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Shi et al. Satell Navig (2021) 2:5 Satellite Navigation
https://doi.org/10.1186/s43020-021-00036-0
https://satellite-navigation.springeropen.com/

ORIGINAL ARTICLE Open Access

Performance evaluation of multi-GNSSs

navigation in super synchronous transfer orbit

and geostationary earth orbit

*
Tao Shi, Xuebin Zhuang and Liwei Xie

Abstract
The autonomous navigation of the spacecrafts in High Elliptic Orbit (HEO), Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) and Geo-
stationary Transfer Orbit (GTO) based on Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) are considered feasible in many
studies. With the completion of BeiDou Navigation Satellite System with Global Coverage (BDS-3) in 2020, there are
at least 130 satellites providing Position, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) services. In this paper, considering the latest
CZ-5(Y3) launch scenario of Shijian-20 GEO spacecraft via Super-Synchronous Transfer Orbit (SSTO) in December 2019,
the navigation performance based on the latest BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), Global Positioning Sys-
tem (GPS), Galileo Navigation Satellite System (Galileo) and GLObal NAvigation Satellite System (GLONASS) satellites
in 2020 is evaluated, including the number of visible satellites, carrier to noise ratio, Doppler, and Position Dilution
of Precision (PDOP). The simulation results show that the GEO/Inclined Geo-Synchronous Orbit (IGSO) navigation
satellites of BDS-3 can efectively increase the number of visible satellites and improve the PDOP in the whole launch
process of a typical GEO spacecraft, including SSTO and GEO, especially for the GEO spacecraft on the opposite side
of Asia-Pacifc region. The navigation performance of high orbit spacecrafts based on multi-GNSSs can be signifcantly
improved by the employment of BDS-3. This provides a feasible solution for autonomous navigation of various high
orbit spacecrafts, such as SSTO, MEO, GEO, and even Lunar Transfer Orbit (LTO) for the lunar exploration mission.
Keywords: GNSS, BDS, Navigation, PDOP, SSTO

Introduction an increase in spacecraft height, the number of useable
Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) includ- navigation satellites will decrease because of the limited
ing Global Positioning System (GPS), BeiDou Naviga- beam width of satellite transmitting antenna. When the
tion Satellite System (BDS), Galileo navigation satellite altitude of a spacecraft is higher than navigation satellites
system (Galileo), GLObal NAvigation Satellite System altitude (about 20,200 km e.g. GPS), the spacecraft can-
(GLONASS) was originally designed to provide Posi- not receive the navigation signals from the above. Early
tion, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) services for land, researches and missions have proved that for a high orbit
sea, and air targets. For the spacecrafts with the altitude spacecraft, the GPS signals leaked from the opposite of
less than 3000 km, they can use the current navigation the earth can be used for autonomous navigation, but
constellation like GPS for autonomous navigation as the navigation requirements can be met in a very limited
the terrestrial users except for higher Doppler shift and time (Balbach et al. 1998). In order to improve the perfor-
satellite switching (Moreau et al. 2000). However, with mance of autonomous navigation, many researches based
on multi-GNSS are conducted to study the performance
of a combined navigation system for high orbit space-
crafts. Marmet et al. (2015) simulated the autonomous
*Correspondence: zhuangxb@mail.sysu.edu.cn
School of System Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, navigation performance using the GPS-Galileo combined
Guangzhou 510006, China navigation on Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) and

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