SATELLITE ORBIT DETERMINATION USING SINGLE-FREQUENCY GNSS DATA

• Grant number: 25/12009-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• Start date: December 01, 2025
• End date: November 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Geosciences - Geodesy
• Principal Investigator: Marcio Tadeu de Assis Honorato Muella
• Grantee: Ana Lucia Christovam de Souza
• Supervisor: Fabricio dos Santos Prol
• Host Institution: Instituto de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento (IP&D). Universidade do Vale do Paraíba (UNIVAP). São José dos Campos , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Finnish Geospatial Research Institute, Finland
• Associated to the scholarship: 24/07062-6 - ENABLING SMALL CUBESAT SATELLITE FOR IONOSPHERIC SENSING WITH SINGLE FREQUENCY GNSS DATA, BP.PD

Abstract

The rapid growth in the CubeSats satellite constellation, driven by the modernization of miniaturized components and cost reductions, has led to the use of single-frequency GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receivers on Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites. These receivers consume less energy compared to dual frequency receivers, allowing for significant optimization of space exploration. However, most previous studies on monitoring the ionospheric layer with LEO satellites have focused on dual frequency receivers, thus excluding a large number of satellites with the potential for ionospheric measurements. Therefore, one of the objectives of this project is to develop an ionospheric model using single frequency GNSS data collected by LEO satellites. To achieve this, the exchange project will explore and implement new strategies for satellite orbit determination by integrating single-frequency GNSS measurements with a precise point positioning (PPP) algorithm, with an emphasis on validating the proposed ionospheric model. This effort aims to generate new instrumentation with potential impacts in the areas of navigation, communications, and aerospace.