Hardware in-the-Loop Demonstration of Real-Time Orbit Determination in High Earth Orbits

Michael Moreau, Bo Naasz, Jesse Leitner, J. Russell Carpenter and Dave Gaylor

Abstract:	This paper presents results from a study conducted at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) to assess the realtime orbit determination accuracy of GPS-based navigation in a number of different high Earth orbital regimes. Measurements collected from a GPS receiver (connected to a GPS radio frequency (RF) signal simulator) were processed in a navigation filter in realtime, and resulting errors in the estimated states were assessed. For the most challenging orbit simulated, a 12 hour Molniya orbit with an apogee of approximately 39,000 km, mean total position and velocity errors were approximately 7 meters and 3 mm/s respectively. The study also makes direct comparisons between the results from the above hardware in-the-loop tests and results obtained by processing GPS measurements generated from software simulations. Care was taken to use the same models and assumptions in the generation of both the real-time and software simulated measurements, in order that the real-time data could be used to help validate the assumptions and models used in the software simulations. The study makes use of the unique capabilities of the Formation Flying Test Bed at GSFC, which provides a capability to interface with different GPS receivers and to produce real-time, filtered orbit solutions even when less than four satellites are visible. The result is a powerful tool for assessing onboard navigation performance in a wide range of orbital regimes, and a test-bed for developing software and procedures for use in real spacecraft applications.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 2005 National Technical Meeting of The Institute of Navigation January 24 - 26, 2005 The Catamaran Resort Hotel San Diego, CA
Pages:	523 - 536
Cite this article:	Moreau, Michael, Naasz, Bo, Leitner, Jesse, Carpenter, J. Russell, Gaylor, Dave, "Hardware in-the-Loop Demonstration of Real-Time Orbit Determination in High Earth Orbits," Proceedings of the 2005 National Technical Meeting of The Institute of Navigation, San Diego, CA, January 2005, pp. 523-536.
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