Orbit determination algorithm and performance analysis of high‐orbit spacecraft based on GNSS

Abstract

The study of using the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) to locate Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) satellites is very valuable. In this thesis, a new RF strategy is proposed. The back-lobe signal and the main-lobe signal of GNSS satellites are used to provide positioning services for GEO satellites and the receiver antenna beam-forming method is used to improve receiver sensitivity. Additionally, this thesis proposes a satellite selection algorithm that matches the proposed RF strategy. The simulation found that the receiver needs higher sensitivity to detect the back-lobe signal of the GNSS satellite but that the number of visible satellites had doubled and the geometric distribution of the satellite had also been greatly improved. The simulation based on the measured data proves that using a 16*16 antenna array and beam-forming by maximum signal-to-interference and noise ratio algorithm can make five beams of GNSS receivers in GEO orbit and that the side-lobe suppression ratio is up to − 55 dB, which greatly improves the signal receiving gain. After adopting the above technology, the GPS positioning accuracy of GEO spacecraft can be optimised from the order of kilometres to the metres.