Application of new GPS aircraft control/display system to topographic mapping of the Greenland ice cap

Conference · Tue Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1996

OSTI ID:379536

Wright, C W ^[1]; Swift, R N ^[2]

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1. Goddard Space Flight Center, Wallops Flight Center, Wallops Island, VA (United States)
2. Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, VA (United States)

NASA has completed an accurate baseline map of the elevation of the Greenland ice sheet using a scanning airborne lidar in combination with differential kinematic Global Positioning System (GPS) techniques. The present plan is to reoccupy these survey lines which are spread over the major regions of the ice sheet beginning in 1997. The results are expected to provide a quantitative answer on how the ice sheet is responding to regional climatic changes. Navigation to within +-100 m of the desired track over lengths of up to 1,000 km are a requirement for the success of the program. To meet this navigational requirement, NASA developed the GPS Flight Management System (GFMS). GFMS is a PC based system that uses the real-time position update from a single GPS receiver located on the aircraft to calculate a cross-track error and generates aircraft steering commands which are converted into analog Instrument Landing System (OM) signals using an RF generator. TU GFMS also updates a cockpit display. 4 refs., 6 figs.

• OSTI ID: 379536
• Report Number(s): CONF-960613--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

44 INSTRUMENTATION
INCLUDING NUCLEAR AND PARTICLE DETECTORS
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIRCRAFT
CLIMATIC CHANGE
CONTROL SYSTEMS
ELECTRONIC GUIDANCE
GREENLAND
ICE CAPS
NASA
TOPOLOGICAL MAPPING