Print Email Facebook Twitter On the Occurrence of GPS Signal Amplitude Degradation for Receivers on Board LEO Satellites Title On the Occurrence of GPS Signal Amplitude Degradation for Receivers on Board LEO Satellites Author Xiong, Chao (German Research Centre for Geosciences) Xu, Ji Sheng (Wuhan University) Stolle, Claudia (German Research Centre for Geosciences) van den IJssel, J.A.A. (TU Delft Astrodynamics & Space Missions) Yin, Fan (Wuhan University) Kervalishvili, Guram N. (German Research Centre for Geosciences) Zangerl, Franz (RUAG Space GmbH) Date 2020-02-01 Abstract Transient signal loss of the global positioning system (GPS) has been frequently observed by receivers on board the European Space Agency's Swarm mission when the satellites encounter ionospheric plasma irregularities. In this study we provided the first comparison of the GPS signal amplitude degradations from receivers on board low Earth orbiting satellites at different altitudes. Intense carrier phase variations but almost no amplitude fades (less than 2 dB Hz) are observed when the spaceborne receiver lies right inside the ionospheric plasma irregularities, like the case for the Swarm and CHAMP satellites flying at about 400–500 km. This indicates that the strong phase variation, but not the amplitude fades, causes the receivers to stop tracking the GPS signals. When the receiver is located 100–200 km below the slab of plasma irregularities, like the case for the GOCE satellite flying at about 250 km, signal amplitude fades exceeding 10 dB Hz are observed, in addition to strong phase variation. Our results suggest that a considerable distance of the receiver to the plasma irregularity slab is needed to affect the Fresnel diffractive process and further causes GPS signal amplitude fades. Subject Amplitude degradationGNSSionospheric irregularitiesionospheric scintillationLEO satellites To reference this document use: http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:76d3a256-7302-4496-8395-1c8a8164b1e2 DOI https://doi.org/10.1029/2019SW002398 ISSN 1542-7390 Source Space Weather: the international journal of research and applications, 18 (2) Part of collection Institutional Repository Document type journal article Rights © 2020 Chao Xiong, Ji Sheng Xu, Claudia Stolle, J.A.A. van den IJssel, Fan Yin, Guram N. Kervalishvili, Franz Zangerl Files PDF 2019SW002398.pdf 14.13 MB Close viewer /islandora/object/uuid:76d3a256-7302-4496-8395-1c8a8164b1e2/datastream/OBJ/view