSV) includes all terrestrial and space GNSS users up to an altitude of 3,000 km, and the space service volume from 3,000 km to the approximate geostationary altitude of 36,000 km. Terrestrial Service Volume Users in the TSV enjoy uniform received powers and have fully overlapping coverage. The use of multiple GNSS will Figure 1.—Geometry for reception of