High rate time-space-position-information for high dynamic GPS integrated navigation systems

The 746 Test Squadron (746 TS) has developed and implemented a high accuracy, high rate integrated Differential Global Positioning System/Inertial Navigation System (DGPS/INS) Time, Space, and Position Information (TSPI) truth reference to verify aircraft navigation system performance during flight tests. Specifically, the 746 TS participated in a fighter aircraft program. The 746 TSs unique truth reference system exploits the low cost, low aircraft modification technique of combining raw aircraft GPS and INS data with ground-station differential corrections to produce a robust test reference for weapon system performance evaluation. The DGPS measurements and INS data from the aircraft were integrated through a least squares filter to produce an integrated solution. The DGPS measurements generated were used to update the post-processing filter to produce a best estimate of the INS errors. These estimates were used to correct the raw INS data from the aircraft. This paper discusses in detail the analysis conducted and solutions suggested for this avionic integration