ATV … Far Rendez-Vous Navigation Based on Relative GPS

Narmada

Abstract:	The Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) is an ESA funded unmanned space transport vehicle designed for logistic servicing of the International Space Station (ISS): raise the ISS orbit, deliver cargoes, refuel the ISS and provide a waste disposal capability. ATV is developed by EADS Space Transportation as Prime contractor. The first vehicle, called Jules Verne, will be launched in 2006, and will achieve the first space Rendez-Vous based on relative GPS navigation. The purpose of this article is to present the navigation running during Far Rendez-Vous, which is a relative navigation based on GPS measurements. After a description of the ATV mission, and the particular phase during which GPS is used (during Rendez-Vous for navigation, but also for monitoring), we will explain the constraints that navigation shall cope with, and the ensuing algorithmic architecture. We will then describe GPS-based relative navigation performances assessment methods. All pre-flight validations, both on non real-time and realtime simulators, will allow to ensure, before ATV flight, GPS relative navigation performances and robustness, which have also been demonstrated during ARP-K. Then ATV will be another proof of the European Union capability of mastering GPS based navigation.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 18th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GNSS 2005) September 13 - 16, 2005 Long Beach Convention Center Long Beach, CA
Pages:	1160 - 1166
Cite this article:	Narmada,, "ATV … Far Rendez-Vous Navigation Based on Relative GPS," Proceedings of the 18th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GNSS 2005), Long Beach, CA, September 2005, pp. 1160-1166.
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