Accuracy of Current and Future Satellite Navigation Systems

Abstract

In recent years, satellite navigations systems have attained more and more importance for geosciences, in particular for geodesy. They enable position and velocity determination with unprecedented accuracy. This thesis gives an overview of the global and regional satellite navigation systems GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, and QZSS. The current precision and accuracy for the estimation of station coordinates and velocities with GPS is evaluated and effects limiting the accuracy are demonstrated. Precise orbit and clock products provide the basis for positioning. Selected results of the evolving systems Galileo, BeiDou, and QZSS are presented. New technologies like the passive Hydrogen masers of the Galileo satellites show promising results. Therefore, further improvements in accuracy can be expected in the future.