Impact of multiconstellation satellite signal reception on performance of satellite‐based navigation under adverse ionospheric conditions

Abstract

AbstractApplication of multiconstellation satellites to address the issue of satellite signal outages during periods of equatorial ionospheric scintillations could prove to be an effective tool for maintaining the performance of satellite‐based communication and navigation without compromise in accuracy and integrity. A receiver capable of tracking GPS, Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), and Galileo satellites is operational at the Institute of Radio Physics and Electronics, University of Calcutta, Calcutta, India, located near the northern crest of the equatorial ionization anomaly in the Indian longitude sector. The present paper shows increased availability of satellites combining GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo constellations from Calcutta compared to GPS‐only scenario and estimates intense scintillation‐free (S4 < 0.6) satellite vehicle look angles at different hours of the postsunset period 19:00–01:00 LT during March 2014. A representative case of 1 March 2014 is highlighted in the paper and overall statistics for March 2014 presented to indicate quantitative advantages in terms of scintillation‐free satellite vehicle look angles that may be utilized for planning communication and navigation channel spatial distribution under adverse ionospheric conditions. The number of satellites tracked and receiver position deviations has been found to show a good correspondence with the occurrence of intense scintillations and poor user receiver‐satellite link geometry. The ground projection of the 350 km subionospheric points corresponding to multiconstellation shows extended spatial coverage during periods of scintillations (0.2 < S4 < 0.6) compared to GPS.