Testing of the ICESat BlackJack GPS Receiver Engineering Model

Jacob Williams, E. Glenn Lightsey, SungPil Yoon and Robert E. Schutz

Abstract:	This paper describes the performance testing done on the Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) GPS receiver engineering model (EM) at the University of Texas at Austin Center for Space Research (CSR). The goal of this research was to achieve a better understanding of the performance and accuracy of the ICESat BlackJack EM, and to investigate the presence of previously reported BlackJack anomalies. The on-orbit performance of the receiver was investigated by using a GPS simulator, which is able to simulate the GPS signals of an orbital environment. The accuracy of the receiver observables and the accuracy of the receiver’s real-time navigation solution was investigated, as well as the accuracy of the receiver’s timing pulse. This research confirms the high quality GPS measurements, navigation solution, and clock steering of the BlackJack receiver. The presence of several previously reported anomalies is also shown, including an anomaly that occurs when the receiver is tracking a satellite that has a high relative acceleration. However, it is noted that many of these problems have been corrected in later versions of the receiver software.
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:	703 - 714
Cite this article:	Williams, Jacob, Lightsey, E. Glenn, Yoon, SungPil, Schutz, Robert E., "Testing of the ICESat BlackJack GPS Receiver Engineering Model," Proceedings of the 15th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS 2002), Portland, OR, September 2002, pp. 703-714.
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