Global Navigation Satellite Systems and Applications

NAVSTR-Global Positioning System

Dr. Arun K. Saraf,
Professor
Department of Earth Sciences

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 Brief History of GPS
• Original concept developed around 1960
– In the wake of Sputnik & Explorer
• Preliminary system, Transit, operational in 1964
– Developed for nuke submarines
– 5 polar orbiting satellites, Doppler measurements only
• Timation satellites, 1967-69, used the first onboard precise clock for
passive ranging
• Full scale GPS development begun in 1973
– Renamed Navstar (NAVigation System with Timing And Ranging Global Positioning System)
– First 4 SV’s launched in 1978
• GPS Initial Operational Capability - December 1993 (Final Operational
Capability - April 1995)
 What is GPS?
• GPS is a global radio-navigation system formed from a constellation of
24 satellites and their ground stations.

http://www.trimble.com/gps_tutorial/whatgps.aspx
• GPS uses these "man-made stars" as reference points to calculate positions accurate
to a matter of meters. In fact, with advanced forms of GPS you can make
measurements to better than a centimetre!
• In a sense, it's like giving every square meter on the planet a unique address!
• GPS receivers have been miniaturized to just a few integrated circuits and so are
becoming very economical and that makes the technology accessible to virtually
everyone.
• These days, GPS is finding its way into cars, boats, planes, construction equipment,
movie making gear, farm machinery, even laptop computers, smart mobiles etc.
• Soon GPS will become almost as basic as the telephone.

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 Brief History of GPS
• GPS is a product of Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) (also known as
“Star Wars” of Ronald Regan)
• “It is an all-weather, space based navigation system development by the
U.S. DOD to satisfy the requirements for the military forces to
accurately determine position, velocity, and time in a common reference
system, anywhere on or near the Earth on a continuous basis”
 Brief History of GPS
During the development of the GPS system, the emphasis was placed on
the following three aspects:

1. It had to provide users with the capability of determining position, speed

and time, whether in motion or at rest.

2. It had to have a continuous, global, all-weather 3-dimensional

positioning capability with a high degree of accuracy.

3. It had to offer potential for civilian use.

https://www.u-blox.com/sites/default/files/products/documents/GPS-Compendium_Book_%28GPS-X-02007%29.pdf

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Though, GPS is funded and controlled by the U. S. Department of Defense
(DOD) however, it is being used by civilians for:
- positioning
- georeferencing
- navigation

www.locata.com/applications-of-gps/civilian-applications/
- time
- frequency calibrations
-…
Based on the number of GPS receivers sold globally, road transport applications are
the majority users of GPS positioning – for commercial fleet management and
freight tracking, taxi services, public transport monitoring and passenger
information, and emergency vehicle location, dispatch and navigation.
 GPS General Characteristics
 Provides:
• Accurate Navigation (10 - 20 m)
• Worldwide Coverage
• 24 hour access
• Common Coordinate System

 Designed to replace existing navigation systems

 Accessible by Military and Civil

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• The GPS is an earth orbiting Ellipsoid: A smooth mathematical surface
satellite based system fully which represents the Earth’s shape and very
operational since 1993. closely approximates the geoid. It is used as a
• Signals available anywhere on reference surface for geodetic surveys.
the earth, day and night.
• Used to determine:
position, altitude above the
ellipsoid and precise time
• GPS satellites circle the earth
twice a day, 20,200 km above the
earth a speed of about 14000
km/hr (3.9 km/second).
Geoid: The shape of the Earth if it were
considered as a sea level surface extended
continuously through the continents. The
geoid is an equipotential surface coincident
with mean sea level to which at every point
the plumb line (direction in which gravity acts)
is perpendicular. The geoid, affected by local
gravity disturbances, has an irregular shape.

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 https://www.azosensors.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=29

Segments of the GPS

Illustration of the three core segments to a Global Positioning System

https://openclipart.org/detail/289162/agps-schematic
 1. Space Segment:
24 satellites in 6 orbital planes (4 in
each plane)
– equally spaced (60 deg. apart)
– inclined at about 55 deg. with respect to
the equatorial plane
– Orbits are nearly circular, with eccentricity
less than 0.02, a semi-major axis of 26
560 km, i.e. an altitude of 20 200 km.
– Orbits in this height are referred to as
MEO – medium earth orbit.
– The satellites have a speed of 3.9 km per
second and a nominal period of 12 h
sidereal time (11 h 58m 2s), repeating the
geometry each sidereal day.
 2. GPS Control segment

https://unstats.un.org/unsd/geoinfo/UNGEGN/docs/_data_ICAcourses/_HtmlModules/_Selfstudy/S06/S06_05a.html
• To check
operational
health
• Master station
transmits
corrections to
satellites
Control Segment: The Master Control
Station and the globally dispersed
Reference Stations used to manage the
GNSS satellites, determine their precise 1 - Master Control Station
orbital parameters and synchronize 6 - Monitor Stations
their clocks. 4 - Ground Stations
 3. User Segment:

The user segment consists of the GPS receivers and the user community

In general, GPS
receivers are composed
of an antenna, tuned to
the frequencies
transmitted by the
satellites, receiver-
processors, and a highly
stable clock (often a
crystal oscillator).
 GPS Satellite Signals and Data
• The satellites transmit two microwave carrier signals
• The L1 frequency (1575.42 MHz) carries the navigation message, the
SPS (Standard Positioning Service) code signals known as the C/A
(coarse acquisition) Code, the P (precise) Code used for the
PPS (Precise Positioning Service)
• The L2 frequency (1227.60 MHz) carries the P Code used for the PPS
• The phase difference between the P-Code on L1 and L2 is used to
measure the ionospheric delay by PPS equipped receivers tracking
both frequencies
 GPS Signals

GPS signals are

based on CDMA
(Code Division
Multiple Access)
technology

The L5 data includes SV ephemerides,

system time, SV clock behavior data,
status messages and time information.
 GPS Modernization
• GPS space segment modernization includes new signals, as well as
improvements in atomic clock accuracy, satellite signal strength and reliability
• Control segment modernization includes improved ionospheric and
tropospheric modelling and in-orbit accuracy, and additional monitoring
stations
• Latest generation of GPS satellites has the capability to transmit new civilian
signal, designated L2C
• L2C will be easier for the user segment to track and will provide improved
navigation accuracy
• It will also provide the ability to directly measure and remove the ionospheric
delay error for a particular satellite, using the civilian signals on both L1 and
L2.
 GPS Modernization
• A new GPS L5 frequency (1176.45 MHz) is slowly being added to
new satellites
• The first NAVSTAR GPS satellite to transmit L5, on a
demonstration basis, was launched in 2009
• L5 signal is added to meet the requirements of critical safety of
life applications
• GPS satellite modernization will also include a new military signal
and an improved L1C which will provide greater civilian
interoperability with Galileo
THANKS

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