Ephemeris Update Receiver for Space Vehicle Tracking

ABSTRACT: The Air Force Satellite Control Network (AFSCN) requires an advanced Ephemeris Update Receiver (EUR) that can be used with either parabolic dish antennas or geodesic dome phased array antennas. The ideal EUR must track minimum signal levels of -195 dBm for both narrow and wideband signals. Optimizing Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) and carrier tracking are critical to success for any new EUR. AMERGINT Technologies has recent relevant experience replacing the legacy Maximum Likelihood Estimator (MLE) Tracking Receiver. This work included system-level characterization of the existing tracking algorithms. AMERGINT also has significant expertise in software-defined signal processing algorithms and satellite communications links. Our proposed Phase I activities develop conceptual designs for an advanced EUR. The designs provide a suite of candidate algorithms that track residual and suppressed carrier signals in degraded signal environments. The candidate algorithms are evaluated for both parabolic and phased array apertures in both an ideal environment and in the full RTS system environment. Analyzing, modeling and simulation is performed to characterize two or more of the candidate designs. The simulation involves residual and suppressed carrier signals, varying SNR and Es/No, and related antenna pointing dynamics BENEFIT: Both DoD and commercial satellite systems can benefit from the ability to precisely track satellites in non-ideal conditions. Tracking degraded signals is particularly valuable for resolving satellite anomalies. It may mean the difference between loss and recovery of the space vehicle.