Signal-in-Space Range Error of the Global BeiDou Navigation Satellite System and Comparison with GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and QZSS

Based on the standard of precise multisystem orbit and clock offset, the evaluation methods of satellite orbit, satellite clock offset and the signal-in-space range error (SISRE) from broadcast ephemeris were given in this study. The SISRE was used as a key performance index to compare the global BeiDou navigation satellite system (BDS-3) with the regional navigation satellite system (BDS-2), Global Positioning System (GPS), Galileo, Globalnaya Navigazionnaya Sputnikovaya Sistema (GLONASS), and Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS). Through the combination of domestic tracking stations and inter satellite links, the orbit determination accuracy of BDS-3 has been significantly improved. The radial (R), tangential (T) and normal (N) direction orbit accuracies of BDS-3 medium Earth orbit (MEO) satellites were 0.08, 0.37, and 0.34 m, respectively, which were considerably better than those of other satellite navigation systems. The R-, T-, and N-direction orbit accuracies of BDS-3 inclined geosynchronous orbit (IGSO) satellites were 0.17, 0.59, and 0.56 m, respectively, which were better than those of QZSS IGSO satellites. The R-, T-, and N-direction orbit accuracies of BDS-3 geostationary earth orbit (GEO) satellites were 0.27, 3.42, and 1.29 m, respectively, revealing considerable accuracy advantages in the R and N directions compared with QZSS GEO, although performance in the T direction was inferior. For the clock offset, the BDS-3 MEO satellites had an accuracy of 1.83 ns, which was noticeably superior, similar, slightly inferior, and superior to those of BDS-2, GPS, Galileo, and GLONASS. The clock offset accuracies of BDS-3 IGSO and GEO satellites were 3.13 and 3.17 ns, respectively, which were slightly better than those of QZSS IGSO and GEO satellites but did not have an obvious advantage over BDS-2. The primary reason could be that the launch time of the two types of BDS-3 satellites was close to the analysis period, and therefore, the clocks may be still in the aging process. Considering only orbit error, the average SISRE (orb) of BDS-3 MEO, Galileo, GPS, and GLONASS was 0.10, 0.28, 0.57, and 1.03 m, respectively. The SISRE (orb) of BDS-3 IGSO was 0.19 m, which was marginally greater than that of BDS-3 MEO but smaller than those of the other systems and considerably smaller than that (0.90 m) of QZSS IGSO. The SISRE (orb) of BDS-3 GEO was 0.60 m, which was comparable to that of GPS (0.59 m) and considerably smaller than that of QZSS GEO (0.91 m) satellites. Considering both orbit and clock offset error, the SISRE of BDS-3 MEO satellites was 0.52 m, which was slightly greater than that of Galileo (0.40 m), marginally smaller than that of GPS (0.59 m), and considerably smaller than that of GLONASS (2.33 m). The BDS-3 IGSO satellites had a SISRE of 0.90 m, which was greater than those of GPS and Galileo but comparable to that of QZSS IGSO (0.92 m). The average SISRE of BDS-3 GEO satellites was 1.15 m, which was greater than those of GPS and Galileo and slightly greater than that of QZSS0.95 m GEO satellites, but smaller than that of GLONASS.