Global Navigation Satellite Systems and Applications

Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS)

Dr. Arun K. Saraf,
Professor
Department of Earth Sciences

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 QZSS
• The Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) nicknamed Michibiki (=to
guide, to show the way) is a regional navigation satellite system
commissioned by the Japanese Government in 2002 as a National
Space Development Program.

• At the beginning the system was developed by the Advanced Space

Business Corporation team.

• In 2007, the work was taken over by JAXA together with Satellite
Positioning Research and Application Center.

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 • The QZSS service area covers East Asia
and Oceania region and its platform is
multi-constellation GNSS.

http://spaceflight101.com/spacecraft/qzss/
• The QZSS system is not required to
work in a stand-alone mode, but
together with data from other GNSS
satellites.

http://www.navipedia.net/index.php/QZSS

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 QZSS: space segment

3 satellites placed in
periodic Highly
Elliptical Orbit (HEO)
and a fourth in a geo-
stationary orbit.

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 QZSS: space segment
For the satellites in HEO, the perigee (perigee is the
closest point and apogee is the farthest) altitude is
about 32000 km and apogee altitude about 40000 km,
and all of them will pass over the same ground track.

(32000km)
Fastest velocity
at perigee (40000km)
Slowest velocity at apogee

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 QZSS: space segment

• QZSS is designed so that at least one satellite

out of three satellites exists near zenith over
Japan.
• Given its orbit, each satellite appears almost
overhead most of the time (i.e., more than 12
hours a day with an elevation above 70°).
• This gives rise to the term "quasi-zenith" for
which the system is named.

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 QZSS: space segment

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quasi-Zenith_Satellite_System
Footprint of QZSS orbit: Centered at 135°E, Eccentricity 0.075, Inclination 43°

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 QZSS: space segment
• The design life of the quasi-zenith satellites is of 10 years.

http://mycoordinates.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/fig3-shifted-qzss.jpg
• The first satellite Michibiki was launched on 11 September 2010 and injected into
the Quasi-Zenith Orbit on 27 September.

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 QZSS Frequencies

http://spaceflight101.com/spacecraft/qzss/
QZSS Ground Track & Control Stations
• Ground stations constantly
monitor the GPS signals for the
generation of correction
messages that are then sent to
the QZSS satellites for
immediate-rebroadcast to all
augmentation-enabled receivers
in the coverage area with an

http://spaceflight101.com/spacecraft/qzss/
overall turnaround of under five
seconds.
• Augmentation messages include
information such as differential
correction, satellite orbit error,
ionospheric delay and other
parameters.

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 QZSS Benefits

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http://spaceflight101.com/spacecraft/qzss/
 System BeiDuo Galileo GLONASS GPS NAVIC QZSS
Owner China EU Russia United States India Japan
Regional
Coverage Global by 2020 Global Global Regional Regional
(Global by 2020)
Coding CDMA CDMA FDMA CDMA CDMA CDMA
Orbital altitude 21,150 km (13,140 mi) 23,222 km (14,429 mi) 19,130 km (11,890 mi) 20,180 km (12,540 mi) 36,000 km (22,000 mi) 32,000 km (20,000 mi)
1436.0m (IRNSS-1A)
1436.1m (IRNSS-1B)
1436.1m (IRNSS-1C)
Period 12.63 h (12 h 38 min) 14.08 h (14 h 5 min) 11.26 h (11 h 16 min) 11.97 h (11 h 58 min) 1436.1m (IRNSS-1D)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellite_navigation#Positioning_calculation
1436.1m (IRNSS-1E)
1436.0m (IRNSS-1F)
1436.1m (IRNSS-1G)
Revolutions
17/9 17/10 17/8 2
per sidereal day
28 (at least 24 by
In 2011 the Government of Japan has
24 by design, design) including:[17] 3 geostationary orbit
5 geostationary orbit decided to accelerate the QZSS
14 operational, 24 operational (GEO) satellites,
Number of (GEO) satellites, 31 (at least 24 by deployment in order to reach a 4-
4 commissioning, 2 under check by the 5 geosynchronous
satellites 30 medium Earth orbit design)[18] satellite constellation by the late 2010s,
30 operational satellite prime (GSO) medium Earth
(MEO) satellites while aiming at a final 7-satellite
satellites budgeted contractor orbit (MEO) satellites
constellation in the future
2 in flight tests phase
1.164–1.215 GHz (E5a
1.561098 GHz (B1)
and E5b) 1.57542 GHz 1176.45 MHz(L5 Band)
1.589742 GHz (B1-2) Around 1.602 GHz (SP)
Frequency 1.260–1.300 GHz (E6) (L1 signal) 2492.028 MHz (S
1.20714 GHz (B2) Around 1.246 GHz (SP)
1.559–1.592 GHz (E2- 1.2276 GHz (L2 signal) Band)
1.26852 GHz (B3)
L1-E11)
22 satellites 18 satellites
operational, operational 7 satellites fully
Status Operational Operational
40 additional satellites 12 additional satellites operational
2016-2020 2017-2020
10m (Public) 1m (Public) 15m (Without DGPS or 10m (Public) 1m (Public)
Precision 4.5m – 7.4m
0.1m (Encrypted) 0.01m (Encrypted) WAAS) 0.1m (Encrypted) 0.1m (Encrypted)
THANKS

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