Raumgestuetzte Navigation: Untersuchung der Systemauslegung von Satelliten minimaler Nutzlast Abschlussbericht

The main function of a navigation satellite is the transmission of navigation signals to the system users. Pseudorange measurements to four satellites with known satellite orbit data permit to determine the user's position. With regard to payload minimization, signal generation may also be provided on the ground. As a result, the satellite's functions are reduced to the functions of a transponder; the satellite only serving as a relay station for wide-area transmission of the navigation signal generated on the ground. The production and transport costs of a satellite depend on the satellite altitude and on orbit inclination. In principle, different transponder arrangement variants (MEO or GEO transponder satellites) are conceivable. These are described in this contribution. (orig.)SIGLEAvailable from TIB Hannover: F96B185+a / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekBundesministerium fuer Forschung und Technologie (BMFT), Bonn (Germany)DEGerman