REPROGRAMMABLE, DIGITAL BEAM STEERING GPS RECEIVER TECHNOLOGY FOR ENHANCED SPACE VEHICLE OPERATIONS

Spaceborne GPS technology is being widely accepted by both the commercial space industry and by NASA as the key enabler for improving space operations. GPS applications include: autonomous orbit operations, accurate positioning and time synchronization, attitude determination and accurate relative ranging between vehicles for formation flying. The use of GPS for space missions will improve space vehicle autonomy, and reduce design and operations cost through the infusion of GPS technology. In this paper the design of the digital beam steering receiver is described and test results are presented showing its performance advantages for future space vehicle operations.