Investigation of the effects of specific solar storming events on GNSS navigation systems

Abstract

Global positioning system (GPS) satellites operate at 1.2 and 1.5 GHz. The GPS signals travel through the atmosphere and are affected by space weather in the same way as other technological systems in space and on the ground. Space weather has been defined as the condition where the sun influences solar wind, the magnetosphere, and the ionosphere and thus can upset the performance and reliability of space borne and ground based technological systems. Adverse conditions in the space environment can cause disruption of satellite operations, communications, and navigation. Solar storms can add small delays to the GPS satellite signals and therefore impact accuracy. The purpose of this article is to investigate and to determine the effects of specific solar events on GNSS navigation systems. In parts of the Nordic countries, GPS is available with a precision of 1 centimetre through an auxiliary system of permanent tracking stations called position accuracy on the centimetre level (CPOS). This paper discusses the possible effects of space weather activity and uses these tracked data to investigate the effect of specific solar storms on single point positioning. Comparisons are made between the effects in northern and southern Norway.

Charakteringų saulės audrų poveikio globalinei navigacinei palydovinei sistemai tyrimas

Investigation of the effects of specific solar storming events on GNSS navigation systems