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This paper evaluates the on-orbit performance of the first civilian operational use of a Global Positioning System Receiver (GPSR) at a geostationary orbit (GEO). The GPSR is on-board the newly launched Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-R). GOES-R is the first of four next generation GEO weather satellites for NOAA, now in orbit GOES-R is formally identified as GOES-16. Among the pioneering technologies required to support its improved spatial, spectral and temporal resolution is a GPSR. The GOES-16 GPSR system is a new design that was mission critical and therefore received appropriate scrutiny. As ground testing of a GPSR for GEO can only be done by simulations with numerous assumptions and approximations regarding the current GPS constellation, this paper reveals what performance can be achieved in using on orbit data. Extremely accurate orbital position is achieved using GPS navigation at GEO. Performance results are shown demonstrating compliance with the1007575 meter and 6 cms radial/in-track/cross-track orbital position and velocity accuracy requirements of GOES-16. The aforementioned compliance includes station-keeping and momentum management maneuvers, contributing to no observational outages. This performance is achieved by a completely new system design consisting of a unique L1 GEOantenna, low-noise amplifier (LNA) assembly and a 12 channel GPSR capable of tracking the edge of the main beam and the side lobes of the GPS L1 signals. This paper presents the definitive answer that the GOES-16 GPSR solution exceeds all performance requirements tracking up to 12 satellites and achieving excellent carrier-to-noise density (C/N0). Additionally, these performance results show the practicality of this approach. This paper makes it clear that all future GEO Satellites should consider the addition of a GPSR in their spacecraft design, otherwise they may be sacrificing spacecraft capabilities and accuracy along with incurring increased and continual demand on ground support.

The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) carry several instruments each with its own requirements. Because accommodating all of them is difficult, there is interest in putting some on their own smaller platforms. The simplest instruments are the magnetometers. These are small and have low communication, attitude control and cleanliness requirements. Getting on-station and operating in close proximity with another satellite, however, requires significant propulsion capabilities. This paper describes a CubeSat mission that goes from geo-transfer to geostationary orbit and operates next to a GOES spacecraft. Requirements, a notional design and performance predictions are provided.

An Alfven wave is a type magnetohydrodynamicwave that travels through a conducting fluid under the influence of a magnetic field. Researchers have successfully calculated offset vectors of magnetometers in interplanetary space by optimizing the offset to maximize certain Alfvenic properties of observed waves (Leinweber, Belcher). If suitable Alfven waves can be found in the magnetosphere at geosynchronous altitude then these techniques could be used to augment the overall calibration plan for magnetometers in this region such as on the GOES spacecraft, possibly increasing the time between regular maneuvers. Calibration maneuvers may be undesirable because they disrupt the activities of other instruments. Various algorithms to calculate an offset using Alfven waves were considered. A new variation of the Davis-Smith method was derived because it can be mathematically shown that the Davis-Smith method tolerates filtered data, which expands potential applications. The variant developed was designed to find only the offset in the plane normal to the main field because the overall direction of Earth's magnetic field rarely changes, and theory suggests the Alfvenic disturbances occur transverse to the main field. Other variations of the Davis-Smith method encounter problems with data containing waves that propagate in mostly the same direction. A searching algorithm was then designed to look for periods of time with potential Alfven waves in GOES 15 data based on parameters requiring that disturbances be normal to the main field and not change field magnitude. Final waves for calculation were hand-selected. These waves produced credible two-dimensional offset vectors when input to the Davis-Smith method. Multiple two-dimensional solutions in different planes can be combined to get a measurement of the complete offset. The resulting three dimensional offset did not show sufficient precision over several years to be used as a primary calibration method, but reflected changes in the offset fairly well, suggesting that the method could be helpful in monitoring trends of the offset vector when maneuvers cannot be used.

Time-varying spacecraft magnetic fields, i.e. stray fields, are a problem for magnetometer systems. While constant fields can be removed by calibration, stray fields are difficult to distinguish from ambient field variations. Putting two magnetometers on a long boom and solving for both the ambient and stray fields can help, but this gradiometer solution is more sensitive to noise than a single magnetometer. As shown here for the R-series Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES-R), unless the stray fields are larger than the noise, simply averaging the two magnetometer readings gives a more accurate solution. If averaging is used, it may be worthwhile to estimate and remove stray fields explicitly. Models and estimation algorithms to do so are provided for solar array, arcjet and reaction wheel fields.

Time-varying spacecraft magnetic fields or stray fields are a problem for magnetometer systems. While constant fields can be removed with zero offset calibration, stray fields are difficult to distinguish from ambient field variations. Putting two magnetometers on a long boom and solving for both the ambient and stray fields can be a good idea, but this gradiometer solution is even more susceptible to noise than a single magnetometer. Unless the stray fields are larger than the magnetometer noise, simply averaging the two measurements is a more accurate approach. If averaging is used, it may be worthwhile to explicitly estimate and remove stray fields. Models and estimation algorithms are provided for solar array, arcjet and reaction wheel fields.

The GOES-R magnetometer accuracy requirement is 1.7 nanoteslas (nT). During quiet times (100 nT), accuracy is defined as absolute mean plus 3 sigma. During storms (300 nT), accuracy is defined as absolute mean plus 2 sigma. To achieve this, the sensor itself has better than 1 nT accuracy. Because zero offset and scale factor drift over time, it is also necessary to perform annual calibration maneuvers. To predict performance, we used covariance analysis and attempted to corroborate it with simulations. Although not perfect, the two generally agree and show the expected behaviors. With the annual calibration regimen, these predictions suggest that the magnetometers will meet their accuracy requirements.

The GOES-R magnetometer subsystem accuracy requirement is 1.7 nanoteslas (nT). During quiet times (100 nT), accuracy is defined as absolute mean plus 3 sigma. During storms (300 nT), accuracy is defined as absolute mean plus 2 sigma. Error comes both from outside the magnetometers, e.g. spacecraft fields and misalignments, as well as inside, e.g. zero offset and scale factor errors. Because zero offset and scale factor drift over time, it will be necessary to perform annual calibration maneuvers. To predict performance before launch, we have used Monte Carlo simulations and covariance analysis. Both behave as expected, and their accuracy predictions agree within 30%. With the proposed calibration regimen, both suggest that the GOES-R magnetometer subsystem will meet its accuracy requirements.

The NOAA Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) fire thrusters to remain within a 1deg longitude-latitude box and to dump accumulated angular momentum. In the past, maneuvers have disrupted GOES imaging due to attitude transients and the loss of orbit knowledge. If the R-series of spacecraft to be launched starting in 2012 were to follow current practice, maneuvers would still fail to meet Image Navigation and Registration (INR) specifications during and after thruster firings. Although maneuvers and recovery take only one percent of spacecraft lifetime, they sometimes come at inopportune times, such as hurricane season, when coverage is critical. To alleviate this problem, thruster firings small enough not to affect imaging are being considered. Eliminating post-maneuver recovery periods increases availability and facilitates autonomous operation. Frequent maneuvers also reduce 1ongitudeAatitude variation and allow satellite co-location. Improved orbit observations come from a high-altitude GPS receiver, and improved attitude control comes from thruster torque compensation. This paper reviews the effects of thruster firings on position knowledge and pointing control and suggests that low-thrust burns plus GPS and feedforward control offer a less disruptive approach to GOES-R stationkeeping and momentum management.

There are several microwave instruments in low Earth orbit (LEO) that are used for atmospheric temperature and humidity sounding in conjunction with companion IR sounders as well as by themselves. These instruments have achieved a certain degree of maturity and undergoing a redesign to minimize their size, mass, and power from the previous generation instruments. An example of these instruments is the AMSU-A series, now flying on POES and AQUA spacecraft with the IR sounders HIRS and AIRS. These older microwave instruments are going to be replaced by the ATMS instruments that will fly on NPP and NPOESS satellites with the CrIS sounder. A number of techniques learned from the ATMS project in instrument hardware design and data processing are directly applicable to a similar microwave sounder on a geosynchronous platform. These techniques can significantly simplify the design of a Geostationary orbit (GEO) microwave instrument, avoiding costly development and minimizing the risk of not being able to meet the scientific requirements. In fact, some of the 'enabling' technology, such as the use of MMIC microwave components (which is the basis for the ATMS' much reduced volume) can be directly applied to a GEO sounder. The benefits of microwave sounders are well known; for example, they penetrate non-precipitating cloud cover and allow for use of colocated IR observations in up to 80% cloud cover. The key advantages of a microwave instrument in GEO will be the ability to provide high temporal resolution as well as uniform spatial resolution and extend the utility of a colocated advanced IR sounder to cases in which partial cloud cover exists. A footprint of the order of 100 km by 100 km resolution with hemispherical coverage within one hour can be easily achieved for sounding channels in the 50 to 59 GHz range. A GEO microwave sounder will also allow mesoscale sampling of select regions.