Resilient satellite navigation empowers modern science, economy, and society

Abstract

Established on the exact mathematical principles, understanding of radio-wave propagation, and statistical signal processing and information theory, satellite navigation has become an essential cornerstone of modern civilisation, and an indispensable component of the national infrastructure. The increasing number of both navigation and non-navigation applications of the Global Navigations Satellite System (GNSS) utilise its Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) service for technology and business development, daily operation of technology and socio-economic systems, and improvement of the quality of life. The inherent shortcomings and limitations of GNSS ask for a transition towards the GNSS resilient to natural and artificial detrimental effects, which degrade the GNSS positioning performance. Here a systematic overview of the causes of the GNSS positioning performance degradation is outlined. Recent developments in mathematics and computer science are discussed as fundamental in the GNSS resilience development. Formulation of the Satellite-Positioning-as-a-Service (SPaaS) is outlined, as the new fundamental paradigm for resilient GNSS. Finally, the effects of the SpaaS on the wide range of GNSS applications in science, economy, and society are discussed. The contributions to SPaaS concept and the related developments through the application of statistical learning, mathematical methods and models development, and applications discussed result from the author’s involvement in numerous international strategic, technology, regulatory, standardisation, business, and academic education development and collaboration activities.