Appearance of a Promising System of Low-Orbit Control of the Ionosphere over the Territory of the Republic of Belarus and Adjacent Regions

The article substantiates the composition and characteristics of the low-orbit ionosphere monitoring system over the territory of the Republic of Belarus and adjacent regions of the globe. This system is based on satellites-repeaters of signals of the global navigation satellite system GPS on the frequencies of 150/400 MHz allocated for geophysical research, modernized equipment of receiving points of the national satellite system of precise positioning, public telecommunication channels and a group of servers for processing received signals and estimating the total electron content in the ionosphere. The low-orbit ionosphere monitoring system is designed to provide data on the total electron content on the routes repeater satellite – receiving point of the satellite system of precise positioning when restoring the electron content in the ionosphere using radio tomography methods. Recommendations have been developed on the orbital parameters of the repeater satellites, requirements for the on-board repeater, antenna system and additional receiving channel of the equipment of receiving points      of the satellite system of precise positioning, the volume of information circulating in the system and the requirements for the processing servers are determined. A digital twin of the low-orbit ionosphere monitoring system has been developed. It has been shown that the proposed low-orbit monitoring system, when relay satellites fly in orbit over the territory of Belarus and adjacent regions for 10–15 minutes, provides an increase in the volume of data for solving the radiotomographic problem in comparison with the existing high-orbit method of 5400 measurements with distances at the ionosphere “puncture” points of the order of several kilometers in the azimuthal sector relative to the conventional center of the system 120°–150°.

1. Kunitsyn V. E., Tereshchenko E. D., Andreeva E. S. (2007) Radiotomography of the Ionosphere. Moscow, Fizmatlit Publ. (in Russian).

2. Afraimovich E. L., Perevalova N. P. (2006) GPS Monitoring of the Earth’s Upper Atmosphere. Irkutsk, East Siberian Scientific Center of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences (in Russian).

3. Yasyukevich Yu. V. (2023) Development of Diagnostic Capabilities of Signal Receivers of Global Navigation Satellite Systems for Monitoring the State of the Ionosphere and Correcting Ionospheric Errors in Radio Systems. Irkutsk, Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (in Russian).

4. Belokonov I. V., Boltov E. A., Elisov N. A., Lomaka I. A., Nikolaev P. N., Shafran S. V. (2022) Family of Nanosatellites for Studying the Ionosphere Based on the SamSat Platform Developed by Samara University. Eighth Belarusian Space Congress, Materials of the Congress, Vol. 1, Oct. 25–27. Minsk, United Institute of Informatics Problems of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus. 167–170 (in Russian).

5. Chen-Joe Fong, Bor-Han Wu, Nick Yen, Paul Chen (2005) Application of FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC Mission to Global Earth Monitoring. Space 2005, Long Beach, California, 30 Aug.–1 Sept. Long Beach. https://doi. org/10.2514/ 6.2005-6774.

6. Romanov A. A., Novikov A. V. (2009) Measurement of the Total Electron Content of the Earth’s Ionosphere Using a Multi-Frequency Coherent Sounding Signal. Problems of Electromechanics, Tr. Scientific and Production Enterprise “All-Russian Research Institute of Electromechanics”, Vol. 111. Moscow, Scientific and Production Enterprise “All-Russian Research Institute of Electromechanics”. 31–36 (in Russian).

7. Naumov A. O., Khmarskiy P. A., Byshnev N. I., Piatrouski M. A. (2024) Determination of Total Electron Content in the Ionosphere over the Territory of the Republic of Belarus Based on Global Navigation Satellite Systems Data. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus. Physical-Technical Series. 69 (1), 53–64.

8. Naumov A., Khmarskiy P., Byshnev N., Piatrouski M. (2023) Methods and Software for Estimation of Total Electron Content in the Ionosphere Using GNSS Observations. Engineering Applications. 2 (3), 243–253.

9. Milanowska B., Wielgosz P., Krypiak-Gregorczyk A., Jarmołowski W. (2021) Accuracy of Global Ionosphere Maps in Relation to Their Time Interval. Remote Sens. (13).

10. Wang Y., Zhao L., Gao Y. (2021). Estimation and Analysis of GNSS Differential Code Biases (DCBs) Using a Multi-Spacing Software Receiver. Sensors (Basel). 21 (2).

11. Belokonov I. V., Krot A. М., Kozlov S. V., Kapliarchuk Y. А., Savinykh I. E., Shapkin А. S. (2023) A Method for Estimating the Total Electron Content in the Ionosphere Based on the Retransmission of Signals from the Global Navigation Satellite System GPS. Informatics. 20 (2), 7–27. https://doi.org/10.37661/1816-0301-2023-20-2-7-27 (in Russian).

12. Kapliarchuk Y. А., Kozlov S. V., Savinykh I. E., Shapkin А. S. (2023) Processing of Relayed Navigation Signals of the Global Navigation Satellite System GPS in the Problem of Estimating the Total Electron Content in the Ionosphere. Informatics. 20 (3), 21–36. https://doi.org/10.37661/1816-0301-2023-20-3-21-36 (in Russian).

13. Guidelines for the Use of Global Navigation Satellite Systems when Performing Work on Technical Inventory and Checking the Characteristics of Real Estate. Version 1.0. Minsk, Scientific and Production State Republican Enterprise “National Cadastral Agency”, 2018 (in Russian).

14. Davies K. (1969) Ionospheric Radio Waves. Moscow, Mir Publ. (in Russian).