Characterization of the aeronautical satellite navigation channel through high-resolution measurement and physical optics simulation

In this paper we discuss the results of a measurement campaign investigating the environment of satellite navigation receivers for aeronautical applications, where reflections on the plane as well as from the ground decrease the accuracy of the positioning. The focus is on the most critical flight phase—the final approach. For this scenario a wideband model is derived, which allows to investigate the performance of present and future global navigation satellite systems. The work was carried out under an European Space Agency contract (ESTEC Contract number 16059/02/NL/DS) entitled ‘Navigation signal measurement campaign for critical environments’, by Joanneum Research (Austria) with subcontracts to DLR (Germany) and the University of Vigo (Spain). Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.