Integrated INS/GPS/GLONASS navigation aid for manned space flight

Abstract

While both the U.S. Navstar GPS and the Soviet GLONASS will furnish users consistent global coverage for position fixes, neither system is certifiable as a sole-source navigation system because not enough of its satellites will be in view of vehicular receivers at one time to satisfy the redundancy and system-monitoring standards of the FAA and ICAO. A hybrid receiver employing combined signals from both satellite fleets will overcome this problem. While recent test flight results confirm the feasibility of precision landing approaches conducted by these means, issues bearing on calibration, standardization, and organization remain to be resolved politically and diplomatically.