A Real-Time Robust Method to Detect BeiDou GEO/IGSO Orbital Maneuvers

Area of Science:

• Satellite dynamics and orbital mechanics
• Geodesy and Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)
• Real-time signal processing and data analysis

Background:

• BeiDou Geostationary Orbit (GEO) and Inclined Geosynchronous Orbit (IGSO) satellite maneuvers disrupt real-time orbit availability, degrading positioning, navigation, and time (PNT) service accuracy.
• Maneuver information is not accessible to common users, and hourly broadcast ephemeris updates are often insufficient and can contain errors.
• Existing methods struggle with high-frequency maneuvers and reliability, impacting PNT service performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a real-time, robust detection method for satellite orbital maneuvers with high frequency and reliability.
• To improve the accuracy and performance of BeiDou PNT services by addressing the challenges of maneuver detection.
• To enhance the utilization of observational data for PNT users.

Main Methods:

• Defined a time discrimination factor and a satellite identification factor using broadcast ephemeris and pseudo-range observations.
• Utilized the pseudo-random noise code (PRN) for real-time detection of satellite orbital maneuvers.
• Collected and analyzed data from a Multi-GNSS Experiment (MGEX) campaign.

Main Results:

• Accurate real-time detection of the start time and PRN of satellite orbital maneuvers was achieved.
• The method successfully identified abnormal start times and satellite abnormities not caused by maneuvers.
• The proposed method demonstrated improved data utilization, with observations effective for approximately 92 minutes.

Conclusions:

• The developed method provides a reliable and accurate solution for real-time detection of BeiDou satellite orbital maneuvers.
• This advancement significantly enhances the reliability of real-time PNT services.
• The technique improves the efficiency of GNSS data processing and PNT service delivery.