Use and Protection of GPS Sidelobe Signals for Enhanced Navigation Performance in High Earth Orbit

The application of the Global Positioning System (GPS) for navigation of spacecraft in High and Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (HEO/GEO) has crossed a threshold and is now being employed in operational missions. Utilizing advanced GPS receivers optimized for these missions, space users have made extensive use of the sidelobe transmissions from the GPS satellites to realize navigation performance that far exceeds that predicted by pre-launch simulations. Unfortunately, the official specification for the GPS Space Service Volume (SSV), developed in 2006, assumes that only signals emanating from the main beam of the GPS transmit antenna are useful for navigation, which greatly under-estimates the number of signals available for navigation purposes. As a result, future high-altitude space users may be vulnerable to any GPS design changes that suppress the sidelobe transmissions, beginning with Block III space vehicles (SVs) 11-32. This paper presents proposed changes to the GPS system SSV requirements, as informed by data from recent experiments in the SSV and new mission applications that are enabled by GPS navigation in HEO/GEO regimes. The NASA/NOAA GOES-R series satellites are highlighted as an example of a mission that relies on this currently-unspecified GPS system performance to meet mission requirements.