Space-air-ground collaborative positioning, navigation and timing architecture and key technologies for low-altitude economy

High-performance positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) service is critical to the safe flight of low-altitude aircraft and the effective management of low altitude traffic. In low-altitude economic scenarios, the specificity of massive unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flights and the complexity of low-altitude airspace traffic management impose stringent demand on the high-continuity, high-accuracy, real-time, and high-security PNT service. However, the current PNT service, which primarily relies on Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), Micro-Electro-Mechanical System Inertial Navigation System (MEMS INS), etc., is completely inadequate to support the future needs of low-altitude economic development. In order to bridge the huge gap between existing capability and future demand, a three-layer PNT architecture based on the collaboration of space-based, air-based and ground- based PNT systems is proposed for low-altitude economy. The space-based layer consists of high, medium even possible low orbit GNSS constellations, such as BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), for high- precision, high-security absolute positioning and timing. The air-based layer leverages inter-aircraft links for high-reliability dynamic relative positioning. The ground-based layer includes pseudolite network, as well as 5G-advanced (5G-A)/6G network, for more comprehensive coverage and real-time positioning. To this end, it is imperative to make breakthroughs in key technologies, from systems to airborne terminal, including but not limited to high-precision anti-jamming GNSS signal processing, high-reliability relative positioning, real-time pseudolite positioning, and high-efficient multi-source information fusion at airborne terminal, etc. Due to the moderate redundancy, heterogeneous mechanism, and multiple coverage from multiple PNT systems, the proposed layered PNT architecture possesses high robustness and resilient. Additionally, the integration of INS, LiDAR and vision etc. perception technologies can significantly enhance the PNT capability. As a result, the proposed three-layer PNT architecture enable greater autonomy for low- altitude aircraft and intelligent traffic management for massive UAV operations, and promoting the safe and efficient development of the low-altitude economy.