Flight-Ready Precise and Robust Carrier-Phase GNSS Navigation Software for Distributed Space Systems

Abstract: This paper presents the full requirements analysis, design, development, and testing of high-precision navigation flight software for Distributed Space Systems (DSS) using Carrier Phase Differential GNSS (CDGNSS). Five main contributions are made. First, a survey of flown and upcoming DSS missions with stringent precision requirements is conducted, from which a thorough requirements analysis is distilled to guide development and testing. Second, a real-time navigation functional architecture is designed, and adopts a sparse and regularized Consider Kalman Filter with options for numerical stability in-flight. The filter rigorously accounts for uncertainties in process noise, measurement noise, and biases. It tracks float ambiguities with integer resolution where possible. The covariance correlation structure is preserved under all navigation modes, including contingencies and outages. Third, a lightweight, memoryless Fault Detection, Isolation, and Recovery (FDIR) module is developed to guard against anomalous measurements, providing statistical screening and ensuring robust navigation. Fourth, the software architecture is proposed for ease of integration, with strategies presented for modularity and computational efficiency tailored to constrained flight systems. Fifth, a comprehensive test campaign is conducted, mapped to a requirements verification matrix, spanning unit, interface, software-in-the-loop, and real-time hardware-in-the-loop tests, emphasizing gradual test fidelity for efficient fault isolation. Finally, flight-like results are demonstrated using the VISORS mission, due to the generalizability of the VISORS navigation operations, and the stringency which demands sub-centimeter relative position and sub-millimeter-per-second velocity accuracy. This architecture aims to serve as a reference for next-generation DSS missions adopting CDGNSS.