GPS Navigation Payload Scheduled Maintenance: An Explanation Of Satellite Outage Time

Reeves E. Bower, Gary L. Dieter

Abstract:	The Block II/IIA Global Positioning System (GPS) constellation has achieved Full Operational Capability (FOC) with 24 satellites performing its mission. There are times, however, when the Master Control Station must set the navigation signal on individual satellites unhealthy to users due to planned or unplanned maintenance activities. Unplanned maintenance activities are usually the result of a satellite anomaly. For planned maintenance activities, users are notified of the satellite outage ahead of time via the Notice Advisory to Navstar Users (NANU). These NANUs inform users of outage times and reasons for outages, but do not give in-depth explanations as to what is actually taking place on the satellite and why the navigation payload is unusable for the given amount of time. This paper gives an overview of the navigation payload hardware, and explains how it is affected by ion pump operations, C-tield tuning, and delta-v station-keeping maneuvers.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 9th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS 1996) September 17 - 20, 1996 Kansas City, MO
Pages:	233 - 240
Cite this article:	Bower, Reeves E., Dieter, Gary L., "GPS Navigation Payload Scheduled Maintenance: An Explanation Of Satellite Outage Time," Proceedings of the 9th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS 1996), Kansas City, MO, September 1996, pp. 233-240.
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