A Simulation Based Assessment for Evaluating the Effectiveness of Quasi-Zenith Satellite System

Since the operation of the first satellite-based navigation service, satellite positioning has played an increasing role in both surveying and geodesy, and has become an indispensable tool for precise relative positioning. However, in some situations, e.g. at a low angle of elevation, the use of satellites for navigation is seriously restricted because obstacles like buildings and mountains can block signals. As a mean to resolve this problem, the quasi-zenith satellite system has been proposed as a next-generation satellite navigation system. Quasi-zenith satellite is a system which simultaneously deploys several satellites in a quasi-zenith geostationary orbit so that one of the satellites always stay close to the zenith if viewed from a specific point on the ground of East Asia. Thus, if a position measurement function compatible with CPS is installed in the quasi-zenith and stationary satellites, and these satellites are utilized together with the CPS, four satellites can be accessed simultaneously nearly all day long and a substantial improvement in position measurement, especially in metropolitan areas, can be achieved. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of quasi-zenith satellite system on positioning accuracy improvement through simulation by using precise orbital information of the satellites and a three-dimensional digital map. Through this developed simulation system, it is possible to calculate the number of simultaneously visible satellites and available area for positioning without the need of actual observation. Furthermore, this system can calculate the Dilution Of Precision (DOP) and the error distribution.