Optimum Altitudes for Passive Ranging Satellite Navigation Systems

Roger L. Easton
Applications Research Dil'isioll Nm'lIl Research Labof(l/ory

Navigation is an old art, one of the oldest known to man. The word itself is derived from the Latin Ilal'igal\'s, a combination of the words for ship (/lads) and to direct (ligere J. Early navigation consisted of measuring the altitude of known stars to obtain latitudes. One sailed to the desired latitude and then east or west to the proper longitude. To determine longitude, a timepiece was required. The earliest timepieces used for this purpose were the moon and, for greater accuracy, the moons of Jupiter. In due course, the chronometer came into general use, and so matters remained until the invention of radio. Various radio systems were designed which improved the availability of fixes, but in most cases not their accuracy. It took the advent of the near earth satellite to bring a significant worldwide improvement in fix accuracy. The first satellites used for this purpose were low altitude (600 miles) polar objects that transmitted continuous frequency (C\V) response. This paper discusses a method for determining optimum altitudes for . navigation satellites having different types of transmission than the present units. A navigator can find the position (or a component of position) of a satellite by measuring the range to the satellite, by measuring a derivative of position, or by an angle measurement. A direct measure of range has the advantage of providing great accuracy, relatively simple calculations to find a line of position, and relative immunity to problems due to unknown navigator velocity. Ranging can be accomplished by an active method in which the satelJite is interrogated. The difficulty with active ranging methods is that the navigator must transmit and possibly give away his position. A second difficulty is that the technique has a saturation level. In order to circumvent these difficulties, a passive ranging technique was conceived at ON R in 1964. Since that time it has inspired other navigation proposals and has become a prime candidate for a Defense Navigation Satellite System. Work has been done on this project both at NRL and, under ONR contract, at the Astro Electronics Division of the Radio Corporation of America. Funding is and has been provided by the Naval Air Systems Command. Passive ranging is accomplished by having electronic clocks located both in the satellite and in the navigator's receiver. These clocks are