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Optimization of a LEO-PNT Constellation: Design Considerations and Open Challenges
  • Kaan Çelikbilek,
  • Elena Simona Lohan,
  • Jaan Praks
Kaan Çelikbilek
Tampereen yliopisto Informaatioteknologian ja viestinnan tiedekunta

Corresponding Author:kaan.celikbilek@tuni.fi

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Elena Simona Lohan
Tampereen yliopisto Informaatioteknologian ja viestinnan tiedekunta
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Jaan Praks
Aalto-yliopisto Sahkotekniikan ja automaation laitos
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Abstract

As launch and manufacturing costs have become affordable, the industrial and academic interest in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites has increased in recent years. With this interest, the concept of Low-Earth Orbit-based Positioning, Navigation and Timing (LEO-PNT) has also gained popularity as a complementary and/or standalone system in addition to the already existing Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). This article examines the LEO constellation optimization from the perspective of a LEO-PNT design, identifies and discusses the state-of-art of the LEO satellite constellation optimization approaches, introduces relevant performance and feasibility related metrics and parameters, and addresses key concepts and underlying trade-offs that must be considered for any LEO-PNT system design. In addition, a case study for a LEO-PNT constellation optimization is presented, where we showcase the discussed trade-offs. We present optimization results obtained with the adaptive weighting algorithm “ADaW” applied to the Pareto-optimization algorithm “NSGA-III”. A detailed performance analysis is done for six relevant scenarios with varying receiver location properties, namely by considering indoor/outdoor, rural/urban and line of sight/non-line of sight cases.
12 Jul 2024Submitted to International Journal of Satellite Communications and Networking
12 Jul 2024Submission Checks Completed
12 Jul 2024Assigned to Editor
15 Jul 2024Reviewer(s) Assigned
18 Oct 2024Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
25 Oct 2024Editorial Decision: Revise Minor