Orbit Prediction using Broadcast Ephemeris for GLONASS Satellite Visibility Analysis

Abstract

Even though there are several Global Navigation Satellite Systems under development, only GPS and GLONASS are currently available for satellite positioning. In this study, GLONASS orbits were predicted from broadcast ephemeris using the 4th-order Runge-Kutta numerical integration. For accuracy validation, predicted orbits were compared with precise ephemeris. The RMS (Root Mean Square) and maximum 3-D errors were 14.3 km and 17.4 km for one-day predictions. In case of 7-day predictions, the RMS and maximum 3-D errors were 15.7 and 40.1 km, respectively. Also, the GLONASS satellite visibility predictions were compared with real observations, and they agree perfectly except for several epochs when the satellite signal was blocked by nearby buildings.

Keywords

• GLONASS
• orbit prediction
• visibility
• broadcast ephemeris