Testing Static and Kinematic Modes of Precise Point Positioning Service in Ukraine

Abstract

The article presents the results of experimental studies of the TerraStar service, which implements autonomous real-time PPP (Precise Point Positioning) technology. The service provides high-speed orbital and clock data of GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BeiDou navigation satellites received from more than 100 global navigation satellite system (GNSS) ground stations. These data, together with the algorithms of the NovAtel dual-frequency (multi-system) navigation receiver with integrated TerraStar PPP technology provide solutions for high-precision (4–40 cm) position determination. The data is transmitted to the navigation receiver via radio channels of geostationary satellites.

The authors have evaluated the claimed positioning accuracy for Ukraine in difficult radio navigation conditions (urban canyon, the city of Kyiv and Kyiv region), which complements a number of existing studies on the accuracy of TerraStar service in different regions of the world.

An experimental technique is described that contains the procedures for initializing, recording, and storing data from a navigation receiver for subsequent comparison with a reference trajectory generated using GrafNav/GrafNet 8.70 software.

It was determined that the accuracy of estimating coordinates obtained in post-processing by PPP using GrafNav/GrafNet 8.70 software is comparable with the accuracy of coordinates calculated by the NovAtel OEM 719 receiver in real time using information from TerraStar.

It was experimentally confirmed that the positioning accuracy in the studied area corresponds to the accuracy declared by the TerraStar providers, which remains for 5 min even in the absence of TerraStar data.