New Dimension for GEO and GTO AOCS Applications Using GPS- And Galileo Measurements

Rodney A. Walker, Yanming Feng and Will Kellar

Abstract:	Diminishing budgets with respect to spacecraft design, manufacturing and operations and also new and more challenging requirements from space missions itself (e.g. satellite constellations or formations) increasing the pressure for finding more efficient ways for doing the job in the future. In this context it is important to realize that traditional methods of space navigation including tracking have been identified as major expenses for space projects. For this reason, future spacecraft navigation concepts have to be designed as such that on board autonomy will be implemented to the maximum extend. Using measurements from GPS and also from the coming European Global Satellite Navigation System Galileo for orbit- and attitude determination will be very attractive for spacecrafts in Low Earth Orbits (LEO’s), Medium Earth Orbits (MEO’s), Geostationary Transfer Orbits (GTO’s) and also in Geostationary Orbit GEO. The use of such a combined receiver would bring some significant improvements for the spacecraft (e.g. GNSS sensor is light weight, small sized and has low power consumption), for the navigation concept (on board orbit- and attitude determination) and also for the spacecraft operations (e.g. substantial reduction of ground station tracking- and operator activities). This all will help to reduce the costs for spacecraft operations. However, up to date, the use of GPS based sensors in GTO and GEO for orbit– and/or attitude determination are constrained by the visibility conditions of GPS satellites for an USER satellite in such types of orbits. This paper presents results of an investigation concerning the applicability of a GPS and Galileo based attitude determination system for an USER satellite in GTO’s and GEO. In this context , the visibility conditions (link budget) of GPS and Galileo satellites are of special interest.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 15th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS 2002) September 24 - 27, 2002 Oregon Convention Center Portland, OR
Pages:	111 - 121
Cite this article:	Walker, Rodney A., Feng, Yanming, Kellar, Will, "New Dimension for GEO and GTO AOCS Applications Using GPS- And Galileo Measurements," Proceedings of the 15th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS 2002), Portland, OR, September 2002, pp. 111-121.
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