Study on GNSS‐R multi‐target detection and location method based on consistency checking

Abstract The use of GNSS reflected signals to carry out passive detection of space targets is an emerging technical field. Unlike the traditional GNSS‐R in large‐scale environments such as oceans, vegetation, ice and snow, it is required to identify different targets within the detection range, which is one of the biggest challenges. To solve this problem, a hyperboloid observation equation based on the TDOA location model is constructed, which can eliminate the GNSS satellite orbit error, the satellite atomic clock error and the detection receiver clock error via differential technique. The consistency checking theory based on hypothesis and test is used to detect and distinguish different targets while locating. The simulation results show that the target detection and location accuracy can reach tens of metres, and when the different space targets are separated by 50 m, 100 m, 150 m, 200 m, and 250 m in sequence, the detection success rate of the method is 67.25%, 87.50%, 95.75%, 99.25%, and 99.75%, respectively, which indicates the feasibility and effectiveness of the method. The study provides a feasible technical approach for solving the multi‐target problem in GNSS‐R space target passive detection.