3D Antenna Array and GPS Receiver for Combined Navigation/Attitude Determination

Under the Phase I effort, a design was developed for a flexible, high performance Space-based Software GPS Receiver (SSGR). The objective of this Phase II effort is to develop an SSGR Engineering Development Unit to be used to demonstrate the next generation capabilities of the SSGR for space applications. The SSGR is based on a digital multi-element phased array design that can be configured to provide: 4p steridian field of view for all-around GPS satellite visibility; digital beam and null-forming to allow tracking of both high power and low power GPS satellites; attitude determination to allow operation in a spinning satellite; advanced signal processing to allow extremely low power GPS satellite signal detection; precision GPS navigation capability using WADGPS corrections; and integrated GPS orbit determination using NASA GSFC?s GPS Enhanced Orbit Estimation Software (GEONS). On conclusion of the development effort, we propose to perform a demonstration of the SSGR capabilities to track both high and low power GPS satellite signals using a combination of live satellite tracking and simulated space mission scenarios.