RFI Mapped by Spaceborne GNSS-R Data

Abstract

Radio frequency interference (RFI) in global navigation satellite system (GNSS) frequencies can endanger human life and safety by preventing the use of these signals for navigation and positioning, in addition to degrading measurements for science applications. Here, we use data from the Cyclone GNSS (CYGNSS) constellation to map GNSS RFI from 2017 to 2022, identify the location of several potential sources of RFI, and quantify the duration of transmission. Although our method of RFI detection can only provide a rough approximation of transmitter positions, it is possible that advanced data processing techniques could better pinpoint their locations, once guided by these observations. We find that, since the launch of CYGNSS, GNSS jammers have proliferated across the world and are often associated with the beginnings of geopolitical unrest. Our results agree well with previous studies that have also used satellite observations to map ground-based RFI transmission.