The real-time integer-ambiguity resolution of the carrier-phase observation is one of the most effective approaches to enhance the accuracy of real-time precise point positioning (PPP), kinematic precise orbit determination (KPOD), and reduced-dynamic precise orbit determination (RPOD) for low earth orbit (LEO) satellites. In this study, the integer phase clock (IPC) and wide-lane satellite bias (WSB) products from CNES (Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales) are used to fix ambiguity in real time. Meanwhile, the three models of real-time PPP, KPOD, and RPOD are applied to validate the contribution of ambiguity resolution. Experimental results show that (1) the average positioning accuracy of IGS stations for ambiguity-fixed solutions is improved from about 7.14 to 5.91 cm, with an improvement of around 17% compared to the real-time float PPP solutions, with enhancement in the east-west direction particularly significant, with an improvement of about 29%; (2) the average accuracy of the estimated LEO orbit with ambiguity-fixed solutions in the real-time KPOD and RPOD mode is improved by about 16% and 10%, respectively, with respect to the corresponding mode with the ambiguity-float solutions; (3) the performance of real-time LEO RPOD is better than that of the corresponding KPOD, regardless of fixed- or float-ambiguity solutions. Moreover, the average ambiguity-fixed ratio can reach more than 90% in real-time PPP, KPOD, and RPOD.
In order to effectively reduce the impact of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) attacks while providing mobile terminals with credible navigation and positioning results, this paper proposes a credible navigation algorithm for GNSS attack detection using an auxiliary sensor system. Based on a credible Kalman filter and measurement information provided by the auxiliary sensor system on mobile terminals, the proposed algorithm can verify the credibility of the GNSS positioning result and determine whether it has suffered from a GNSS attack using the credible verification window and the credible verification threshold. According to the verification results, the algorithm can adaptively select an updated model for measurement correction and achieve a credible navigation result. The algorithm proposed in this paper has been verified on a self-developed mobile terminal, and the experimental results show that the algorithm can provide credible navigation and positioning services for mobile terminals in the context of GNSS attacks.
Stellar refraction autonomous navigation provides a promising alternative for cross-domain vehicles, particularly in near-space environments where traditional inertial and satellite navigation methods face limitations. This study develops a stellar refraction navigation system that utilizes stellar refraction angle observations and the Implicit Unscented Kalman Filter (IUKF) for state estimation. A representative orbit with altitudes ranging from 60 km to 200 km is designed to simulate cross-domain flight conditions. The navigation performance is analyzed under varying conditions, including orbital altitude, as well as star sensor design parameters, such as limiting magnitude, field of view (FOV) value, and measurement error, along with different sampling intervals. The simulation results show that increasing the limiting magnitude from 5 to 8 reduced the position error from 705.19 m to below 1 m, with optimal accuracy reaching 0.89 m when using a 20° × 20° field of view and a 3 s sampling interval. In addition, shorter sampling intervals improved accuracy and filter stability, while longer intervals introduced greater integration drift. When the sampling interval reached 100 s, position error grew to the kilometer level. These findings validate the feasibility of using stellar refraction for autonomous navigation in cross-domain scenarios and provide design guidance for optimizing star sensor configurations and sampling strategies in future near-space navigation systems.
The BeiDou global navigation satellite system (BDS-3) has already provided worldwide navigation and positioning services for which the high-precision BDS-3-predicting orbit is the foundation. The arc length of the observed orbits and the solar radiation pressure (SRP) are two important factors for producing precise orbit predictions. The contribution studies the influences of these factors on BDS-3 orbit prediction. Three-month data from 1 July 2021 to 30 September 2021 are used to analyze optimal arc lengths and different ECOM SRP models for obtaining precise BDS-3 orbit predictions. The results show that the best-fitting arc length for the BDS-3 MEO/IGSO satellite is 42–48 h by comparing the final precise ephemeris and SLR validation. Furthermore, the ECOM9 SRP model shows improved orbit-prediction accuracy than that of the ECOM5 SRP model when the satellites move in and out of the eclipse season. As for the ECOM9 SRP model, the user range error (URE) accuracy of 6 h orbit predictions when satellites are in and outside of the eclipse season is 0.036 m and 0.030 m, respectively. In addition, the orbit prediction accuracy of the BDS-3 satellites does not decrease significantly since BDS-3 satellites apply the continuous yaw-steering (CYS) attitude mode during the eclipse season.
Aiming at the development of the application of massive and heterogeneous LEO constellations, the influence of typical perturbation forces on the orbit prediction of LEO satellites at different altitudes is analyzed. Firstly, the main perturbation force model of LEO satellites is introduced. Then experiments for analyzing the influence of orbit prediction on LEO satellites at different altitudes are designed. Finally, the influence of typical perturbation forces on the orbit prediction under different prediction durations by numerical analysis is assessed systematically, and the orbit prediction of LEO satellites with different non-spherical gravitational field orders, ocean tide orders and atmospheric density models were compared and calculated. The research results show that different orders of non-spherical gravitational fields should be considered when the altitude of satellites is different, the reasonable gravitational field orders for LEO satellites at 500km, 1000km, 1500km and 2000km under 1-hour forecast time are 140x140, 80x80, 60x60 and 40x40 orders, the reasonable orders of ocean tide perturbation for 1500km and 2000km satellites are 20x20 orders. Under the 24-hour forecast time, atmospheric resistance has a great influence on the precision of LEO satellites at orbit altitude below 1,000km. The forecast deviation of the LEO satellites orbit at 500km reaches 8751.576m. The difference of orbit precision between different atmospheric density models is in the meter level. The orbit deviation by the Standard Atmosphere 1976 and NRLMSISE 2000 atmospheric models respectively reaches 25.494m. Relevant conclusions provide support for the optimization and selection of dynamical models in high precision orbit determination and fast orbit prediction of LEO satellites.
This paper proposes a GNSS-compatible method for characterizing the motion of UAV-based navigation enhancement platforms, designed to provide reliable navigation and positioning services in emergency scenarios where GNSS signals are unavailable or severely degraded. The method maps UAV trajectories into standard GNSS navigation messages by establishing a correspondence between ephemeris parameters and platform positions through coordinate transformation and Taylor series expansion. To address modeling inaccuracies, the approach incorporates truncation error analysis and motion-assumption compensation via parameter optimization. This design enables UAV-mounted pseudolite systems to broadcast GNSS-compatible signals without modifying existing receivers, significantly enhancing rapid deployment capabilities in complex or degraded environments. Simulation results confirm precise positional representation in static scenarios and robust error control under dynamic motion through higher-order modeling and optimized broadcast strategies. UAV flight tests demonstrated a theoretical maximum error of 0.4262 m and an actual maximum error of 3.1878 m under real-world disturbances, which is within operational limits. Additional experiments confirmed successful message parsing with standard GNSS receivers. The proposed method offers a lightweight, interoperable solution for integrating UAV platforms into GNSS-enhanced positioning systems, supporting timely and accurate navigation services in emergency and disaster relief operations.