Integrity, Orbit Determination and Time Synchronisation Algorithms for Galileo

  • Merino, M.M. Romay (GMV S.A.) ;
  • Medel, C. Hernandez (GMV S.A.) ;
  • Piedelobo, J.R. Martin (GMV S.A.)
  • Published : 2006.10.18

Abstract

Galileo is the European Global Navigation Satellite System, under civilian control, and consists on a constellation of medium Earth orbit satellites and its associated ground infrastructure. Galileo will provide to their users highly accurate global positioning services and their associated integrity information. The elements in charge of the computation of Galileo navigation and integrity information are the OSPF (Orbit Synchronization Processing Facility) and IPF (Integrity Processing Facility), within the Galileo Ground Mission Segment (GMS). Navigation algorithms play a key role in the provision of the Galileo Mission, since they are responsible for computing the essential information the users need to calculate their position: the satellite ephemeris and clock offsets. Such information is generated in the Galileo Ground Mission Segment and broadcast by the satellites within the navigation signal, together with the expected a-priori accuracy (SISA: Signal-In-Space Accuracy), which is the parameter that in fault-free conditions makes the overbounding the predicted ephemeris and clock model errors for the Worst User Location. In parallel, the integrity algorithms of the GMS are responsible of providing a real-time monitoring of the satellite status with timely alarm messages in case of failures. The accuracy of the integrity monitoring system is characterized by the SISMA (Signal In Space Monitoring Accuracy), which is also broadcast to the users through the integrity message.

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