Analysis of the Relative Navigation Problem for Highly Eccentric Earth Orbiting Spacecraft Operating Above the GPS Constellation
Abstract
Precision formation flying in orbits above the GPS constellation creates significant constraints for navigation systems due to the limited GPS signal available at these high altitudes. Missions such as NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) have demonstrated techniques that permit a GPS solution while above the constellation. This paper seeks to combine these techniques with the relative navigation problem to achieve navigation solutions with sufficient accuracy to align high-precision relative navigation systems currently under development. These systems have fairly limited fields of view requiring a fairly accurate navigation solution prior to their alignment for the two spacecraft to find each other.
Analysis of the Relative Navigation Problem for Highly Eccentric Earth Orbiting Spacecraft Operating Above the GPS Constellation
Utah State University, Logan, UT
Precision formation flying in orbits above the GPS constellation creates significant constraints for navigation systems due to the limited GPS signal available at these high altitudes. Missions such as NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) have demonstrated techniques that permit a GPS solution while above the constellation. This paper seeks to combine these techniques with the relative navigation problem to achieve navigation solutions with sufficient accuracy to align high-precision relative navigation systems currently under development. These systems have fairly limited fields of view requiring a fairly accurate navigation solution prior to their alignment for the two spacecraft to find each other.
