• Journal of Positioning, Navigation, and Timing
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• 제9권4호
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• pp.357-366
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• 2020

This paper addressed a relative navigation method for autonomous rendezvous and docking of cube-satellites using single frequency Differential GPS (DGPS) under the intermittent communication between satellites. Since the ionospheric error of GPS measurement is variable depending on the visible satellites, a few meters error of relative navigation is occurred in the Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) environment. Therefore, it is essential to remove the ionospheric error to perform relative navigation. Besides, an intermittent communication period for receiving GPS measurements of the target satellite is limited for getting information every sampling time. To solve this problem, a method combining range domain DGPS and orbit propagation is proposed in this paper. The proposed method improves the performance of DGPS by using Hatch filter and solves an intermittent communication problem by estimating the relative position and velocity using Hill-Clohessy-Wiltshire Equation. Through the simulation, it is verified that the suggested algorithm provides the relative position error within RMS 0.5 m and the relative velocity error within RMS 3 cm/s. Furthermore, it has the advantage that it is suitable for real-time implementation using single-frequency GPS measurements and is computationally efficient.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• 제35권4호
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• pp.287-293
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• 2018

This paper presents a satellite relative navigation strategy for formation flying, which chooses an appropriate navigation algorithm according to the operating environment. Not only global positioning system (GPS) measurements, but laser measurements can also be utilized to determine the relative positions of satellites. Laser data is used solely or together with GPS measurements. Numerical simulations were conducted to compare the relative navigation algorithm using only laser data and laser data combined with GPS data. If an accurate direction of laser pointing is estimated, the relative position of satellites can be determined using only laser measurements. If not, the combined algorithm has better performance, and is irrelevant to the precision of the relative angle data between two satellites in spherical coordinates. Within 10 km relative distance between satellites, relative navigation using double difference GPS data makes more precise relative position estimation results. If the simulation results are applied to the relative navigation strategy, the proper algorithm can be chosen, and the relative position of satellites can be estimated precisely in changing mission environments.

• International Journal of Aeronautical and Space Sciences
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• 제16권1호
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• pp.77-88
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• 2015

The dynamics of relative motion in a perturbed orbital environment are exploited based on Gauss' and Cowell's variational equations. The inertial coordinate frame and relative coordinate frame (Hill frame) are used, and a linear high fidelity model is developed to describe the relative motion. This model takes into account the primary gravitational and atmospheric drag perturbations. Then, this model is used in the design of a navigation, guidance, and control system of a chaser vehicle to approach towards and to depart from a target vehicle in proximity operations. Relative navigation uses an extended Kalman filter based on this relative model to estimate the relative position/velocity of the chaser vehicle with respect to the target vehicle. This filter uses the range and angle measurements of the target relative to the chaser from a simulated LIDAR system. The corresponding measurement models, process noise matrix, and other filter parameters are provided. Numerical simulations are performed to assess the precision of this model with respect to the full nonlinear model. The analyses include the navigation errors and trajectory dispersions.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• 제33권1호
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• pp.37-44
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• 2016

This paper presents an algorithm for Real-Time Orbit Determination (RTOD) of navigation satellites for the Korean Regional Navigation Satellite System (KRNSS), when the navigation satellites generate ephemeris by themselves in abnormal situations. The KRNSS is an independent Regional Navigation Satellite System (RNSS) that is currently within the basic/preliminary research phase, which is intended to provide a satellite navigation service for South Korea and neighboring countries. Its candidate constellation comprises three geostationary and four elliptical inclined geosynchronous orbit satellites. Relative distance ranging between the KRNSS satellites based on Inter-Satellite Ranging (ISR) is adopted as the observation model. The extended Kalman filter is used for real-time estimation, which includes fine-tuning the covariance, measurement noise, and process noise matrices. Simulation results show that ISR precision of 0.3-0.7 m, ranging capability of 65,000 km, and observation intervals of less than 20 min are required to accomplish RTOD accuracy to within 1 m. Furthermore, close correlation is confirmed between the dilution of precision and RTOD accuracy.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• 제26권1호
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• pp.59-74
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• 2009

Relative navigation system is presented using GPS measurements from a single-channel global positioning system (GPS) simulator. The objective of this study is to provide the real-time inter-satellite relative positions as well as absolute positions for two formation flying satellites in low earth orbit. To improve the navigation performance, the absolute states are estimated using ion-free GRAPHIC (group and phase ionospheric correction) pseudo-ranges and the relative states are determined using double differential carrier-phase data and singled-differential C/A code data based on the extended Kalman filter and the unscented Kalman filter. Furthermore, pseudo-relative dynamic model and modified relative measurement model are developed. This modified EKF method prevents non-linearity of the measurement model from degrading precision by applying linearization about absolute navigation solutions not about the priori estimates. The LAMBDA method also has been used to improve the relative navigation performance by fixing ambiguities to integers for precise relative navigation. The software-based simulation has been performed and the steady state accuracies of 1 m and 6 mm ($1{\sigma}$ of 3-dimensional difference errors) are achieved for the absolute and relative navigation using EKF for a short baseline leader/follower formation. In addition, the navigation performances are compared for the EKF and the UKF for 10 hours simulation, and relative position errors are mm-level for the two filters showing the similar trends.

• Journal of Positioning, Navigation, and Timing
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• 제1권1호
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• pp.59-64
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• 2012

Precise Point Positioning (PPP) has been widely used in navigation and orbit determination applications as we can obtain precise Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite orbit and clock products. Kinematic PPP, which is based on the GPS measurements only from the spaceborne GPS receiver, has some advantages for a simple precise orbit determination (POD). In this study, we developed kinematic PPP technique to estimate the orbits of GRACE-A satellite. The comparison of the mean position between the JPL's orbit product and our results showed the orbit differences 0.18 cm, 0.54 cm, and 0.98 cm in the Radial, in Along-track, and Cross-track direction respectively. In addition, we obtained the root mean square (rms) values of 4.06 cm, 3.90 cm, and 3.23 cm in the satellite coordinate components relative to the known coordinates.

• 한국우주과학회:학술대회논문집(한국우주과학회보)
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• 한국우주과학회 2008년도 한국우주과학회보 제17권2호
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• pp.34.3-34.3
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• 2008

Relative navigation system is presented using measurements from a single-channel global positioning system (GPS) simulator. The objective of this study is to provide real-time relative navigation results as well as absolute navigation results for two formation flying satellites separated about 1km in low earth orbit. To improve the performance, more accurate dynamic model and modified relative measurement model are developed. This modified method prevents non-linearity of the measurement model from degrading precision by applying linearization about the states from absolute navigation algorithm not about a priori states. Furthermore, absolute states are obtained using ion-free GRAPHIC pseudo-ranges and precise relative states are provided using double differential carrier-phase data based on Extended Kalman Filter. The software-based simulation is performed and achieved meter-level precision for absolute navigation and millimeter-level precision for relative navigation. The absolute and relative accuracies at steady state are about 0.77m and 4mm respectively (3D, r.m.s.). In addition, Integer ambiguity algorithm (LAMBDA method) improves simulation performances.

• 한국항해항만학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국항해항만학회 2006년도 International Symposium on GPS/GNSS Vol.2
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• pp.251-254
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• 2006

A precise real-time method of using the IGS ultra rapid products (IGU) and the GPS broadcast ephemeris to calculate the VRS orbit corrections was presented here which was suited for GPS/VRS reference station network based positioning. Test data acquired from both the SGRSN (Sichuan GPS Reference Station Network) and SCIGN (Southern California integrated GPS network) were used to evaluate the performance of the modeling techniques. The new method was proven to be more precise and reliable compared with the existing conventional network-based orbit error interpolation method. It was shown that 0.004ppm relative accuracy was reached, namely the influence from the orbit bias for the RTK positioning within 100km area can be of sub-millimeter level.

• 한국항공운항학회지
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• 제21권1호
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• pp.8-14
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• 2013

As GNSS(Global Navigation Satellite System) is used in various filed, many countries establish GNSS system independently. But GNSS system has the limitation of accuracy and stability in stand-alone mode, because this system has error elements which are ionospheric delay, tropospheric delay, orbit ephemeris error, satellite clock error, and etc. For overcome of accuracy limitation, the DGPS(Differential GPS) and RTK(Real-Time Kinematic) systems are proposed. These systems perform relative positioning using the reference and user receivers. ETRI(Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute) is developing precision navigation system in point of extension of GNSS usage. The precision navigation system is for providing the precision navigation solution to common users. If this technology is developed, GNSS system can be used in the fields which require precision positioning and control. In this paper, we introduce the precision navigation system and perform design and algorithm verification.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• 제26권1호
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• pp.99-110
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• 2009

이 연구의 목적은 편대비행위성의 항법 및 궤도제어를 위한 실시간 Hardware-In-the-Loop(HIL) 시뮬레이션 테스트베드를 개발하는데 있다. HIL 시뮬레이션 테스트베드는 실제와 비슷한 하드웨어 환경을 구성하여 주어진 편대비행임무 요구조건에 따른 새로운 개념의 알고리즘을 테스트할 수 있는 시뮬레이터이다. HIL 시뮬레이션 테스트베드는 실제의 인공위성 시스템 인터페이스와 최대한 유사하게 설계되었으며 환경 컴퓨터, GPS 시뮬레이터, GPS 수신기, 비행제어 컴퓨터, 시각화 컴퓨터 등 총 5개의 독립적인 시스템으로 구성되어 있다. Spirent Communication사의 GSS6560 다중패널 RF 시뮬레이터와, (주)세트렉아이에서 제작한 우주용 GPS 수신기를 사용하여 실제와 유사한 GPS 관측데이터를 사용한다. GPS 수신기로부터 획득한 관측데이터는 비행제어 컴퓨터 시스템으로 전송되고 이를 통해 편대비행위성의 절대위치 및 상대위치결정을 수행하였다. 또한 이 결과를 바탕으로 비행제어 컴퓨터 시스템은 궤도조정에 필요한 제어값을 계산하여 환경 컴퓨터 시스템으로 전송한다. 이렇게 5개의 독립적인 시스템을 유기적으로 통합하여 폐순환반복(closed-loop) HIL 시뮬레이션 테스트베드를 설계하였다. 이 논문에서는 편대비행 위성의 항법 및 제어 알고리즘 테스트를 위한 실시간 HIL 시뮬레이션 테스트베드의 전반적인 구성방법과 세부적인 구성요소에 대해 설명하였다 저궤도 편대비행위성의 편대유지 임무에 대한 가상의 시나리오를 설정하여 위성 편대비행의 항법 및 궤도제어 알고리즘을 실험적으로 검증하였다.