New approach to resolving instantaneous integer ambiguity resolution for spacecraft attitude determination using GPS signals

Abstract

A fast 3-part method is introduced for the solution of the attitude of a low Earth orbit satellite using the GPS system as a source of phase information. A possibly novel method is used to overcome the well known integer ambiguity problem, involving the Gram Schmidt orthogonalization procedure at one stage and a fast replacement for the usual QUEST solution of the least mean square attitude solution.