1

Arctic Navigation

Grace Xingxin GaoDepartment of Aeronautics and Astronautics

Stanford University

2

A New Era for Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) – New Demand for Arctic Coverage

• Problem– GPS and its Wide Area

Augmentation System (WAAS) not designed for the Arctic

– No WAAS GEO coverage

• Increasing demand – Undiscovered oil reserves– Opening of sea lanes

GPS orbits do not pass directly over the Arctic

3

Maritime Navigation Integrity in the Arctic

4

Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS)

• WAAS: augmenting GPS by transmitting error correction messages• Ensure integrity, i.e. confidence of accuracy

5

Current Arctic Coverage

WAAS/EGNOS Availability Coverage WAAS/EGNOS Reference Stations

6

Future Arctic SBAS – International Collaboration

Reference StationsAvailability Coverage with User Connectivity

7

Future Arctic Availability

Both vertical and horizontal availability

Horizontal availability only

8

Iridium (950 km altitude vs 20,000 km)

9

Vertical Dilution of Precision (VDOP)

31 GPS satellites

24 GPS + Iridium satellites

24 GPS satellites

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

2.0

2.2

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

2.0

2.2

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

2.0

2.2

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

2.0

2.2

31 GPS + Iridium satellites

Thank you!