Date of Award

3-26-2015

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Operations Research

Department

Department of Operational Sciences

First Advisor

John O. Miller, PhD.

Abstract

Satellite constellation resiliency is an important consideration gaining momentum at the top levels of the Air Force and at Air Force Space Command (AFSPC). The increased availability of threats to satellite systems is challenging the capabilities provided by space assets. More specifically, the global positioning system (GPS) satellite constellation is utilized for a variety of missions, to include providing precise geolocation information for navigation. Any degrade in GPS capabilities as observed in an urban canyon environment or due to the loss of a GPS satellite may hinder the overall mission. We use the System Effectiveness Analysis Simulation (SEAS) to model the GPS constellation in an urban canyon environment which provides information to a special operation force (SOF) in their effort to recover a weapon of mass destruction (WMD). By varying the type of operations and the number of satellites lost in the simulation, insight is gained into the impact of degradation through the selected top level mission metrics. A series of statistical difference tests and a designed experiment reveal a resiliency threshold on the number of satellites removed from the constellation. As a result, we conclude that the GPS constellation is resilient even after the loss of several satellites.

AFIT Designator

AFIT-ENS-MS-15-M-138

DTIC Accession Number

ADA615257

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