Low earth orbit satellite positioning: exploration and prospects

Global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) can provide all-day positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) services in our daily life. However, the requirement of location is not limited to daily life. In high latitude areas, sparsely populated remote areas, and complex environmental areas, the ground infrastructure of GNSS is incomplete, which greatly affects the positioning accuracy and speed of GNSS. Once an emergency occurs, it is difficult to quickly narrow down the search range of the target, resulting in great losses and dangers. Low earth orbit (LEO) satellites can compensate for the shortcomings of GNSS positioning in the above-mentioned areas in terms of satellite quantity, satellite signal frequency, and satellite positioning principle. Firstly, the principle of LEO satellite positioning was introduced. Then, the research status of LEO satellite positioning technology was summarized and analyzed. Finally, the challenges of LEO satellite positioning technology and future research directions were explored.