Relative State Estimation for LEO Formations with Large Inter-satellite Distances Using Single-Frequency GNSS Receivers

Relative baseline estimation is an integral part of satellite formation flying missions. GNSS-based relativepositioning has been a dominating technology for formation missions in LEO, where very precise estimatescould be obtained for formations with small inter-satellite distances (1 − 10 km). Larger baselines betweenthe satellites (> 10 km) pose the problem of considerable differences in the ionospheric delays experiencedby the signals received by each receiver. This problem could be mitigated by using precise ionospheric-freecombinations that could only be obtained by dual-frequency receivers, which is not a cost-efficient optionfor modern low-cost miniature missions. In this paper, the problem of relative baseline vector estimation isaddressed for formation missions with large inter-satellite distances equipped with single-frequency receivers.The problem is approached using the space-proven relatively simple Extended Kalman Filter with anadvantageous setting for the observation vector